THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Music unleashes a part of ourselves we never thought we had, which is something that couldn’t be any more proven than through The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
PLOT
Based on the stage musical by Richard O’Brien, the film shows a criminologist (Charles Gray) tell the story involving the couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss that took place in November 1974. Brad proposed to Janet after attending a wedding of a close friend. After she happily accepts it, they intend to share the good news to their friend, Doctor Everett Scott. On their way to visit him, they get lost and get a flat tire on a cold and rainy night. They go to a castle nearby to use a cellphone for help. When they are allowed inside, they first meet a butler named Riff Raff, his sister maid Magenta and a groupie named Columbia. Along with Columbia, Brad & Janet notice that the castle appears to have a party as many are dressed for a special occasion, dancing in joy. They then the host who owns the house, Doctor Frank N Furter. He invites the couple to his observing room to witness his latest creation, his own personal humanoid figure named Rocky (Peter Hinwood). Just as his greatest creation is complete, his former play toy, ex delivery boy Eddie breaks free from a frozen bunker. Out of jealousy, Furter kills him with an ice pick when Rocky shows interest in him. He gives Brad and Janet separate rooms to spend the night in, which gives him the opportunity to have sex with them both. Although he promises to not tell either, Janet finds out on her own and roams around, looking at one of the cameras in the observing room. Heartbroken, she retaliates by having sex with Rocky. When Furter looks for Rocky, since Riff Raff reported him missing, he checks the cameras and discovers Dr Scott outside. Seeing Scott worries him because he is extraterrestrial, as is Riff Raff & Magenta, and the doctor investigates UFOs for the government. When he lets him in, he claims to only look for his nephew Eddie. Just when everyone catches Rocky and Janet together, Magenta summons them all for dinner. When Scott presses on about Eddie, Furter ends dinner when revealing his mutilated corpse under the table, implying that they were eating him. He continues to lose his composure by chasing Janet to the laboratory. It is there where he turns Rocky, Scott, Janet and Brad into Stone with the ‘Medusa Switch’. He even turns Columbia into stone as well when she calls him out for killing Eddie. He dresses all but Dr Scott in drag like himself to perform his own personal cabaret show. It abruptly ends when Riff Raff & Magenta execute Furter, Columbia & Rocky, as they desire to return to their home Planet Transylvania. They do apologize to Dr Scott for the death of Eddie, while also giving him, Brad & Janet the chance to leave the castle, as they intend to use it as a spaceship to return to their home. This concludes the story as the criminologist compares the human race to insects, “lost in time, and lost in space and meaning”, implying that he is from Transylvania as well. THOUGHTS
Everyday, I assume that I’ve seen every kind of film, but when I got to see this film in 2016, I started thinking otherwise. I think that Director/Co Writer Jim Sherman was able to make something that weird yet wonderful, and freaky yet fabulous. You think this should sound bad, but it’s actually good in this case. This is definitely a strange story to be told in the musical, but I wouldn’t have any other way. The second you hear ‘Science Fiction’, you know that this is something different. And by the time you reach the ‘Time Warp’, you already know you’re enjoying yourself. The reason that this film has remained popular for generations is because it encourages those to embrace their inner selves and not be ashamed of how you identify yourself. This wouldn’t be so obvious without Tim Curry’s electrifying performance as Frank N Furter. We shouldn’t be rooting for this character since he is mostly psychotic, but viewers admire him for openly identifying as a pansexual transvestite and not really caring what others think of him. The lyric 'Don't dream it, be it" is the most empowering of the whole film because not only does it encourage others to embrace their identities, but to also immediately act on aspirations instead of planning for it. He made Rocky because he knows how difficult it’d be to find love publicly, which is the least selfish thing about him. When he sings "I'm Going Home", it becomes heartbreaking to witness because the realization of a journey's conclusion is forever relatable. Even though Curry is the star that makes this film worth re watching, there was a colorful cast by his side as well. Richard O'Brien (film's co writer) and Patricia Quinn straight up felt like a match made from heaven as Riff Raff & Magenta respectively because the two had such unspoken chemistry together. They accurately portray these characters as the worst since they allowed Furter to act out for so long. When their jealousy towards him kicked in, they took matters into their own hands and dealt with the one obstacle that kept them from going home. Nell Campbell aka Little Nell made Columbia a standout because between the madness, she was just looking for one. Sadly in her predicament, every time she thought she had it, she lost it. She thought that she loved Furter, but he got bored of her and when she fell for Eddie, he died. Without sounding like an exaggeration, Meat Loaf was another great addition as Eddie. Just when he enters the room, he brings that same amount of positive energy that the audience desires. When he sings "Hot Patootie", it just gets you pumped because he just wants to have a good time, which makes his death such a bummer. Jonathan Adams made Dr Scott memorable as well because he is an uncle trying to redeem himself when looking for Eddie. He wasn't there for him like he should have and he couldn't bare not trying. He brushed it off saying 'It was for the best' because nothing else could have been done at that point. Even if he did save him, there's no guarantee that his life would change for the better. And lastly, we wouldn't be able to encounter such colorful characters without the couple that stumbled their way towards the castle. They don't make the best decisions either, which I'll get into momentarily, but Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon made Brad & Janet memorable in their own right because they represent us, the audience. Like us, they're simple people that haven't explored much and their lives change unexpectedly for the better. Their encounter with Furter inspired them to be different from their normalcy. Once they are finally free from the castle, they maybe too awestruck to go home, but I'm sure the next direction they intend to take will continue to be a positive change they'll go through together. No matter how fun this film is, it does not excuse the issues I spotted. Like for instance, it’s cute that there’s an over the top ‘Just Married’ sign for the newlyweds, but there is no way shaving can stick to a car for over five seconds, especially in front of sunlight. And who took the pictures of Brad & Janet when they were last to leave the church? If it was Riff Raff or Magenta, why wasn’t that implied? I don’t see a reason why not. It’s even weird of how the newspaper never gets disintegrated immediately when Janet uses it for cover. Speaking of Janet, she is rightfully scared when entering the mansion and if that’s the case, how the hell did she not notice the blood on Riff Raff’s shirt? She can’t be that gullible. If so, then she and Brad really are a perfect match. I was even irritated of how she criticizes how Rocky looks; she said she’s not into muscles yet still fucks him later. Furter made a groundbreaking experiment and that was goddamn rude. I don’t want to hate on this character because she is a hypocrite for judging Brad’s affair when she slept with Furter and Rocky in between. I’ve already acknowledged that Brad is gullible, but how dumb is he not recognize Furter until removing the wig? He’s got make up all over the face man, it shouldn’t be that hard to know that ain’t your fiancé. It is a funny visual gag when Dr Scott is magnetized to the laboratory, but why would the chair go through a wall instead of to a door after being guided to the house, navigating stairs and avoiding people? Dramatic entrances are cool and all, but you hit fatigue after Eddie. Speaking of Eddie, I then get lost when trying to figure out how he sent the letter to Dr Scott before getting trapped in the freezer. If it was Colombia, than that should’ve been clear. I admit that it’s funny when Brad tries to rush himself to Janet when having Dr Scott navigate him, but he should’ve just left him and gave chase because Furter could’ve killed her if he wanted to. He even confuses deeply when asking of Furter’s crimes when he’s experienced them firsthand: kidnapping, murder and cannibalism. The Medusa switch is a fascinating device but I’m so confused of how Brad & Janet’s clothes are next to them when Dr Scott keeps his blanket and Colombia’s clothes aren’t next to her. That’s probably the oddest continuity error for me. Try to ignore these issues and I’m sure you’ll still enjoy this movie for what it is. To wrap up, The Rocky Horror Picture Show proves to be a definitive cult film because it’s not for everyone, but when some enjoy it, they’ll never forget it. If you like musicals, then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one too.
Comments