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Halloween is coming, and a popular tradition for the daring and extroverted is to go to a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, especially one with audience participation. I knew that the cult classic film was adapted from a stage production, but I did not know how interesting the history was. And there's some bad news for some as well: there is a Hollywood remake in the works.
To give you some background, Richard O'Brien, the actor, singer, and writer, created and wrote The Rocky Horror Show in 1973. The musical was intended to be a campy send-up of 1950s films that featured innocent teenagers and alien invasions, and it resonated with London audiences. The following year, the musical toured Los Angeles and New York, and O'Brien adapted his musical into a screenplay for the movie that many people know and love today. Tim Curry, showing some serious stamina, played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film, and also played that role onstage in London, L.A., and on Broadway.
O'Brien, who Rocky Horror audiences know as Riff-Raff, went on to act in other movies and hosted the popular British game show "The Crystal Maze." What I did not realize is that he made a sequel (sort of) to the original Rocky Horror movie called Shock Treatment (1981). Much like the original Rocky Horror, Shock Treatment flopped, but did not develop a cult following as the previous film did. Shock Treatment sounds eerily prescient: the plot concerns a town that is a giant television studio, and may be more of interest to today's audiences, some of whom can hardly remember life before reality television. Even if it is pretty terrible, it has some fun actors, like Rik Mayall "The Young Ones"), Ruby Wax, and Barry Humphries (Dame Edna).
In other news, purists may be horrified to learn that a Rocky Horror remake is in the works for next Halloween!
According to the current gossip, MTV is considering Russell Brand for the role of Frank-N-Furter. While I think adding Russell Brand to something is occasionally a good idea, it will be interesting to see how this plays out with the fans. Is there an artistic reason to update Rocky Horror? Can CGI magically improve upon the original? Other than Brand, I am imagining a cast of perfect-looking people with straight white teeth...none of the weirdoes that populated the first film. I even wonder about someone like Susan Sarandon, whom I find unconventionally attractive. Would MTV give someone like her the part of Janet today, or is it going to go to some "American Idol" reject or some High School Musical kid?
I imagine Slice of SciFi's opinion represents what a lot of fans are thinking:
Along with this unsubstantiated rumor is another that says [Rocky Horror creator] Richard O’Brien isn’t the least bit thrilled over the idea of a remake, especially one in which he isn’t involved with, as it appears to be the case with this supposed MTV production. Can you blame him? Usually, this kind of raw rape of one’s original work is done only after its creator has left their mortal coil. I guess MTV doesn’t want to wait that long.
The Rocky Horror Show and Picture Show is still insanely popular all over the world. In September, a new production of the stage show opened in Seoul. If you decide to go to a midnight showing, or on Halloween, don't forget to mind your P's and Q's...or maybe that's your Franks and Furters.
Click-A Click-A Click-A Click-A Cliiiick-Me:
A history of "The Rocky Horror Show" and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
A list of theatres in Canada and the U.S. that are currently presenting The Rocky Horror Show.
A Rocky Horror Picture Show (movie) finder.
Photo credit: The LOLcky Horror Picture Show, massive lulz
Cool Facts about Rocky Horror, such as famous people who have acted in the stage show, such as Joan Jett, Jerry Springer, and Sebastian Bach.
Come Halloween, SJ will be dressing as Captain Hammer to keep her kid, Bad Horse, company. SJ Also writes
