THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1992 Ken Johnson
100 min., R, Comedy/Musical/Science Fiction/Cult, 1975 Distributor: CBS FOX (but not currently available for purchase) Director: Jim Sharman Cast: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Meatloaf, Patricia Quinn, "Little Nell" Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Charles Gray, Peter Hinwood
Straight and naive couple Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon are going on a drive in the woods to visit Adams when one of their tires blows out. They return to a castle they had recently passed to see if they can use a phone to call for help. At the castle they meet Transylvanian transvestite Tim Curry, his creation Peter Hinwood, his servants Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn, groupie "Little Nell" Campbell, and many others. As the night progresses Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon get loosened up.
I am a very big fan of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and strongly urge, if you haven't gone to see it, that you do so. Who knows, you might surprise yourself and like it. On a rating scale of zero to five, I give ROCKY a five. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is rated R for adult situations, explicit language, adult humor, and brief female nudity. *A WORD OF WARNING*, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is not for little children or people who are easily shocked for it contains a lot of sexual innuendo and a range of other taboo subjects.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW was originally released in the theaters in 1975 and was a box office bomb. Since then a cult following has been established and the movie has started theatrical runs at midnight. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW can still be seen in the theater on the big screen, and, for those people who don't want to go out to the movies at midnight, it is on video cassette at those video stores that got the film when it was available for purchase. For your first viewing you may wish to see ROCKY on video because in the theater there is a lot of audience reaction to the film and some of the lines will be drowned out.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is one of those films that gets better each time you view it. The first time that I saw ROCKY, I felt that this was a very bizarre film. Most of the cast end up wearing fishnet tights at some point in the film. This sort of shocked me, and sort-of turned me off to the film. I liked the songs a lot though. The second time I liked the film a lot more. I was no longer shocked at all by the attire of some of the characters in the film. I found ROCKY to be a truly original film. Where else can you find a man who walks around for almost an hour and forty minutes wearing little more than fishnet tights and a garter belt? The film contains wonderful songs that make you want to sing along, and if you go to the theater to see ROCKY you will find out that the audience does sing along. Now THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is one of my favorite movies. I have bought the soundtrack and the video cassette, and have seen the play THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW three times.
A big part of ROCKY in the theaters is that all the cult fans call out reactions to lines in the film, sing along, and, in theaters that allow it, some people throw things at the screen at certain points like toilet paper, rice, and water. Some people dress up like their favorite character in the film. Some people dance in the isles. If you are lucky, at your theater will be a group of ROCKY fans who act out the film as it goes along. In short it's a great deal of fun. All this will be missed if you watch the video (however, just before and after the film on the video cassette there are scenes of theaters playing ROCKY with the audience participation). And for those of you interested, the minister in the beginning of ROCKY was played by Tim Curry and the three other people in the church were played by Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, and "Little Nell" Campbell.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is based on an English play called THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW that played in London and was written by Richard O'Brien. All the music and lyrics for the songs were written by Richard O'Brien also. The film was co-written by Jim Sharman (the director of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW) and Richard O'Brien.
Tim Curry (THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, CLUE, IT) plays Dr. Frank-N- Furter (a scientist). Frank-N-Furter is the main character in the film. He is a transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania (Transsexual is a planet). Frank-N-Furter is creating the perfect creation, Rocky Horror, and about to unveil him to a group of Transylvanians when two strangers show up and threaten taking Rocky away from him.
Susan Sarandon (PRETTY BABY, BULL DURHAM) plays Janet Weiss (a heroine). Janet is one of the two people who get brought into Frank-N- Furter's castle and exposed to a different view on sexuality. She falls in love with Rocky Horror, much to Frank's dismay. In the beginning of the film Janet is very uncomfortable in Frank's castle, but as the night wears on she starts to feel more at home!
Barry Bostwick (MOVIE! MOVIE!, CAPTIVE, A PARENT TRAP HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON, SLITHER) plays Brad Majors (a hero). Brad is the other person brought into Frank's castle, and he is sexually loosened by Frank. He is confused with the castle, yet likes it at the same time. He just doesn't know how to react to what happens to him. He and Janet are engaged to be married.
Richard O'Brien (FLASH GORDON, SHOCK TREATMENT, JUBILEE) plays Riff Raff (a handyman). It is said that Richard O'Brien wrote the role of Riff Raff for himself. Whether it is true or not, I don't know. Riff Raff is the caretaker of Frank's castle. He is also from Transsexual Transylvania. Riff Raff doesn't care much for Rocky Horror.
Patricia Quinn (SHOCK TREATMENT) plays Magenta (a domestic). Magenta is Riff Raff's sister and she is also from Transsexual Transylvania. Magenta doesn't like Rocky Horror very much, and she isn't very pleased with the way Frank treats her.
"Little Nell" Campbell (JUBILEE) plays Columbia (a groupie). She came to Frank's castle because she was in love with Frank. At Frank's castle she fell in love with Eddie. She worships the ground that Eddie walks on and is very upset with what happens to him. She seems to despise Brad and Janet.
Jonathan Adams plays Dr. Everett V. Scott (a rival scientist). Dr. Scott is a former teacher of both Brad and Janet. He is now a friend to both of them. He, apparently, has been investigating Frank for a period of time and coincidently picks this night, when Brad and Janet are at Frank's castle, to act. This action endangers the lives of Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott.
Peter Hinwood (THE ODYSSEY) plays Rocky Horror (a creation). Rocky Horror is "born" in the beginning of the film. Riff Raff and Magenta terrorize him. Frank comes after him for sexual reasons and Janet tempts him. Rocky is very confused by the whole ordeal and just wants to get away from it all.
Meatloaf (ROADIE, WAYNE'S WORLD) plays Eddie (an ex-delivery boy). Eddie is Columbia's lover and Frank's ex-lover. Frank needed to get a brain for Rocky so he took half of Eddie's. Then he put Eddie in deep freeze for future use if necessary. Eddie has the smallest role in the film, but the one who, in my opinion, is the most liked.
Charles Gray (DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, THE MIRROR CRACK'D, SHOCK TREATMENT, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) plays The Criminologist (an expert). The Criminologist narrates the dreadful story of what happened to Brad and Janet (The Denton Affair).
Also for those of you interested, on the walls of Frank's castle are many famous paintings, like the Mona Lisa. And the male statues in Frank's lab have lipstick and fingernail polish on.
This film has an interesting style. Events that have happened in the past are narrated by the Criminologist; yet the scenes with Brad and Janet are done like they are taking place in the present. The scenes with the Criminologist are spliced in the middle of scenes with Brad and Janet.
If this film comes to a theater in your area definitely go see it and don't forget to bring your squirt gun filled with water, (Scott) toilet paper, and rice. Remember, in the lines of Frank-N-Furter, "Don't dream it, be it."
"And crawling on the planet's face
Some insects called the human race
Lost in time, and lost in space
And meaning."
-from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Ken J. .
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