By Melissa Antionette Garza
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW isn’t just a movie. It’s not just a musical or a play. It’s an experience of a lifetime. There is nothing quite like it. It’s perfection. I remember the first time I watched it, I was 12 years old. It premiered on FOX so there were a few things cut out, but still I was blown away.
My older sister hated it. Twenty minutes in, she wanted to change it. She called it “sick” and “twisted.” My brother just thought it was stupid. I, on the other hand, was absolutely taken by it. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I wasn’t alone. There were others who reveled in a fun kind of insanity.
I was the definition of an outcast and until I saw RHPS, I often loathed myself because of it. I was lonely, depressed and filled with doubt. I remember how my writing was filled with self-pity and teen angst. I couldn’t be like everyone else, and because of that I was barred from the reindeer games. I really believed that I was the only one in the world that was like me. I thought I was screwed up and that I was going to die alone.
One may ask, how can a movie change one’s perspectives on life so dramatically? When I saw the film, it was as though an announcement came thru the television stating that everything I felt on the inside was no longer without merit or dirty or insane. Somewhere, there were people who were like me. They were crazy, and more importantly, crazy without apology.
I remember RHPS was released on VHS the year it aired on FOX. I believe it was 1992, and I begged my mother to buy it for me. She did. It was my birthday present and I would watch it nearly every day.
For those who haven’t seen the film, I’ll do my best to explain the plot.
The straitlaced and slightly uptight protagonist Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) gets stuck one night when his car breaks down in a vicious thunderstorm. His sweet and innocent fiancé Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) insists on walking with him to find help.
The couple comes to a large scary castle. They hope the owners will allow them use of the phone so that they may call a mechanic. One of the many servants and the sexiest handyman that ever existed, Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien) allows them to come inside. He explains that they have arrived on an extremely special evening.
The host and transvestite alien scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) declares that he was able to make a man in 7 days! Rocky (Peter Hinwood), the creation, is immediately taken with the doctor and the two share a quick marriage ceremony. Soon Rocky is mistreated, burned and beaten by Riff Raff and Riff Raff’s sister/lover Magenta (Patricia Quinn).
Meanwhile, Frank-N-Furter isn’t exactly the king of monogamy. He sneaks into Janet’s room. At first, he pretends to be Brad, but Janet discovers the truth. She attempts to order him out of bed, but is soon taken by his sexuality and she loses her virginity to him.
Later, he enters Brad’s room in much the same way. The doctor pretends to be Janet, but Brad of course discovers the truth. Still, he succumbs to the prowess of Frank-N-Furter.
Janet, feeling guilty about losing her virginity to Frank-N-Furter, looks for Brad to apologize. She sees him on a TV screen, enjoying a cigarette and obviously in the after-glow with the doctor.
No longer feeling remorse, she decides to have a little more fun. She runs into Rocky and sees how beaten he is. She tends to his wounds and then the two enjoy each other’s company in the Biblical sense.
Gosh, I haven’t even touched on the musician/biker Eddy (Meatloaf), his girlfriend Columbia (Little Nell) or the rival scientist Dr. Scott (Jonathan Adams). There is so much to this movie and all of it is relevant and amazing.
I own so many copies of RHPS. I have my VHS copy which is a 15th Anniversary edition, three different DVD versions including the original release, one 25th Anniversary 2 Disc, and one with the semi-sequel SHOCK TREATMENT. My husband and I own the tribute show and the hubby bought me the Blu-ray 35th Edition copy which has both the UK and US versions and the 40th edition which came with all sorts of cool presents. I own the soundtrack on vinyl, cassette and CD. I own the action figures, the comic book, posters, portraits and I have a Riff Raff/Magenta tattoo on my arm.
I’ve seen it live countless times. I just went on 10/6/2018 to a live show in South Hadley MA that was fun. I guess you could say, I’m kind of a fan.
There’s nothing like seeing it live. No one ever argues or gets into fights. Everyone is happy, dressed up and enjoying themselves. Everyone shows up to have a good time. It’s a party where everyone is a friend even though you’ve never met them.
I have introduced countless friends to the experience. It’s just such a unique and beautiful trip.
When I was in elementary school, there was something call the Rag Shag Parade that was held by the town of Ludlow MA every year on Halloween. At that time, I’d see kids from school that weren’t necessarily my friends but on that one day a year, everyone was cool. Everybody got along and complimented each other on what they wore. It didn’t matter if someone simply took a sheet and was a ghost or if they had the most intricate and most expensive costume. Everyone was there to have a good time. They were there to celebrate Halloween. That was one of the highlights of my childhood and RHPS gives me the same experience.
It’s not like a concert where people get drunk or high and act like fools. Nor is it like a regular play where people stay seated and just watch silently. No, they are there to see a wonderful show and participate. Not to be blasphemous to those who are churchgoing, but for me it is a religious experience.
Richard O’Brien is an amazing person. He wrote this masterpiece and the very underrated follow-up SHOCK TREATMENT. O’Brien’s voice gives me chills. He’s just talented in so many ways and whether it be his music, acting, or his game show host capabilities, anytime I get to encounter the genius of O’Brien, I’m on cloud nine.
What can I say about the music? It’s brilliant. They lyrics are fantastic. One song will make me stand up and dance and the other will make me reflect and think.
Tim Curry is fabulous. I keep begging my husband to dress like Frank-N-Furter for Halloween (or at least privately). He has a Curry vibe and I am just super enamored by the costumes worn by Curry in this film. His acting was amazing as always. Curry can sell anything and this was a role he was born to play. He portrays the doctor with the perfect combination of seductiveness and arrogance. I’ve been a fan of Curry forever. I remember watching him in THE WORST WITCH (1986) and CLUE (1985) when I was a kid and just being entranced by him. He can portray absolutely anything. I know he suffered a stroke a few years ago. I hope he’s doing well. He’s just a treasure!
Everyone was perfect in their roles.
There isn’t a bad thing to say about the film. It’s just amazing. It’s a film I can watch over and over again without every wanting to shut it off.
It is the definition of a cult film and when examining all of the people it has impacted, one has to give it the respect and adoration it deserves.
It’s sexy, it’s funny and it was decades before its time. In some ways, it always will be.
UK VERSION:
At RHPS’s 40th Anniversary, they kicked it off right. The viewers were able to watch Richard O’Brien, Stephen Fry, Mel Giedroyc and an absolutely brilliant cast do breathtakingly well in a live performance. David Bedella portrayed Frank-N-Furter perfectly and that’s no easy task. There’s only one Tim Curry and even in the best shows that I’ve been to, when the doctor takes the stage, the performance pales in comparison. Here was the exception to the rule. Bedella captured the naughtiness, sexiness and attitude of the doc. Add this to my RHPS collection, as I need it for my collection.
