RHPS - It's Just a Step to the Left....

Author's Rating:

Pros: Re-watchability

Cons: nada, zip, zilch

The Bottom Line: 
Bottom line? Why aren't you watching this movie instead of sitting here reading this?

Author's Review
Let's do the time warp again

Now I ask you, what would Halloween be without the Rocky Horror Picture Show? That's right! It would be incomplete! Now I have to warn you ahead of time, Time Warp is one of my all time favorite songs so I'll likely take breaks from this review to sing and/or dance. You have been warned.

It's astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes its toll
But listen closely

RHPS probably has the biggest cult following of any movie in history. It's premier was at the Westwood Theater in Los Angeles in the fall of 1975. It was widely considered a failure. Little did they know at the time exactly what they had created... muwahahahahaaaa RHPS now shows religiously at many theatres across the country at midnight on weekends, and the theatres are packed with fans each time it runs.

Not for very much longer

The basic story is about a young couple who have just gotten engaged.. Brad and Janet. On their way to see their old teacher and friend, Dr. Scott, the car breaks down and they stumble upon an eerie castle in the storm.

I've got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me

Living in this castle is Riff Raff, the apparent butler... FrankNfurter, the Lord of the Manner (who is a sweet transvetite)... and a whole host of oddities. These folks are havin' a par-tay!

And the void would be calling

Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

Poor innocent Janet (slut) and the spineless Brad (queer) find themselves in a bizarre situation that they are not entirely sure how to deal with. They are put into separate guest bedrooms (after going up to the lab, and seeing what's on the slab..) where the real fun begins!

It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right

Everything in this place is not at all what it seems... to find out the twist at the end you will have to go experience this movie for yourself.. but in the meantime, think about science experiments to create the perfect man.

With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight

The Cast
Tim Curry is that sweetest of all transvetites, FrankNfurter, who's goal is to create Rocky, the man of his dreams in a gold lame speedo. Curry is awesome! Imagine this really tall and built guy dressed all up in a merry widow complete with garters and stockings. Yeah. It had to take a lot for this buff guy to play this role. It had to take an extreme amount of acting ability not to just be cracking up the entire time. Curry plays it with just the right amount of schlock value.

But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane

Susan Sarandon is Janet Weiss, the young newly engaged, and one target of FrankNfurter's warped affections. she's married to Brad, has an attraction to the freak, and then gets all up on Rocky... any wonder why the audience chants Slut when she appears on the scene? Sarandon is great in the role. She clearly has a blast with this part and you can tell that she is having a difficult time keeping a straight face at times. For you guys, she does have a scene in her underwear.. heh.

Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

Barry Bostwick is Brad Majors, Janet's new fiance. Well, Brad also has a little hanky panky with ol' FrankNfurter, which is why the audience yells queer when he appears on the scene. Bostwick also has a scene in his briefs, but ladies, I'm sorry to tell you.. he aint all that. Bostwick does play the role of a dork well. He's been panned in some places due to this role, but I think he played it exactly right. He was supposed to be stiff and uptight!

It's so dreamy
Oh, fantasy free me
So you can't see me

Richard O'Brien plays Riff Raff, the butler, we presume. Riff Raff is much more than a butler, it turns out, but I won't ruin it for you by telling what he is if you've never seen this. O'Brien is perfect as the hunch-backed Riff Raff. He moves his eyes in the most dasterdly way! O'Brien is much more than an actor too.. he co-wrote this screenplay, and is credit as composer as well.

No, not at all
In another dimension
With voyeuristic intention
Well secluded, I see all

Meatloaf is Eddie, a biker who has been in the house's deep freeze for lord knows how long. During the making of the perfect man he makes a helluva entrance on his Harley. What happens to him after that is for you to watch and see. heh. Meatloaf is , well, meatloaf (pooooor Eddie!!). Can he act? Who cares! He's fun to watch at any rate.

With a bit of a mind flip
You're into the time slip
And nothing can ever be the same

Peter Hinwood is Rocky, the creation of Dr. FrankNfurter. Now, this part requires zero acting ability. It calls for Rocky to mainly stand there, sing (well, try to anyway) and look good in his gold speedo. heh. This is my one area of contention. I didn't find Hinwood all that appealing. That's a matter of personal preference though and there's no way to find a guy that would fit everyone's idea of the perfect male.

You're spaced out on sensation
Like you're under sedation

Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

Charles Gray is the Criminologist, who narrates the story...Gray is fabulous as the pipe smoking professor. His 'normalcy' is an excellent counterpoint to the madness of the rest of the cast. Pure genius.

Well I was walking down the street
Just a having a think
When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink
He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise
He had a pick up truck and the devil's eyes
He stared at me and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again

Jonathan Adams is the wheelchair-bound Dr. Scott, who turns out to be much more than Brad and Janet thought he was.. Adams plays Scott with just as much campiness as Curry. His last scene is funny as hell.

Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

Jim Sharman directed this farce and the only word that can describe this venture is 'inspired'. This was such an amazing feat, I cannot believe he has had no other successes... but then, RHPS is a very hard act to follow. Shock Treatment and The Night of the Prowler couldn't even come close to touching RHPS.

It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

In case you haven't guessed it, the midnight showings of RHPS are very oriented toward audience participation. You do not neccesarily have to dress the part, but it helps. Do expect to get wet in some scenes, and have pop corn thrown in your hair. If you have not experienced one of these, DO! I haven't been to one in about 15 years now, but I've heard the theatres even hire their own Rocky cast to parody the on-screen antics as the movie plays. How fun would that be? I need to find one of these showings! I'm sure things have devolved to a new level of derrangement that I would thoroughly enjoy. *cackle* If you want to attend one and be for-armed, here is a great site that lists all the little side-dialogues and whatnot:

Well ok, the system won't allow me to put the URL in here...

Any Google search for RHPS will turn up hundreds if not thousands of fan sites for this veritable masterpeice. The run time on this is 100 minutes of non-stop fun. When it was first released to video I remember it being an outrageous $100 for a VHS... now, luckily, you can find the DVD for around $15 at Best Buy.

Oddly enough, I can't find a rating for it. I'd say teens on up.. just try to stop your 16 year old from watching it! *laugh* And truelly, there is nothing potentially damaging in this movie. Oh, there's some scantily clad folks, and implied sex... some warped ideas here and there.. but over all this is just fun. Even my gay guy friends yell queer at the top of their lungs with glee at Brad. Like I said, there is no malice here, just fun, and making fun of stereotypes.

Do I recommend this movie? Oh hell yeah! I do not own it yet, and that is a major oversight! I've just told Nick his assignment is to stop at Best Buy and buy it tomorrow on his way home from work. I know the script by heart, but it must be added to our library! (update: bought it!)


Let's do the time warp again