The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Celebrating 33 Years of Sweet Transvestites

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.

LOLmacro of a Scene from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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 at I, Asshole.

Submitted by Super Jive (view blog

) on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 2:32pm

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A Mental Mind F*** Can Be Nice...

But I don't think this is going to be the nice kind... especially not if it's MTV.

Oh dear...

Submitted by Michellesamom on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 15:14

I think Russell Brand's flop

I think Russell Brand's flop that was the MTV awards might have them thinking twice. The ANSWER is NO NO NO MTV!

~Susan

http://lilmomthatcould.com/

Submitted by lilmommythatcould on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 16:16

No. NO. NO!

I have way too many fond memories of heading to midnight movie showings of Rocky Horror! The audience participation really is key - I can barely watch the movie when it's shown on TV! And I've discovered that the audience "acts" change by the venue.

When I'd watch it in the theater on Coventry in Cleveland, we'd use real Plain Dealer newspapers (the Cleveland daily newspaper that's used in the movie) to cover our heads from the squirt gun "rain" as Janet and Brad ran from the car.

Often, the person sitting in front of me would have the PERFECT timing to splash me the face with a glass of water as water splashed on the screen.

You could NEVER hear the narrator over a house full of people yellin' Where's Your F*^(ing Neck??)

Every appearance of Brad was marked with "A%^hole!"

Lines were asked and answered with amazing accuracy.

And most of the house would jump up and DO the Time Warp in the aisle...

I wonder if I went to a local showing what the audience would be doing today?

Hmm.. let me click on that finding link...

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Weight for Deb

Submitted by debra roby on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 18:23

Hmm, it seems like everyone

Hmm, it seems like everyone is screaming a resounding "no." There is even a petition to kill the project on the internet.

SJ also writes at I, Asshole.

Submitted by Super Jive on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 20:43

I have never seen a movie

I have never seen a movie remake yet that was even "so-so." They're always TERRIBLE.

I wore my "domestic" costume to countless RHPS midnight showings, and I still know the entire script by heart. I still have the dress, in fact, but it's a size 5 and I probably couldn't get it around my left leg these days. Oh, and I used to teach my study hall kids to do the Time Warp. Sort of.

Ah, memories.

I always watch RHPS on Halloween. It's a tradition. I'm sentimental that way.

Oh, and I have the soundtrack to "Shock Treatment." The music is actually pretty good. I also have Richard O'Brien's solo cd. It's not bad, either.

"Don't be content with being average. Average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top."

Submitted by MamacitaG on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 20:44

RHPS, Grandma, and Me.

My first adventure into the world of Rocky Horror Picture Show was when my mom - who spent her teenage/young adult life screaming "Dammit Janet!" took me and my 75-year-old Grandma to the live stage show last Halloween.

It was a pretty awesome experience, especially accompanied by 2 generations of independent women. I was surprised at what I was embarrassed by that my grandma laughed off - she's a pretty hip lady, but I suddently saw her in a whole new light. And I could definitely appreciate the underlying messages about sexuality and self acceptance.

I can see MTV remaking it, but the MTV that I know would turn it into a Spring Break romp, just an excuse to dress perfect-looking college freshmen skimpily and parade em' around. I can't imagine it could keep to the campiness that makes RHPS what it is?

Call me a skeptic, but I'd go back to the hole-in-the-wall production with Grandma anytime over watching the MTV remake.

Submitted by JessSanders on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 05:20

It's wrong, wrong, WRONG

You can't remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show. You just can't.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 07:22

Favorite Movie of All Time

I've watched the movie countless times, gone to midnight showings and had the opportunity to see the Rocky Horror Show on Broadway in 2001. I'm almost certain MTV will ruin RHPS for future generations, but I'll give anything a shot at least once.

On a more positive note, O'Brien's Rocky Horror Tribute Show at the Royal Court Theatre comes out on DVD on October 14!

Erika Pitera

~ Enter to win 4 grass-fed NY Strip Steaks this October at www.MyGourmetConnection.com

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Submitted by eapgourmet on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 09:36