“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Review
The longest running film of all time, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is one of the most delightfully weird and amazing films of all time with great songs, memorable characters and die hard fans.
It’s incredibly difficult to find a film quite like 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” because it doesn’t fit in just one category. It’s a musical, a horror film, a comedy, a B movie and a science fiction film all in one amazing package. Not only is it the longest-running film in history, with limited screenings ever since its wide release, but it also has one of the most loyal and strangest fanbases ever. With a bizarre plot, kooky characters and an unforgettable experience, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is one of the best musical films of all time and an essential watch every Halloween, especially if your local theater is playing it.
The film follows Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and his fiance Janet Wiess (Susan Sarandon), two normal young people who go on a road trip to visit their old professor Dr. Everett Scott (Jonathan Adams). When their car breaks down in the middle of a rain-storm, Brad and Janet make their way to a strange castle for help where they encounter a mad, transvestite scientist named Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) who has created a man named Rocky (Peter Hinwood) in a laboratory. As the night goes on, Brad and Janet’s innocence fades away and a series of crazy events and musical sequences lead to a night of absolute insanity.
The biggest question associated with the film, other than “Why?” or “How?”, is this: “Is ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ actually a good movie?” In my opinion, absolutely yes! The biggest difference between this film and other midnight films, like “The Room,” is that “The Room” was meant to be a serious drama and failed so spectacularly that it became hilarious and a massive hit ironically. “The Rocky Horror Show,” the musical that the film is based on, was meant to pay homage to old-school science fiction B movies to the very letter, including all of the bad elements like the weird villains, unintentional humor and various inconsistencies within the story.
When the musical’s writer Richard O’Brien decided to make a cinematic version, this allowed him and director Jim Sharmin to create a much more visually spectacular film including sight gags, more engaging musical sequences and just an overall better sense of atmosphere. A lot of what brings the film together are the actors who take O’Brien’s material and give it their own unique spin.
Future Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick are great in their roles because they represent newcomers to this crazy experience. The longer they stay in the castle, the more they become seduced by Frank and his insane plan to create Rocky. With such a small cast, every character in this film is undeniably nuts and memorable. There’s the tap-dancing Columbia (Nell Campbell), elbow-obsessed castle servants Riff-Raff (Richard O’Brien) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), the self-righteous Criminologist (Charles Gray) who narrates the film and saxophone playing Eddie (Meatloaf) whose rockin’ appearance is both incredibly awesome and incredibly pointless.
Tim Curry (Center) steals the show as the mad scientist Frank-N-Furter who seeks to ensnare all of the cast in his web of decadence.
But the biggest star of the film is, of course, Tim Curry who brings his a-game to this role and delivers a performance that he will be forever remembered for. While Tim Curry has been in a lot of great films, some stranger than others, like “Annie,” “Legend,” “Clue,” “Muppet Treasure Island” and the original version of Stephen King’s “It,” this is his best role. He just has such charisma in this film and Frank-N-Furter displays all of Curry’s best qualities: his singing, goofy personality, physicality and just how damn good he looks in women’s clothing.
There’s really not a lot new to say about the music of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” These songs are unbelievably catchy and have bled over from the film into overall popular culture. I think pretty much everyone knows how to do the Time Warp, even if they’ve never seen the film. In fact, if you look up music playlists for Halloween on Apple Music, Amazon Music or Spotify, it’s highly likely you’ll find some songs from the film’s soundtrack.
What makes “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” so memorable is how insane the film’s plot becomes over the course of one hour and 40 minutes. There are so many bizarre elements in the film that seem pointless, but they’re so cool that it’s hard to imagine the film without them including loudspeakers fastened to replicas of Michelangelo’s David, all of the close-up shots of the Criminologist, alien death lasers and a climatic floor show that has characters singing and dancing in a manner “Cabaret” would call too over-the-top. But the film has so many strange ingredients that it creates an experience much bigger than the sum of its parts.
It’s basically lightning in a bottle and it really can never be recaptured. O’Brien and Sharmin teamed up to make a sequel to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” 1981’s “Shock Treatment,” and it has since faded into obscurity and is nowhere near as beloved as the original film. The Fox TV network made a television version in 2016 starring Laverne Cox as Frank and it wasn’t nearly as good, mainly due to a lack of originality and the fact that it was shot like a live show, but it was actually pre-recorded.
But what has made this film everlasting is its fan base which I think is just as strong as any major blockbuster franchise. Say what you want about “Star Wars” fans but they don’t have the courage to wear pantyhose at a screening or have Vs written on their foreheads with lipstick. While “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a lot of fun to watch at home, especially if you get a group of friends together, nothing compares to seeing the film live in a theater.
Not only do you get to see the film on a larger screen but many screenings across the world have a shadowcast, as seen in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” who reenact the film in front of the screen, lip syncing to the dialogue and creating a unique theatrical experience that few other films have. Also, since the film has been around for so long, fans have noticed all sorts of places throughout the film to crack jokes, resulting in a long series of “call-backs” that fans shout during the film. While I hate it when people talk during a film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a huge exception because the jokes that I have heard and made over the years while watching this film are hilarious, offensive and just plain entertaining.
Among the many call-backs include references to drug use, Richard Nixon, the Catholic Church, O.J. Simpson, Billy Joel, STDs and a variety of other taboo subjects. So, if you are a puritanical bastard who doesn’t find joy in anything that your puny mind can’t handle, this film, or any film, is definitely not for you. However, if you’re looking for an insanely good time at the theater, this is a mandatory experience for anyone who loves film.
As seen in the film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” the film’s live screenings often boast a local shadowcast who reenact the film in front of the screen and interact with fans.
Going to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” isn’t about just experiencing this film, it’s also about the fans who are some of the nicest people you will ever meet in your theatrical experience. Because of all of the free sexuality and fantastic characters depicted on screen, the film has remained an empowering film for the LGBTQ+ community. While I’m not LGBTQ+, I have felt the overwhelming love of “Rocky Horror” fans and it’s an amazing and powerful community that welcomes everyone.
I’ve also been a part of a shadowcast, “The Irrational Masters” of DeKalb, IL, and they are some of the most dedicated people I’ve seen. Dedicating part of your time to a shadowcast all out of love for this one film is incredible and there’s a lot of work that goes into successfully putting on a show. Seeing this film for so long, interacting with fans and being a part of the shadowcast have given me a deeper respect for the LGBTQ+ community and have strengthened my stance as an Ally to this community of incredible people.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is not only one of the best musicals of all time, a great tribute to B movies and an important piece of cinema, but it also is just one of the most joyful films of all time. If you and your friends are looking for something to do around Halloween, or anytime of year, there’s most likely a live screening of this film happening somewhere near you. So go to the theater with antici-----pation and give yourself over to absolute pleasure.
