Customer Reviews

The Rocky Horror Picture Show / Shock Treatment (3-Disc Anniversary Edition)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a great set for people who want BOTH movies, and don't have the Anniversary Edition of ROCKY HORROR. The two movies are great, but for completely differing reasons. ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is a cult classic with an established fan base, and SHOCK TREATMENT stands on its own as a curious sequel which heads off in a new direction both musically and thematically.

The set here is a special 3 disc edition with two discs devoted to ROCKY HORROR and a single disc for SHOCK TREATMENT. The ROCKY HORROR portion includes the movie, audience participation tracks and video, commentary by Patricia Quinn and O'Brien, segments from a "Where Are They Now?" special on VH-1, and tons of featurettes featuring cast, crew, and fans. It is a rerelease of the 2000-2001 anniversary edition, so if you own that... no need to buy this again (just track down SHOCK TREATMENT on its own).

SHOCK TREATMENT includes a remastered print of the movie (for the first time in widescreen on DVD), a commentary track from the fan club president and his friend (they tell trivia and do some of their "act" for screenings), two features with interviews from cast and crew members about the making of the film and the score, and trailers (which are bizarre and worth a look). Richard O'Brien does not make an appearance in ANY of the extras, so we have to rely on people involved with the production such as director Jim Sharman and Patricia Quinn to fill us in.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show began its ongoing life as a musical play in London in 1973 (The Rocky Horror Show). Creator Richard O'Brien had recently quit the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, and passed the time between acting jobs by writing a rock musical which truly entertained him. Combining elements of Alice Cooper, Frankenstein, the fifties revival and the sexual revolution, O'Brien and his creative team (including Superstar director Jim Sharman and set designer Brian Thomson, producer Michael White and acting friend Tim Curry) produced a runaway stage hit. The play won awards and ran for seven years in London (it's currently on tour in England) and was produced all over the world. Lou Adler brought the play to his Roxy Theatre in L.A. in 1974, intending to introduce it to a major studio for a film version. The film was produced in England at Hammer's Bray Studios and the nearby Oakley Court castle in Berkshire, using most of the British cast and Americans Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf, and was released in London in August 1975. The USA release the following month came after a disappointingly short run of the play on Broadway. Briefly test-marketed in the states, The Rocky Horror Picture Show flopped, and 20th Century-Fox decided to recoup some of its production costs by showing it as a midnight movie in April 1976. Early Rocky fans in New York began performing "audience participation," ranging from joking in response to the dialogue and singing along to acting out the film in costume in front of the screen. Fox released more prints as the New York and L.A. scenes got media attention, and the film was soon playing in over 250 theaters across the country. After years of midnight showings, the film became one of the top five highest-grossing musicals in U.S. release, and one of the few to earn more than $100 million. The 2006 DVD release includes the original two-disc set released in 2000. The first disc contains the film, with the option of viewing UK or USA versions (the UK version includes the complete "Superheroes" song, while the USA version edits out two verses), commentary by Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn, and an optional "audience participation" track. The second disc contains supplementary material, including the 1995 36-minute documentary (made for the laserdisc) featuring interviews with O'Brien, Sharman, Thomson, Adler and most of the film cast; outtakes from the film; 1999 cast interviews from VH1's "Behind the Music"; trailers and more. Shock Treatment was touted in 1981 as being "not a sequel, not a prequel, but an equal to The Rocky Horror Picture Show." It more closely resembles a musical sequel, using the Brad and Janet characters (played by new actors) in an ironically prescient "reality TV" setting where fast-food magnate Farley Flavors controls Denton USA, a giant TV studio. Brad and Janet appear on the game show "Marriage Maze," hosted by blind Viennese Bert Schnick (Barry Humphries, creator of Dame Edna). Rocky alumni O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell and Charles Gray appear, with many of the Rocky crew behind the scenes, including director Jim Sharman. The songs, hybrids of Rocky Horror meets new wave, are ambitious but somewhat strained. Shock Treatment never took off with most Rocky fans, and can be viewed today as a fun early 80s artifact with its own set of fans. Richard O'Brien's musical followup is notable for its use of the creative team behind the unique success of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

However, the additional features are great, and Shock Treatment is also a great movie. RHPS, as you probably know by now, is known for having audience participation. In my personal opinion, it's the greatest movie ever, with or without the audience participation. Whether I'm watching it on the big screen, or just on a TV set, I love it.

With RHPS, there are three different DVD editions, and there's the Shock Treatment DVD. There's the standard RHPS DVD, which is a single disc, disc one in this edition. There's the special 25th Anniversary Edition of RHPS, which is disc one and disc two of this edition; it was also the original DVD edition, included in a really special packaging. There's also a DVD of Shock Treatment, which isn't one of the RHPS DVD editions, but it is related to this special RHPS edition. The reason for that is because this is the 25th Anniversary Edition of RHPS with the additional Shock Treatment DVD release.


DISC 1--
The film tells the story of Brad Majors and his fiance, Janet Weiss, finding themselves in the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, on the night where he brings his special creature to life. It's a very interesting plot, but it also is a bunch of nonsense at the same time.

I once said to a person that words can't really describe what makes the film so great. Tim Curry's performance is such an incredible performance, although not his best. The songs are great songs. There are a lot of memorable lines in it. The acting from everyone was wonderful. There are so many flaws in it, such as a character wearing something in one camera shot, and in the next camera shot, he isn't. The audience participation is a huge attraction. There's a lot of other great stuff. After I repeated saying that words really can't describe what makes it such a great movie. However, that person told me that I did a great job describing it in words.

The bonus features on the first disc include basically additional optional features in watching the film. One feature is that you can watch the film with an audience soundtrack over it. Although a lot of the lines are now outdated, it gives a good feel of what the audience is like (sometimes it's hard to hear anything, but even then it's enjoyable). It also has a feature that tells you when to do the audience participation that isn't talking to the film (when to throw hot dogs, prunes, etc.; actually, hot dogs and prunes aren't mentioned in that feature).

There's a feature where, on occasion, you can see footage filmed from an actual showing in a movie theater; a lot of it wasn't that good, but it gives a somewhat look at what it's like in a movie theater. Another feature is the audio commentary from Richard O'Brien, the writer of the original stage play/one of the actors, and Patricia Quinn, an actress from the original stage production and film. There's a hidden feature where you can see an alternate beginning, where the film starts out in black and white. How to get to it is by going down to the scene selection, but don't press select, push the left arrow button on the remote control, and you'll see white lips. Press enter/select/whatever. The other feature is that you can watch either the so-called U.S. version, or the so-called U.K. version (the latter of which now seems to be the common one, but the U.S. version was the common one when the original RHPS DVD came out).


DISC 2--
The second disc is a special features for RHPS disc. This one has two deleted songs (one that is in the now common, so-called U.K. version), "Once in a While," which is a beautiful song, but it didn't work with the movie, and "Super Heroes," which is in the U.K. version of the film, so you can watch it as part of the movie. It also has alternate takes of different moments in the film, using the same audio soundtracking over it.

A lot of excerpts from VH1 special on RHPS are included. Excerpts from interview, and one of the songs from the RHPS episode of VH1's Pop-Up Video. An alternate version of the credits is also included. It was actually in one of the early versions of the film, and I think that it's in some ways better, but it's not as complete. The misprint ending is not really necessary, but I think it's good to know about it. There are also two karaoke versions of songs from the film. The theatrical trailers are definitely great to watch. There's also a great documentary on the history of the film. Other features include still images from the film, and posters, album covers, and that sort of stuff.


DISC 3--
When I first saw the 25th Anniversary Edition, I thought it would be cool for there to be a 30th Anniversary Edition, which would be the 25th Anniversary Edition, but with a third disc of the film, Shock Treatment. To be honest, this basically is that, without the great packaging. However, the third disc is better than what I had imagined.

Shock Treatment is a sort-of sequel to RHPS, but the characters of Brad and Janet are played by different actors. Some of the actors from the first film are in it, but as different characters. Some people have said that Shock Treatment was even better than RHPS, and with quality, it has been.

Shock Treatment was a box office bomb because it attempted to be a cult film, and it's become known that you can't make a film to be a cult film; cult films happen by themselves. It is, however, a cult film of a cult film. The cult audience is part of a larger cult audience. However, I feel that Shock Treatment fans are not as obsessive as RHPS fans.

The film has great songs, great acting, I like how it all took place in the same building, except for a couple of very short scenes. Shock Treatment also was one of only two known films that were about reality TV before reality TV existed. The other film was The Truman Show. Shock Treatment also makes fun of the stereotypical suburban lifestyle, like Edward Scissorhands did years later. I guess you could say that Shock Treatment would probably be a better match to belong with one of those two films. However, RHPS is a logical choice for obvious reasons.

The additional features include a couple of quick films about the making of the film. One is on the film itself, and the other is specifically on the music. There are also a couple of theatrical trailers included. The biggest additional feature is probably the commentary of the film with the Shock Treatment fan club president, and one of his friends, who is also a fan.


In general, I have to say that this three disc edition is great. I would love the 25th Anniversary Edition packaging, but really, it's the DVD's that are most important, and the packaging does nothing, but make it feel more special. What the main feature really is, for me at least, is just RHPS.

I was pleased to add Rocky to my growing collection of DVDs and scooping the anniversary addition was icing on the proverbial cake. While we love to watch and dance to the Time Warp, Shock Treatment left both of us wishing we had that 1 hour and 32 minutes back. For the purist, I'd spring for the set simply for the other two disks but if you aren't just dying for this special set, buy just the RHPS DVD and let Shock Treatment rot on the shelf (and rightfully so).

Years ago when I lived in Denver, Colorado, I used to see this show advertised in the Denver Post.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was being played every Saturday at the local theatre. When I first
saw this show I was "blown away" and thought it was absolutely great. I purchased this Anniversary
Edition, and now I am abole to watch it over and over. I is known as a "cult film" and I agree, it
is one of my favorite. Edward Akers

I am Very pleased with the product,shipping and customer service.....Shipped fast....I would buy from this person again...

The RHPS is a classic cult hit. The 25th Anniversary DVD just makes for an even better experience with the inclusion of songs cut from the retail screen movie, outtakes, and other goodies.

I probably would never have seen Shock Treatment if it were not bundled with RHPS, and I would have missed out on a really great piece in the style of RHPS, but something totally different. Yes, there are certain characters which overlap in the two films, but it truly is a great piece of work on its own. The commentary from the producer really makes this one that much more interesting as well.

Rocky horror ... do I need to say more??
One of my favorite movies ever!!!
Shock treatment is real good also, a great buy.

What can I say about TRHPS that hasn't already been said? I went to the live shows; I threw cherries and hotdogs, and squirted water guns and got really hammered. I yelled "hey kool-aid" and "follow the bouncing thumb" I dressed up like a Transylvanian, I had to explain to my parents that my obsession with Frankenfurter was healthy, and liking men in fishnets was just a phase ( I was wrong by the way, I love me some drag queens still). I have the original Broadway soundtrack, the foreign soundtracks (toca toca toca toca me) I have the coffee table books, original posters, commemorative everything and still I am looking for more. This "cult classic" never was a passing fancy, this movie with or without being live is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have it to thank for my love of Tim Curry. If Marijuana is the gateway drug, this movie was the gateway to my obsession with everything deviant and glamorous. I am not one of those elitist that say you cant "know" RHPS without going to a live showing, because not every town still has those (mine stopped because we trashed the darn theater too many times) I believe that by watching it with an open mind, and with a sense of humor that you can, in your minds eye, understand what the millions of fans adore. It wouldn't hurt to get a copy of the soundtrack with all of the responses, and simultaneously watch the DVD, its not cheating.

It's easy to "give yourself over to absolute pleasure" with this set. excellently executed and happily packaged together. great for shocky horror cons.