The Rocky Horror Picture Show
We know you have been waiting with great antici---pation, all month long, for our thoughts on all things “Rocky Horror,” so, without further ado, here they are… Enjoy!
There are several pieces of context that I did not bring to the table when first viewing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, back in my high school days. The film was almost certainly my first exposure to a cult film, and the ‘camp’ qualities throughout the film were similarly new to me. Furthermore, while I could conceptualize the idea of the 'B-movie,' my exposure to such low-budget horror and sci-fi films to which Rocky Horror pays homage, was (and remains) astoundingly sparse. I remember that first viewing of Rocky Horror, sitting on my bedroom floor, with my best friend, as we both ventured into this film that we understood to be a cult classic and not much else. That first viewing left us admittedly puzzled, but undoubtedly charmed. In the week following that first viewing, I rewatched the film at least five more times. It has an irresistible magnetism to me. With each viewing, I fell prey to Frank-N-Furter's delightful diversions, only to be left feeling existentially lost by the film's bleak ending. To this day, though I know the movie like the back of my hand, The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains a film that I willingly follow, delighting in the film's excess of style, until the film's ending inevitably hits me like a sledgehammer. At that point, I sit through the credits, lost and bemused as Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott crawl around in the fog wearing corsets and fishnet stockings (in the original ‘UK’ ending, at least).
What makes Rocky Horror especially stand out to me is the film's momentum, as it barrels along in a dreamlike confusion. Like Brad and Janet, the audience accepts the outlandish and sudden turns that the movie takes, adapting to the unpredictable pace of Frank-N-Furter and his house. It's as if every element of the movie - the over-the-top delivery of cliched dialogue, the visual tricks and surprises, and the musical numbers, which tend to swap back and forth as though the film is on a CD changer - is demanding that you abandon all else and 'look over here.' Done poorly, this would have been an intolerable movie. However, the direction and pacing are so masterful that the audience, like Brad and Janet, falls in step and allows the film to take us where it will.
A campy production, such as Rocky Horror, requires complete commitment from its actors, and the amount of the fun that this cast appeared to be having during filming is palpable. Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter is the standout, as charismatic and excessive as ever, with one of the all-time greatest film entrances as he descends in his elevator and "Sweet Transvestite" begins. Writer of the original stage show, Richard O'Brien's portrayal of Riff Raff is menacingly excellent, and was always my favorite to imitate with my friends (that tight-throated, nasally voice!). The two other most impressive performances in the film are Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as Brad and Janet, embodying the most stereotypical WASPs possible. Bostwick's sharp, exaggerated physical performance is incredibly hilarious. From the main cast members to the chorus of wild convention attendees, everyone's energy and dedication to the film is just perfect.
I can't possibly close my review without discussing the music, which is a large portion of the film's appeal. The songs range from hilariously corny tunes, as in "Dammit Janet" to songs that could have easily been at the top of the charts, be it the 1950s rock 'n' roll style, as evidenced in "Hot Patootie," or a more psychedelic Pink Floyd-esque rock, such as Riff Raff's portions of "There's a Light." All of the songs are so immediately catchy, and honestly, this is one of those beautiful musicals where I can sit through the entire soundtrack and not feel the urge to skip a single track. I can't even settle on a favorite song with this one. Sometimes it's "Sweet Transvestite," sometimes it's the string of tunes that comprise the floor show, and still other times it's "Science Fiction/Double Feature." All I'm certain of is that O'Brien can sure write a song with extremely satisfying lyrics. Now excuse me while I go sing the line "Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills" ad infinitum.
In case this review hasn't made it abundantly clear, I love this movie. It's a fun, hilarious time with some genuinely great music, and, though it may close on a bit of an unsettling note, I'd say the ride is worth the mental crisis it leaves you to tackle. After all, as Frank-N-Furter so aptly puts it, "It's not easy having a good time." - Bailey 👠🧸
Every time that I watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, dir. Richard O’Brien) I find something ‘new’ about the film that makes me like it even more. Perhaps it is the over-the-top performances of the cast or the catchiness of the musical numbers that keeps me coming back, time and time again, but upon re-watching the film this week I was struck by the overwhelming number of intertextual references. I had way too much fun noticing the subtleties of the dialogue and lyrics, and the visual homages to other works, ranging from (high and low brow) references to art, other films, and even to major works of literature.
In this sense, The Rocky Horror Picture Show cements its place in film history as ‘bridge’ between the realms of traditional narrative films, especially those found in Classical Hollywood Cinema, and the self-consciousness of the narratives found throughout Postmodernist works. I quite like the “Post-Classical” moniker coined by Catherine Constable in her book “Postmodernism and Film: Rethinking Hollywood’s Aesthetics,” as a way to categorize films that exhibit some of the visual and stylistic qualities often associated with postmodernism, but may not be fully recognized as true ‘postmodern texts’ (2015). Some of the post-classical/postmodern elements that spring to mind, and which can clearly be found within The Rocky Horror Picture Show, are the use of ‘spectacle,’ having a loose narrative, the inclusion of intertextual references, and the use of parody or pastiche. These are the elements that I find the more endearing and delightfully prevalent upon revisiting this film.
From the opening of the film, with the titles playing around the ‘Rocky Horror’ lips, as they lip sync to “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” I was struck by how similar the styling of the lips were to that of The Rolling Stones’ ‘lip logo,’ which was created in 1970 by John Pasche. (The first of many homages that this film encompasses, although parallels can be made between the lips and many other works of art.) The opening song swiftly proves to be a tribute to B movies and low-budget science fiction and horror fare of the 1950s, which sets the tone for the absurdity to come.
One of my favorite nods, or intertextual references, to other works is the stylized scene at the end of the wedding, where two of the churches groundskeepers are framed as if they had stepped right out of the famous 1930s Grant Wood painting “American Gothic.” This painting is not only referenced within this opening wedding ceremony, but a print can also be seen hanging on the wall of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s (Tim Curry) castle right after Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) are admitted into the house by Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien), right at the start of “The Time Warp” number. To make this nod even more fun, if you pay attention to the casting you will notice that the groundskeepers are in fact Richard O’Brien and Patricia Quinn, essentially playing dual roles when they later appear as Riff Raff and Magenta, respectively. Even Tim Curry gets in on the action, and can be seen briefly as the priest, before turning his back to the camera, obscuring his face. A third, and very subtle, reference to “American Gothic” can be found within the final sequence of the film in the design of the ‘laser’ that Riff Raff and Magenta use to kill Frank, Columbia, and Rocky, which looks like a trident or the tines of the pitchfork that the farmer holds in “American Gothic.”
The most overt reference is clearly to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus, particularly with the naming of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (vs. Frankenstein) and the plot surrounding Frank making a man, as his creature, in this case, is Rocky Horror (played by Peter Hinwood). Rocky even happens to be afraid of fire, just like Frankenstein’s monster, which we learn through Riff Raff’s taunting of Rocky with a lit candelabra. But, the references just continue at every turn, from Rocky singing “The Sword of Damocles'' (an allusion to an anecdote about Dionysius and Damocles, which is taken to reference a sense of foreboding or peril), to the absurd amount of body-building innuendo within the “I Can Make You a Man” number (it isn’t completely clear if Frank is singing about physically making Rocky, making Rocky more muscular, hence “manly,” or if he is referring to Rocky’s sexual awakening… I’m inclined to think that it is all of the above), which can be seen as a reference to the body-building and gymnastics culture indicative of ‘Muscle Beach’ and dates back to the 1930s California sub-culture (that developed first at the Santa Monica Pier and was later relocated to Venice, CA). Each of these references compound, adding layers of meaning throughout the film.
The film even ends with yet another spectacle honoring classic sci-fi and horror fare. In the final moments of Rocky Horror’s climactic scene, the audience witnesses a distraught Rocky climbing the “RKO” tower, a la King Kong (1933, dir. Merian C. Cooper). The ending becomes even more poignant, as, like in King Kong (where a larger than life ape climbs the Empire State Building before being struck down at the end of his film), this scene is essentially re-created within Rocky Horror, through the act of Rocky climbing the tower while holding Frank, who becomes a stands in for Fay Wray, a Classical Hollywood actress featured in King Kong, who also happens to be referenced within lines of the “Science Fiction/Double Feature” number, used to open the film… It is as if Fay Wray’s mere mentioning, at the very start of the film, foreshadows the inevitability of the twisted and tumultuous climax within The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are so many layers to this film that keep the experience of watching it new and fresh every single time.
Speaking of new experiences, re-watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show this month was an absolute blast. I had completely forgotten that my DVD copy had lots of different viewing options, from the extended UK version, which features the restored “Super Heroes” sequence at the end of the film, to a subtitled “Prompter” track (that tells you exactly when to engage in a little audience participation, because you wouldn’t want to miss throwing your toast, now, would you?), and even a “Theatrical Experience” that recorded certain scenes featuring some members of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ fan club, splicing in actual performances and audience reactions at various points throughout the film, just as you might see the show at your favorite midnight movie screening. What can I say? I enjoy The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and will surely pick up on something new and interesting the next time that I watch it… That is one of the things that I love about cinema, it is a reflection of your ability to engage with the medium, it is a snapshot of time, a testament to your reaction and response to whatever you are watching. You can watch a film over and over, and notice or experience something new or different every single time. Until next time… “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again!” – Sarah 👄🎶👽
What did you think about The Rocky Horror Picture Show? What is your favorite musical number? Who is your favorite character? And, be honest, any Rocky Horror ‘virgins’ out there? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for our September Film Club Pick!
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte
