If you’ve ever screamed at the screen during a midnight movie showing, you can thank The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A musical sex comedy cum horror/sci-fi homage, Rocky was written as an inside joke to movie zealots, who have responded in kind, supporting midnight showings of the film for 35 years.
The film itself plays as a loving satire of the science fiction/horror serials lauded in its opening song, “Science Fiction/Double Feature.” After that introduction, the victims of our double feature are introduced. Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) are a young, naive, squeaky-clean couple who have, as of the film’s opening, become newly engaged. On a (wait for it) dark and stormy night, the two are on the road to celebrate that engagement with an old mentor, but a flat tire forces them to seek shelter in an old castle. They hope to simply use the phone, but of course, we know they’ve wandered onto the set of a horror movie.
As luck would have it, it’s a very self-aware horror movie, and it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. Our young couple is quickly placed in a surreal, hypersexual party full of randy aliens, led by a cross-dressing scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), who’s about to unveil his seminal work – the eponymous Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood), a blonde, hairless, muscle-bound plaything for the doctor. Through songs from a soundtrack mixing 70s glam-rock with 50s-era doo-wop and rockabilly, we learn about Frank N. Furter’s sexual proclivities (“Sweet Transvestite”), his ultimate dreams for Rocky (“I Can Make You a Man”), and his overall love for a good time (“Time Warp”).
The film was the brainchild of Richard O’Brien, who wrote and staged the piece as a live musical. Tim Curry played Frank N. Furter in both, launching his career with the role that probably still defines him. Barry Bostwick does good work as the straight man to all the ridiculousness (a loaded term when discussing Rocky Horror, but still.) Sarandon’s work is good, too, but watching the film now, I can’t get her performance as an oversexed, hyperliterate baseball fan from Bull Durham out of my head, so there’s a bit of disconnect. O’Brien plays a supporting role as the doctor’s Igor, Riff Raff, and Meat Loaf gets a chance to come sing as well.
“Rocky Horror” Launched the Midnight Movie Craze
by Dennis Mayer November 2nd, 2011 |Comedy
The film itself plays as a loving satire of the science fiction/horror serials lauded in its opening song, “Science Fiction/Double Feature.” After that introduction, the victims of our double feature are introduced. Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) are a young, naive, squeaky-clean couple who have, as of the film’s opening, become newly engaged. On a (wait for it) dark and stormy night, the two are on the road to celebrate that engagement with an old mentor, but a flat tire forces them to seek shelter in an old castle. They hope to simply use the phone, but of course, we know they’ve wandered onto the set of a horror movie.
As luck would have it, it’s a very self-aware horror movie, and it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. Our young couple is quickly placed in a surreal, hypersexual party full of randy aliens, led by a cross-dressing scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), who’s about to unveil his seminal work – the eponymous Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood), a blonde, hairless, muscle-bound plaything for the doctor. Through songs from a soundtrack mixing 70s glam-rock with 50s-era doo-wop and rockabilly, we learn about Frank N. Furter’s sexual proclivities (“Sweet Transvestite”), his ultimate dreams for Rocky (“I Can Make You a Man”), and his overall love for a good time (“Time Warp”).
The film was the brainchild of Richard O’Brien, who wrote and staged the piece as a live musical. Tim Curry played Frank N. Furter in both, launching his career with the role that probably still defines him. Barry Bostwick does good work as the straight man to all the ridiculousness (a loaded term when discussing Rocky Horror, but still.) Sarandon’s work is good, too, but watching the film now, I can’t get her performance as an oversexed, hyperliterate baseball fan from Bull Durham out of my head, so there’s a bit of disconnect. O’Brien plays a supporting role as the doctor’s Igor, Riff Raff, and Meat Loaf gets a chance to come sing as well.
Sign Up!
Like what you're reading?