"Let there be lips"

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great for parties, fun songs, timeless (I can't wait to discuss it with my grandkids)

Cons: Pretty boring movie without the fun of other people

Author's Review
This is part of a Halloween write-off on our favorite scary movie or book. Other participants include amykhar, AmyLEnsor, Blackelve, bluehawq, elizajane, Elorraine, Emillye, frazzledspice, gracef, jennifer_gibbons, jenninca, jgibson2, jiastar, KingJFS, KristenNC, lcw61, Magick1, Redlass, shelxland, Willow4, and Wovengold. Please check out their reviews as well.

This write-off is supposed to be about our favorite scary book or movie, so I suppose I am bending the rules a tad when I write about The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While it isn't scary, it is my all-time favorite Halloween movie, as well as that of it's cult following around the world for the last 25 years. It has become the favored audience participation production ever.

The Characters

Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) is the hero of the movie. He is Janet's love and a bit old fashioned. Okay, a lot old fashioned.

Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) is Brad's girl and a tad naive... or is she?

Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry)is the scientist who also happens to be a "transvestite from the planet Transexual in the galaxy of Transylvania."

The criminologist (Charles Gray) narrates the scene in his monotone voice.

Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien) is the overcast butler and sidekick to Frank.

Magenta (Patricia Quinn) is the seductive redhead sister of Riff Raff.

And we can't forget Columbia (Little Nell)who is the groupie; Eddie (Meatloaf) who is Dr. Scott's nephew and dinner; Rocky (Peter Hinwood) who is Frank's newest "project"; and Dr. Everett Scott (Jonathan Adams) another scientist and Eddie's uncle who all played recognizable parts in the movie.

The movie

The movie, which debuted in 1975, features Brad and Janet who are in love. After attending the wedding of friends, they are off to meet with Dr. Everett Scott. After having car troubles they double back, newspapers to protect them from the rain, to a castle they passed along they way.

Upon entering the castle they are greeted by Riff Raff, the doorman (you might say), ushered into a ballroom and welcomed by Frank and his cohorts. After being entertained by the group to the tune of "Time Warp" (oh come on, you know it... so jump to the left and play along) the duo is led to Frank's laboratory to be witness to his newest creation, Rocky.

Here is where I'll stop with the movie details, one, because I could be here for days trying to explain it and two, because if you are one of the lonely souls out there who have not yet been introduced to this movie, you'd be better off to experience it without the plot of the film being ruined.

Go to a showing

My recommendation is that you see the movie in a theater or some sort of showing as opposed to watching it at home (unless you like throwing toast at your husband, dog and television). The major reason for this is , of course, the throwing toast or in other words the audience participation aspect. If you've never been, you need to know there are certain items you need to bring with you so that you can participate. These can include but are not limited to rice, newspaper, squirt guns or water bottles, flashlight, latex gloves, dry toast, toilet paper... to be used at the appropriate parts of the movie. The list of ingredients will obviously change from location to location, so check with the theater to check what is permissable.

Another aspect to seeing the show with a crowd is the costumes. Known for attracting look-alikes and other freaks (this freak too) at the show there will possibly be actual performers live as well as the movie.

Did you know?

Here are a few facts that you might not have known about the movie. Some I knew, some I needed to know and others? Well if they didn't entertain me I didn't include them...

- Richard O'Brien, who plays Riff Raff, is actually the creator of Rocky Horror Picture Show. He wrote the book, the music as well as the lyrics and owns the rights to it to this day.

- The movie was based off the play Rocky Horror Show which debuted in London in 1973.

- Tim Curry, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Richard O'Brien were all part of the original theater production.

- The famous lips belong to none other than Patricia Quinn who plays Magenta.

- There are supposedly 24 mistakes in the filming and editing of the movie. The official fan club site has 20 of them listed. Can you find the other 4?

- There actually was a second movie that came out in 1981 called Shock Treatment. It was labeled the "equal" as opposed to the sequel (and is not the sequel that was written by Richard O'Brien but never made).

I had never heard of Shock Treatment before researching the real names of some of the cast for this epinion, when I came across it's official website. Apparently, the movie bombed and to this day does not have the following of it's predecessor. However, this Halloween I might see if I can rent it just for kicks. I'll let you know what I think.

My assignment to you, whether you are a Rocky Horror virgin or are a Frank Furter look-alike and guru, is to go see this showing. If you have to fulfill your yearly duty of walking toddlers door to door to get an assortment of sugary items, go early. Then get a sitter, grab your newspaper...steal the squirt gun from the kids and head on down to the nearest showing. It's the 25th Anniversary after all...