Rocky Horror Picture Show
This article is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The film (and play) is well-covered on the web and in various other media. This article is intended to serve as an introduction and summary. For a complete listing of cast and credits, please see the IMDB link at the end of this article.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 film, produced by Michael White, directed by Jim Sharman, starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Meat Loaf and others, and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox. It is a film adaptation of the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show, written and composed by Richard O'Brien.
The film is rated "R" (restricted) for US distribution. Those under 17 years of age may only be admitted if accompanied by a parent or guardian. This is often not enforced.
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Genre and Meaning
If there is only one thing to be agreed upon, it is that The Rocky Horror Picture Show should not be taken too seriously. Although the story line is a tragedy in the classical sense, it's a fun film to watch. There's lot of music, dancing, costumes, eye candy for those of any persuasion, humor, and the story is easy to follow. There are a couple of awkward scenes, a couple of grotesque scenes, and a couple of scenes depicting violence. There are some brief sex scenes but they are tastefully presented. Some very brief female frontal nudity appears in the "floor show" scene.
The film is often interpreted as a satire or spoof on the low-budget horror films of the 1950s and early 1960s.
The film had dismal first and second run releases. The popularity of the film began in 1976 when midnight showings began in several major cities and it became a cult favorite.
At the time of this writing, The Rocky Horror Picture Show holds the all time record for the longest continuous theatrical release in the United States.
Cast of Characters
(Major characters, in order of first appearance of primary character)
- Brad Majors "A Hero" Barry Bostwick
- Janet Weiss "A Heroine" Susan Sarandon
- The Criminologist "An Expert" Charles Gray
- Riff Raff "A Handyman" Richard O'Brien (cameo during opening scene)
- Magenta "A Domestic" Patricia Quinn (cameo during opening scene)
- Columbia "A Groupie" Little Nell (Campbell)
- Dr. Frank-N-Furter "A Scientist" Tim Curry (cameo during opening scene)
- Rocky Horror "A Creation" Peter Hinwood
- Eddie "An Ex Delivery Boy" Meat Loaf (Marvin Lee Aday)
- Dr. Everett Scott "A Rival Scientist" Jonathan Adams
Plot Synopsis
Countless very detailed summaries exist on the web. The complete dialogue for both the film and stage versions can be easily obtained with a web search. This is only a brief summary.
The story line begins with protagonists Brad Majors and Janet Weiss attending the wedding of their friends as honor attendants. Brad proposes to Janet, she accepts, and the two take off to share their joy with Dr. Everett Scott, a former science teacher, in whose class the two first met.
As night falls, Brad's car develops a flat tire, and the two set out walking in search of a telephone to call for help. They come upon a castle and become entrapped in a bizarre celebration hosted by Dr. Frank-N-Furter ("Frank"), who has just created a humanoid monster dubbed Rocky.
Dr. Scott, now with a government agency in charge of investigating UFOs, appears at the castle in search of his lost nephew, Eddie, who was kidnapped by Frank to be used as raw materials for creating Rocky. A dinner scene occurs, during which a dark secret about Dr. Scott's background is revealed, and the remains of Eddie are discovered to be hidden under the tablecloth.
A floor show is presented, with most of the cast (including Dr. Scott in a wheel chair) performing a few song and dance numbers.
Riff Raff and Magenta suddenly appear and announce that they are taking over and that the entire castle is to be beamed back to a distant planet. Frank resists and is killed by Riff Raff's laser gun. The earthlings are allowed to leave prior to the beam-up and they are last seen lying disoriented on what was the castle lawn.
Musical Numbers
(In order of sequence in the original release of the film.)
"Science Fiction-Double Feature"
"Dammit Janet (I Love You)"
"There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)"
"Time Warp"
"Sweet Transvestite"
"Sword of Damocles"
"Charles Atlas Song (In Just Seven Days I Can Make You a Man)"
"Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul, aka Whatever Happened to Saturday Night"
"Touch a Touch a Touch Me"
"Eddie's Teddy"
"Planet Schmanet Janet"
"Rose Tint My World"
"Don't Dream It, Be It"
"Wild and an Untamed Thing"
"I'm Going Home"
"Super Heroes" (abridged version in original film release)
Live Casts and Audience Participation
Depending on location, the film is currently usually presented weekly, biweekly, monthly, or on special occasions such as the weekend nearest to Halloween. The film is most often presented at midnight, almost always on a weekend.
In most locations where the film is regularly shown, a volunteer "cast" of fans acts out the scenes in the front of the theater along with the film. Several local casts have elaborate props, based upon those used in the film.
Members of the audience interact with the film and the local cast in a number of ways.
Props
Various props, appropriate to the scene, are used to punctuate the film. Examples include:
- Confetti (originally rice, now often banned) - thrown during the opening wedding scene.
- Squirt guns - to simulate the rain scene.
- Newspapers (purists prefer Cleveland Plain Dealer) - over the heads of the audience during the rain scene.
- Flashlights (originally lighters, now usually banned) - in response to "There's a light" lyrics.
- Toast (often banned) - thrown in response to Frank's toast to Rocky.
- Toilet paper (purists insist on Scott brand) - at Dr. Scott's entrance in response to the line "Great Scott!"
- Hot dogs, with or without buns (often banned) - thrown in response to the line "You're a hot dog" in "Planet Schmanet Janet."
- Playing cards - thrown in response to Frank's "Cards for sorrow, cards for pain" lyrics.
Many theaters have cracked down on items that may be used or thrown, in particular anything that is wet, any flames, or any items that will spoil. Crowds have gotten out of hand at some screenings, with super-soaker water guns, water balloons, lighting newspapers on fire, large quantities of various items, etc. There have been reports of use of drugs and vandalism to theater property and some theater managers have ceased showing the film due to issues such as these.
Most of the audience will usually get up and dance to "Time Warp", following the very easy instructions. Occasionally this will be done during "Hot Patootie Bless My Soul" as well.
Call-back Lines
Audience call-back lines, often very humorous, are very popular, and shouted in response to the actors' lines or on-screen actions.
- "Asshole!" - at Brad's first appearance, often at subsequent appearances.
- "Slut!" - at Janet's first appearance, often at subsequent appearances.
- "Where's your neck?" - at the Criminologist's appearance.
- "Eat your heart out, Ann Miller!" - during Columbia's tap dance routine. This is an original line from the stage play.
- "Fifth floor, ladies lingerie." - as Frank ascends in the elevator.
- "In-cest is-best (put your sister to the test)" - at Riff Raff and Magenta's "alien sex" scenes.
- "But you did! But you are! Oh Brad oh Janet oh sh*t!" - in response to Janet's laments.
- "That's no way to pick your friends, Frank!" - as Frank kills Eddie rather violently.
- "Ring around the lesbians." - as Dr. Scott's wheel chair circles Magenta and Columbia.
- "Meat Loaf again?" - at the presentation of the "roast" during the dinner scene.
- "Time to clear the table." - just prior to the revealing of Eddie's remains.
- "Dammit! That trick never works!" - just after the revealing of Eddie's remains.
- "There is in Utah!" - following Frank's line: "There's no crime in giving yourself over to pleasure."
- "Peek a boo!" - as Columbia's nipple is revealed just prior to and during the floor show.
Pre-Show
Virgin Sacrifice
Anyone present who has not seen RHPS in a public theater is deemed to be a "Virgin" and those individuals are expected to participate in a "Virgin Sacrifice" ceremony. (Those who have seen RHPS only on video or television, regardless of the number of times, are deemed "Video Virgins" and are expected to participate in the sacrifice.)
During the Pre-Show, all virgins are called up front and asked to participate in any of various stunts which are intended to be humorous and embarrassing. Faking an orgasm into the microphone and simulating a sex act, alone or with another "virgin" are common.
Trivia and Miscellanea
The overture (Science Fiction, Double Feature), presented during the opening credits, is sung by Richard O'Brien and lip-synced by Patricia Quinn, who plays the character Magenta in the film.
The customary and expected Twentieth Century Fox logo is presented at the very beginning of the film. However, instead of the expected trumpets, Alfred Newman's fanfare is rendered on a honky-tonk piano.
In the original stage play, the song "Sweet Transvestite" is performed prior to "Time Warp", but in the film the order is reversed. Some later productions of the stage version now perform the numbers in the order shown in the film.
The setting of the stage play was clearly the English countryside, but the film is set in a fictional town of Denton, often assumed to be in Ohio, due to the presence of an issue of the Cleveland Plain Dealer during the car scene.
Although filmed, the song Once In A While, which appeared in the stage version, is omitted from all known releases of the film.
Only a snippet of the song Super Heroes appears in the earlier releases of the film. Most later releases include the entire song.
Some of the characters (Frank, Riff Raff, Magenta) appear in various unrelated (cameo) roles during the opening wedding scene.
The film has occasionally been shown on broadcast and cable TV. For broadcast in the US, Frank's singular "F-bomb" is bleeped out and the brief partial nude scene is embellished using a distant view from a simulated theater audience.
The apparatus to pull Dr. Scott's wheel chair (as if pulled by an extremely strong magnet) is clearly visible for a fraction of a second as the chair reaches the top of the stairway.
The character Trixie "An Usherette" appears in the stage play but was omitted from the film. Many local casts reprise this role and Trixie performs during the overture.
