In 1977 I was 15 years old and I went to the movie house in my tiny rural town … the lights went down the lips started to sing and my entire life changed… over the next 1 hour and 40 minutes I suddenly understood who I was … later that same year I saw the original French movie La Cage aux Folles and my queerness was complete!!!
A camp 70s masterpiece that's a passionate celebration of classic science fiction: the RKO tower that Rocky climbs is a direct reference to King Kong (1933), for instance; the line 'Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel' is referring to one of the lead actors in 1955's Tarantula, and so on. Oh, and the painting 'American Gothic' gets referenced too. The film isn't as transgressive as it once was, but for the freak, misfits and queers of the late 70s and the 80s, it was where we found our tribe at midnight screenings - delighted to see you enjoying it!
To put this in perspective, movies had long been heavily censored as to what they could show or even say, due to the Hays Code. For instance, of all the shocking things depicted in Hitchcock's 1960 Psycho, including the gore and sexual intimacy at the beginning, it was the inclusion of the word "transvestite" in the explanation at the end that gave the Front Office the most trouble. They didn't even know what it meant - they thought it was some underground deviate sex act. Hitchcock had to literally show them the dictionary definition that it was simply "cross-dressing." The Hays Code was replaced by our current letter code rating system in 1969, and for a brief decade or two, movies went nuts with all their new-found freedom with zany movies that trumpeted words and situations that had been bottled up for so long. Included in this flood was Yellow Submarine, Airplane, Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Naked Gun, Blazing Saddles. And of course, Rocky Horror.
The movie is a satire on all the horror and sci-fi movies of the 1950's, often shown in drive-ins. But when Dr. Frank-n-futer takes Brad and Janel down to the lab, he sings about how "in just 90 days, I can make you a man." This makes fun of this long running series of Charles Atlas ads that appeared in comic books and "men's magazines" of the post-War decades. This was long before Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nautilus workout machines totally revolutionized the idea of working out and getting "cut." (You ought to see the ideal at the time of a buff man - Superman in the tv series with his little potbelly.) These ads were done in comic book style. They often featured a "pencil-neck" guy on the beach with a beautiful woman, who is approached by a he-man, who kicks sand in his face and steals the girl. If you got the Charles Atlas products, it was claimed in just three months they would build you up into a "real man" and that was the slogan "in just 90 days, I can make you a man." (The last panel shows the new-and-improved guy returning and taking back the beauty.) These ads were ubiquitous in these types of magazines.
When this movie was first released, it was on the typical movie rotation, shown at the typical movie shows, and it was a complete flop. Then someone got the idea to show it only at midnight and market it as camp. It took off and played for years. Back in law school [1977] one of my law school friends dressed as Dr. Frank-n-furter and performed at various midnight showings of the movie in San Francisco at the old Strand Theater. I have some photos of him from back then doing numbers together with a woman performing as Columbia who was also a law student. He went on to be a district attorney in S Cal and later a judge. The woman who did Columbia was later the county attorney for one of the major counties in the Bay Area. I often wonder what their employees and political supporters now would think if they knew how wild they were back in the day. I always loved Rocky Horror because it turned into an audience participation movie with the audience showing up and performing the music scenes along with the actors, using props to react to dialogue, and loudly responding to things said on screen. When the touring stage version came to San Francisco to perform they were a bit surprised to see just how much the audiences were into participating in the show. I was an usher for the performances. During the first performance, the cast did not know what to do about the audience but by the second performance they were getting into it and doing ad-libs back to the audience. I remember that Frank-n-furter during a rather boisterous bit of singing by the audience, stopped, stamped his foot, and said, "Alright, let a girl get her work done". It was a very different sort of thing. It was also very amusing to see the incredible number of straight men who wanted to dress up like Dr. Frank-n-furter. But as the investigator says, "Frank was a man of low morals and some persuasion".
I had some friends take me to see it when it first came out. They liked it although as you said, I guess it was a commercial flop. Then months later, I saw it again and by this time all the "audience participation" had grown up around it. What a difference.
Thanks, Luke! 🫦 My friend Paul saw this in the cinema over 200 times, dressed as 'Riff Raff'. I first learned of it when characters in FAME (1980) went to see it... looked like such a blast... the audience participation, which is lost in home video, of course. I eventually saw a couple of modest performance of it. Very fun. 🔸 Kudos to writer Richard O'Brien and director Jim Sharman for this cult classic.
I enjoyed watching a live version of the show in Norwich back in 2000. Then after the show the actor playing “Rocky” walked into the gay bar where he was a big hit.
Classic cult movie! The original musical, The Rocky Horror Show ("Picture" was added for the film) was written by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff here. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon (Brad and Janet) were an actual couple at the time of filming. I've played the MeatLoaf part in a live production, some of the weirdest five minutes of my life, haha. Appreciate the effort trying the dance, haha!
I saw the 25th anniversary tour with Jason Donovan as Frank, and Nicholas Parsons as the Narrator. Only pair that comes close for me. He was even sassier than Tim Curry
Having run this numerous times in an alternative theatre back in the day I'm sure my take on it is minor. Without the audience participation the film is terrible.
In 1977 I was 15 years old and I went to the movie house in my tiny rural town … the lights went down the lips started to sing and my entire life changed… over the next 1 hour and 40 minutes I suddenly understood who I was … later that same year I saw the original French movie La Cage aux Folles and my queerness was complete!!!
A camp 70s masterpiece that's a passionate celebration of classic science fiction: the RKO tower that Rocky climbs is a direct reference to King Kong (1933), for instance; the line 'Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel' is referring to one of the lead actors in 1955's Tarantula, and so on. Oh, and the painting 'American Gothic' gets referenced too. The film isn't as transgressive as it once was, but for the freak, misfits and queers of the late 70s and the 80s, it was where we found our tribe at midnight screenings - delighted to see you enjoying it!
Fun fact, they shot Rocky Horror at Bray Studios were they shot all the classic Hammer Horror movies
Well the whole thing is a tribute so it makes sense
To put this in perspective, movies had long been heavily censored as to what they could show or even say, due to the Hays Code. For instance, of all the shocking things depicted in Hitchcock's 1960 Psycho, including the gore and sexual intimacy at the beginning, it was the inclusion of the word "transvestite" in the explanation at the end that gave the Front Office the most trouble. They didn't even know what it meant - they thought it was some underground deviate sex act. Hitchcock had to literally show them the dictionary definition that it was simply "cross-dressing."
The Hays Code was replaced by our current letter code rating system in 1969, and for a brief decade or two, movies went nuts with all their new-found freedom with zany movies that trumpeted words and situations that had been bottled up for so long. Included in this flood was Yellow Submarine, Airplane, Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Naked Gun, Blazing Saddles. And of course, Rocky Horror.
The movie is a satire on all the horror and sci-fi movies of the 1950's, often shown in drive-ins. But when Dr. Frank-n-futer takes Brad and Janel down to the lab, he sings about how "in just 90 days, I can make you a man." This makes fun of this long running series of Charles Atlas ads that appeared in comic books and "men's magazines" of the post-War decades. This was long before Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nautilus workout machines totally revolutionized the idea of working out and getting "cut." (You ought to see the ideal at the time of a buff man - Superman in the tv series with his little potbelly.)
These ads were done in comic book style. They often featured a "pencil-neck" guy on the beach with a beautiful woman, who is approached by a he-man, who kicks sand in his face and steals the girl. If you got the Charles Atlas products, it was claimed in just three months they would build you up into a "real man" and that was the slogan "in just 90 days, I can make you a man." (The last panel shows the new-and-improved guy returning and taking back the beauty.)
These ads were ubiquitous in these types of magazines.
I just enjoy your channel so much so happy that I subscribe.
When this movie was first released, it was on the typical movie rotation, shown at the typical movie shows, and it was a complete flop. Then someone got the idea to show it only at midnight and market it as camp. It took off and played for years.
Back in law school [1977] one of my law school friends dressed as Dr. Frank-n-furter and performed at various midnight showings of the movie in San Francisco at the old Strand Theater. I have some photos of him from back then doing numbers together with a woman performing as Columbia who was also a law student. He went on to be a district attorney in S Cal and later a judge. The woman who did Columbia was later the county attorney for one of the major counties in the Bay Area. I often wonder what their employees and political supporters now would think if they knew how wild they were back in the day.
I always loved Rocky Horror because it turned into an audience participation movie with the audience showing up and performing the music scenes along with the actors, using props to react to dialogue, and loudly responding to things said on screen. When the touring stage version came to San Francisco to perform they were a bit surprised to see just how much the audiences were into participating in the show. I was an usher for the performances. During the first performance, the cast did not know what to do about the audience but by the second performance they were getting into it and doing ad-libs back to the audience. I remember that Frank-n-furter during a rather boisterous bit of singing by the audience, stopped, stamped his foot, and said, "Alright, let a girl get her work done".
It was a very different sort of thing. It was also very amusing to see the incredible number of straight men who wanted to dress up like Dr. Frank-n-furter. But as the investigator says, "Frank was a man of low morals and some persuasion".
I had some friends take me to see it when it first came out. They liked it although as you said, I guess it was a commercial flop. Then months later, I saw it again and by this time all the "audience participation" had grown up around it. What a difference.
Thanks, Luke! 🫦 My friend Paul saw this in the cinema over 200 times, dressed as 'Riff Raff'. I first learned of it when characters in FAME (1980) went to see it... looked like such a blast... the audience participation, which is lost in home video, of course. I eventually saw a couple of modest performance of it. Very fun. 🔸 Kudos to writer Richard O'Brien and director Jim Sharman for this cult classic.
I first learned of it in Fame as well.
@@RLucas3000 That was a good one. 💃
"You're wet."
** "It's raining, my friend." **
I'm glad you understood the comedy of the line. LOL
the lips in the opening song are Patricia Quinn (Magenta), Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff) is singing
I enjoyed watching a live version of the show in Norwich back in 2000. Then after the show the actor playing “Rocky” walked into the gay bar where he was a big hit.
Classic cult movie! The original musical, The Rocky Horror Show ("Picture" was added for the film) was written by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff here. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon (Brad and Janet) were an actual couple at the time of filming. I've played the MeatLoaf part in a live production, some of the weirdest five minutes of my life, haha. Appreciate the effort trying the dance, haha!
Last time I saw you was Saltburn...
The lips belong to Patricia Quinn, the woman who plays Magenta.
It's meant to be camp. It's a musical/comedy/horror
No one can be Dr Frank N Furter than Tim Curry.
I saw the 25th anniversary tour with Jason Donovan as Frank, and Nicholas Parsons as the Narrator. Only pair that comes close for me. He was even sassier than Tim Curry
Frankenfurter is a he lol
Transvestite I still an ok word. It just means cross dresser
Having run this numerous times in an alternative theatre back in the day I'm sure my take on it is minor. Without the audience participation the film is terrible.