Friday Movie Review: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I was all of 18 when I first saw the Tim Curry cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I was in the Army, stationed down at Ft. Gordon in Georgia. I saw the movie the way most people see it the first time and the way everyone should see it at least once in their lives, in a theater, at midnight, with faithful devotees.

It’s been more than 25 years since that night! I still remember it – it made such a strong impression. The film actually came out in 1975…over 36 years ago! For DVD sales, it ranks under 4,000 in the Amazon Movie and TV sales rankings. Unbelievable!

I bought “Rocky” for a cool $99 when it came out 12 years ago on DVD. That was the going rate then for the 25th anniversary edition which was the only DVD edition at the time. I sold my original copy several years ago for not quite what I paid but it was hard to come by at the time and the guy that bought it was thrilled to have it.

What’s all the fuss? Quite frankly, I didn’t find the story line all that interesting that night in the theater. In a nut shell, a very square young couple, Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and a fairly young Susan Sarandon) gete stuck for the night at a strange mansion/castle when their car breaks down on a deserted road during a rain storm. The castle is owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist with creepy servants and other various groupies which include the writer of the original musical, Richard O’Brien in the role of servant Riff Raff and the rock musician Meat Loaf in the role of biker/strandee/groupie Eddie. Brad and Janet arrive as the ensconced group is preparing to celebrate Frank-N-Furter’s creation, Rocky, a gold lame speedo wearing, blond, muscular, boy toy. Sexual hi-jinks are the order of the movie…heterosexual, homosexual, transsexual, and orgy of all of the above (with a 1970s propriety for a movie shown to mainstream audiences).  The movie is based on a musical so much of the movie is set to music.

I didn’t get it all back then. I just enjoyed the aspect of the movie most people go for: audience participation. If you’ve never seen the movie in a theater, please try and see it that way just one time. You won’t believe the costumes, the props, the songs… unreal. So you won’t appear totally uninitiated though, I suggest you view the 25th Anniversary DVD
or the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray and pay attention during the well defined audience participation points during the feature. It will save you a bit of ridicule from your more worldly friends when you do go and see it in a theater!

25th Anniversary             35th Anniversary on Blu-ray