"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975)

Rating: R

Genre: Classics, Comedy, Cult Movies, Horror, Musical, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Jim Sharman

Written By: Jim Sharman, Richard O'Brien

Released: September 25^th, 1975

Runtime: 100 minutes

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Summary:

In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O'Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named "Rocky." 

Review:

This is one of those films where you have very little clue what’s going on but you can’t look away. The songs are catchy. The characters are quirky and fun. Tim Curry is phenomenal in this. 

The plot as a whole makes little sense. What I didn’t like the first time, and still find weird now, is how Brad and Janet just go along with everything that happens. They take everything that happens to them with very little logical thought. I feel that for most of the film the wheels were turning but the hamster was dead. Having mini intervals curtosy of The Criminologist (Charles Gray) offered some relief from the madness and kept the story under control. Riff-Raff was probably my favourite character. He was the most amusing part of the whole production. 

As a spoof of science fiction and horror films, it’s done well. It appears quite dated now but that doesn’t take from much. If it’s supposed to be a comedy I don’t think the would-be jokes were underwhelming. Then again, everyone’s humour is subjective. I feel like the musicals performed in theatres of this tale would be far more entertaining than the film itself.

It’s an altogether mad affair. Whatever you take from it, it’s an experience unlike any other. There could never be anything else quite like it again.

TRAILER: