The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Moving on from the riotous cult stage show which was born in a small studio theatre in the early 70s, this movie version is a well-cast, outrageous romp showcasing the absurdity and sci-fi obsession of Richard O'Brien's inventive musical.

The small cast - the wonderful Tim Curry as Frank 'n Furter (the sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania'); Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as the odd science students Brad and Janet; Patricia Quinn as Magenta ('a domestic'); Little Nell as Columbia ('a groupie'), Jonathan Adams as Dr Scott; Meat Loaf as Eddie; Richard O'Brien himself as the handyman Riff Raff; Peter Hinwood as the muscle man Rocky, created by Frank in a spoof on Frankenstein; and Charles Gray having a great time as the Criminologist - are all really good, and the songs are terrific, from the madness of 'The Timewarp' and 'Sweet Transvestite', to the ethereal 'There's a Light' and 'I'm Going Home', by way of the rocky 'Whatever Happened To Saturday Night?' and the film-reference heavy 'Science Fiction Double Feature'.

Great, great fun and the floor show sequence in particular, showcasing Frank's obsession with Fay Wray and the RKO cheapies, is exceptional, with its statues in basques and its huge swimming pool. Trash, yes, but classy trash, and most enjoyable.

Dissect, disassemble and reassemble to your hearts content, conjure any number of meanings and misinterpretations, then rewind, warp back in time, remove head from derriere and wallow in this absolute pleasure again and again and again.

A squeaky-clean young couple, Brad & Janet (Barry Bostwick & Susan Sarandon), get a flat tire on a late rainy night, and decide to stop off at a nearby castle to use the residents' phone and call for help. What they don't realise is that these are no ordinary residents: Dr. Frank N Furter (Tim Curry), with assistance from his servants Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and their ragtag bunch of fellow Transylvanians, has his own diabolical plans for the evening, set against a kick-butt rock 'n' roll music score....

Call me a twisted "Rocky Horror" fan, but I actually prefer to watch this cult classic movie-musical in the comfort of my own home, rather than going out to one of those midnight theatrical screenings that have made this 1975 film so popular. Oh, I'm sure there's great fun to be had at a midnight showing, but the fact is, you're not going to see or hear very much of the movie itself, what with the audience shouting & throwing stuff at the screen literally every two seconds (think of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" on speed), as well as the live cast performing in front of the movie screen! If you want to really *see and hear* "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" as you would any other film, watch it on video first. Then, when you've got the movie firmly etched in your head, head out to the theater. But NOT before!

Having said that, this movie version of the hit stage musical written by Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff himself), is a ton of great, naughty fun. It wonderfully sends up B-movie sci-fi/horror flicks, with a playful, healthy dose of blatant sexual innuendo thrown in for good measure. Classic, memorable rock 'n' roll tunes written by O'Brien throughout, including "The Time Warp," "Sweet Transvestite," "Hot Patootie"....the list goes on and on. And, of course, you have a spectacular cast, led by Tim Curry, who IS the larger-than-life Dr. Frank N Furter, and a young, attractive Susan Sarandon, who simply lights up the screen as Janet. But everyone else, including Barry Bostwick, Meatloaf, Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, and Charles Gray all make excellent contributons, too.

I love "The Rocky Horror Picture Show": it's very funny, sexy, and brilliantly performed, with great rock 'n' roll music t'boot. But I, personally, still prefer to watch it at home, where I can see the film in peace & quiet without being yelled in my ear, getting soaked, or having rice & toast tossed all around me!

A middle-class young couple, motoring in the country on their wedding night, have car trouble in front of a huge mansion… Wanting to use the phone, the two approach the house and go in just as its master, Dr. Frank N. Furter, is leading an experiment… His newly made creature, the body-beautiful Rocky, is ready to be unveiled, and the innocent couple is caught up in this strange household filled with the doctor's campy, exotically dressed admirers… Both the wife and the husband are seduced by this garter-belted "scientist."

The film's first half is fast and funny, with virtually every song a memorable one… But the second half tries to do too much and the film loses much of its potency… Nevertheless, the adorable characters make this a delightful entertainment

It's fairly easy to see why "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" became such a huge cult-favorite so quickly... So huge even that the fans went to screenings all dressed up like drag-queens, singing along with the songs and waving around cigarette lighters. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" simply is a tremendously inspiring movie and it's almost impossible not to start swinging yourself when the legendary songs such as "The Time Warp" and "Touch Me" are being sung by the vivid cast. The screenplay is adapted from Richard O'Brien (who also co-stars) play and it still comes across as very wit and all-knowing in its humor. There's spoofing and referring to everything from Universal and RKO-Pictures horror movies over typically 50's science-fiction to Hammer horror and the filming locations & set pieces are leftovers from other classic genre titles. The story is ridiculously simple and merely just introduces a young couple whose car breaks down near a ominous dark castle. When they go there for help, they're sucked into the eccentric world of transvestite Dr. Frank 'N Furter and his bizarre collection of servants and friends. The frenzied doctor created himself a muscled and blond-haired toy-boy and he's in the middle of presenting his creation when Brad and Janet (a great early role for Susan Sarandon) stumble in. The lines and song lyrics are often hilarious and far from politically correct and the lingerie costumes are quite nifty. All the acting performances are terrific but immensely divergent, since Tim Curry's Frank 'N Furter is extremely grotesque whereas Charles Gray's narrating character is straight-faced.