Customer Reviews

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (25th Anniversary Edition)

5 star:		(381)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(39)

 

 

I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.

For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.

Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"

So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.

The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."

The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.

What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

Having owned several 35mm prints of this film and watched many others, I know how this film should look. Overall, this disc looks amazing with intact grain structure and details; however there are 2 major issues.

1. For unknown reasons Science Fiction is LETTERBOXED ( within the 1.66 frame which the Fox logo and the rest of the film is in), cutting off the top and bottom of the lips during parts of the song. The entire film was 1.66 on the dvd so this blunder on the Blu-ray is unforgivable.
2. The blue tint from Brad's bedroom scene has been removed. The blue tint from the Timewarp flashback has also been removed.

I have emailed FOX and have not heard back.

So you haven't seen this movie and you call yourself a true movie fan! BAH! I'm sorry, folks. Whether you like it or not, this one's required-reading. And I will tell you something now: I've seen worse on USA's UP ALL NIGHT. In fact, that's just what this movie makes fun of. It takes all those late-night science-fiction thrill-omedies and skewers them mercilessly. A favorite of mine since first-viewing, it's a great musical and an outrageously fun romp. Misunderstood greatly when it first came out, this satire preys on cheesy musicals("Dammit, Janet" is a wondeful indication of this), sex-and-science-fiction films(read "Flash Gordon" & "Barbarella") and a bit of society's judgement of man("Frank-n-furter!/It's all over/your mission is a failure/your lifestyle's too extreme") and how we're crucified if we're not perfect. The performances are on par(including early ones from Barry Botswick and Susan Surandon) but it's truly Tim Curry who steals the show(as the transsexual Vampire known as "Dr. Frank-n-Furter") in a role STILL arguably unequaled to this day.

Wonderfully kinky, catchy and definitely DIFFERENT, it's not a film for everyone but then again, wasn't that the aim to begin with?

--Matt

This is a movie you either love or hate. I first heard of this movie when I saw "Fame" ... when I saw the kids in the movie watching this in the theater, it not only looked stupid, but the whole environment of people throwing things at each other in the theater seemed a little scary... and what's with all the midnight theater showings?

I finally had to find out what the big fuss was about and so I rented it on video and watched it at a friend's house. The beginning moves pretty slow, but you will soon be either taking the video back (without rewinding) to the store, or you'll be doubled over in laughter during the few minutes your jaw isn't hanging open.

Tim Curry is absolutely hilarious and perfect for his role... an outerspace Transexual from Transylvania (a planet, not the country - I think)... Dr. Frankenfurter.

Despite the slow parts here and there, the music is great and funny to boot. Where else can you see Susan Surrandon walking around in her underwear and Meatloaf riding a motorcycle with stitches all over his head like Boris Karloff? This is a cult classic, but not just because it's weird and twisted... it's also a musical and a comedy. The soundtrack is great just by itself, good beat, peppy tunes, clever (albeit not mainstream) lyrics.

If the idea of seeing a man walking around wearing lipstick and a garter belt makes you want to scream and take a bath, then this isn't the film for you... you'll feel like you need an exorcism afterwards!

If you like a good laugh, good music and a movie like you've never seen before, this is worth a shot.

After seeing this in the safety of my friend's home, I saw it a couple of years later in the theater. It was an interesting experience I can say I've been through, but that's about it... the movie is enjoyable by itself, just watching it on your tv. The closed captioning makes the DVD worth the cost immediately, so you don't miss any dialogue or lyrics... but this DVD includes hilarious out-takes, previously deleted musical numbers AND terrific THX sound!

If you are already a nostalgic fan of this film, this is a must-have DVD.

The film includes simulated violence (you see Frankenfurter swing a pick-axe at someone, later he's covered with blood).... and the themes are adult in nature and should not be viewed by children.

I've been a Rocky Horror addict for years and have watched it hundreds of times in theatres, on VHS, DVD, and anywhere else I could find it. Therefore you can imagine my surprise when I popped in this blu ray and felt like I was watching a 2010 remake. The picture quality is STUNNING! Details pop out vividly that went by unnoticed in standard definition and colors blast the screen in absolute perfect clarity. I cannot go on long enough about how perfect the picture looks. I'm not new to blu ray and I know how much data 35mm film holds, but releases like this still blow my mind and remind me how amazing a good 1080p transfer is.

Likewise the audio transfer is a miracle. Whatever restoration they used is beyond wonderful and sounds 1000000x better than my old CD soundtrack.

My only complaint is that the song "There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)" is noticeably different from the versions I remember. I don't know how or why this is (maybe i'm just not used to hearing it in surround sound?) but the backup chorus sounds really awkward to me. If anybody knows why this is I'd be interested to find out.

Overall - A+++ transfer! If you have any love for this movie or have never seen it before you owe it to yourself to purchase it on Blu Ray. I haven't watched any of the special features yet (there are a lot to watch) but based on the picture/audio quality of the movie, Rocky Horror is one of the must-buy BDs of the year.

I don't have much to add to what the other reviews have specified about the new BD version of RHPS, but I have to say the new 7.1 DTS HD audio track blows all of the other previous home video versions out of the water. It always bugged me that the stereo mixes on the older versions dating back to VHS and laserdisc merely used the original soundtrack album recording dubbed over the movie soundtrack. This was most notable during the "Time Warp" when Magenta would sing. The vocals in the movie are completely different from the vocals on the album. The movie has more of a "sung live" sound while the album is definitely a studio recording. I'm so happy to be able to hear Patricia Quinn's vocals from the movie now on Blu-ray! Also, the picture is so sharp that I saw numbers written on Tim Curry's thigh that I never noticed before and I've seen the movie well over 100 times. My only concern is an odd little "beep" that happens during the "Time Warp" when the party-goers "bring their knees in tight." It's a very strange little sound that happens every time the knees come together. I don't know if this is something only on the 7.1 track as I haven't listened to the other versions yet, but it was odd and I hope not a problem with the audio since it is superior to any other version to date. The disk also includes the US and UK versions as well as the option to see the first part of the movie as it was originally intended - in black and white! That was a hidden easter egg on the last DVD version, but it's much easier to access now. Excellent job on this one and kudos to the team at Fox for putting together such an exceptional presentation of an exceptional movie!

So maybe this isn't exactly award-winning material. So what? "Rocky Horror" isn't meant to be some uptight, emotional, stuffy piece; in fact, it goes out of its way to be just the opposite. It's a satirical piece that makes plays on corny sci-fi late night flicks, drippy musicals, and corny Frankenstein-type horror [ex. Doctor Frank N. Furter, for example?]

The movie is packed with get-up-and-dance rock tunes, overdone acting that seems just right, and a wildly ridiculous plot. Tim Curry is simply brilliant; from his authoriative-yet-plaintive cries of "Oh Rocky!" to his flashy and utterly corny performance of "Sweet Transvestite." The best scene for me is right after he transduces Janet, Brad, Doctor Scott, Rocky, and Columbia, sighing heavily, "It's not easy having fun...even smiling makes my teeth ache.." before biting his finger in melodramatic anguish. Other good performances include that of Susan Sarandon, who scores high as the naive and inexperienced yet curious Janet.

"Rocky Horror" isn't for everybody. Some may write it off as "sick" while others may view it as pointless. True, it took me a while to realize the whole point of the movie and piece together bits of the plot for myself, but this movie is all in good humor. So, to all you people out there who
a) refuse to see "Rocky" after hearing 5 or 6 people complaining about its disgusting content
b) have seen it once and, after deciding that it was "pointless," and turned the movie off immediately...

This I say to you...
"Maybe Rocky Horror isn't really to blame. So, I'll remove the cause..... But NOT the symptom!"

If one were to ask a film critic what they consider to be the greatest movie ever made, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" would most likely not be a popular answer. If you look at this madcap rock 'n' roll musical from a purely cinematic point of view, it's easy to understand why: an amateurish attempt at a story, less than stellar performances, virtually nonexistent production values, and some of the cheapest special effects ever captured on film (even for the year 1975). When caught up in technicalities and a longing for mainstream purity, then one would have a perfectly good argument for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" being one of the worst movies ever made.

But if one were to ask a fan of the film why they love it so much, I guarantee you that their reason has nothing to do with production values or mainstream desirability. Quite the opposite--it's a film that's shunned by most audiences. This hasn't stopped it from becoming one of the most successful cult films ever made, grossing to date over $100 million (this is over a thirty year period, mind you; it's initial release was a disaster). This is because "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is not just a motion picture. It's a pure social and cultural experience, one that has liberated numerous people labeled by society as "misfits" or "outcasts" with its message of, "Don't dream it, be it."

It's also a ritual that warrants midnight gatherings on Fridays and Saturdays dressed as one of the film's characters. The fun is enhanced through the use of props (such as rice, water pistols, and toilet paper, all of which are used on cue) as well as by the act of shouting vulgar lines back to the screen. This trend of audience participation has remained a staple in "Rocky Horror"'s successful history and only adds to its appeal. Can you imagine how uninteresting it would be to view this film in the privacy of your own home?

Above all else, it's an opportunity to have fun, allowing for (and often encouraging) the release of the party animal within us all. Only at a "Rocky Horror" showing would no one blink when seeing an audience decked out in fishnet stockings, glittering corsets, and pasty makeup plastered on their faces. Everyone is uninhibited and no one cares what others may think. What a great excuse for a year round Halloween party.

"Rocky Horror" is also about the music, with some of the most classic songs ever recorded, including the show stopping "Sweet Transvestite," the delightfully sappy "Dammit Janet," and "The Time Warp," the film's signature song (which prompts the audience to get up and dance along with it). In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the very fabric of the film's greatness depends on the music. And why not? The oddball mix of science fiction, horror, sex, and comedy just aren't enough; all that can be seen in plenty of other cult films. Give us something more, something that would leave a lasting impression on the ones who took the time to see what this movie was all about. Through music, "Rocky Horror" does that, and does that well.

Of all the performances in this film, Tim Curry as the transvestite mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter is the most memorable. His decadence and sexual overdrive hits us like a ton of bricks and never lets up. (And who really wants it to?) In the tradition of Frankenstein's Monster (who has just come out of the closet), Frank actually creates a muscle man named Rocky for the sole purpose of "relieving his tension." The Middle American, wholesome young couple Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) couldn't be more out of place in the world Frank lives in, which makes the situation they're in all the more entertaining. Things only get weirder when you throw in a houseful of servants with quirks of their own, such as hunchbacked butler, a voyeuristic maid, and a tap dancing groupie. Top that off with the film's sinfully twisted story about the night that Brad and Janet spend in Frank's castle, and you have all the ingredients for a cult classic.

Like such offbeat films as "Forbidden Zone" and "Pink Flamingos," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a film that is experienced, not seen. From its humble beginnings as a London stage play to the creation (and initial failure) of the movie we all know today, "Rocky Horror" has given story creator and Riff Raff portrayer Richard O'Brien a godlike status among fans. The film is pure camp from start to finish: fun, cheesy, and entertaining. Whether you've seen it 1,000 times (some have actually seen it more than that) or are seeing it for the first time (which would label you as a "virgin"), it remains to this day a very unique piece of celluloid history.

Well, what are you waiting for? Pop in the DVD. Don your garter belt, spiked heels, and party hat. Get your water pistols, newspapers, and lighters. And above all else, let's do the Time Warp again!

New Features:
* Restored Picture - Brand New 4K/2K Master From The Original Camera Negatives
* The Midnight Experience: The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture-in-Picture Show, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Trivia Track
* BD-LIVE: Live Lookup, Powered by IMDb
* Rocky-oke: Sing It!
* Don't Dream It, Be It: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part I
* An-tic-i-pation: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part II
* Mick Rock (A Photographer)
* Mick Rock's Picture Show (A Gallery)
* Pressbook and Poster Gallery

In addition to a wealth of new features as well as fan favorites from the LaserDisc and DVD releases, the RHPS Blu-ray will come with remastered 1080p MPEG-4 video (aspect ratio: 1.66:1) and DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio (as well as the original mono audio).

October 19, 2010

From absolute disaster to international success, few titles have had the roller-coaster ride of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Originally a low-budget English stage show, it exploded into mainstream popularity and became one of London's longest running musicals--but then died a quick and very painful death in New York. As an afterthought, the American company played a limited engagement in Los Angeles and once more the show was a smash hit and soon became a motion picture--which received mixed reviews and proved a box office dud. That probably would have been the end of it, but the film suddenly and unexpectedly emerged as a cult movie phenomena and ascended to international acclaim.

The story is well known. All-American Brad Majors and Janet Weiss become engaged and rush to tell their mentor, Dr. Everett Scott. But they take a wrong turn, have a flat, and suddenly find themselves captives of a bisexual transvestite from outer space who is intent on making the perfect boy-toy lover from scratch. Although the material was considerably softened for the screen, even today it remains surprisingly sharp, and the film contains numerous references to the classic Hollywood horror films that inspired it. The cast, most of whom played in the stage versions, is truly astonishing. Tim Curry was little known when the film was made, but he shows tremendous talent in the role of Dr. Frank N. Furter, the bisexual transvestite from outer space; his performance is a remarkable combination of broad farce, sensuality, and dark wit. While Curry is certainly the show's centerpiece, the rest of the cast is equally effective. Both Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon are beautifully cast as the goody-goody Brad and Janet; Richard O'Brien (who wrote the stage show), Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Meatloaf all give memorable turns as the mad doctor's bizarre associates; and character actors Johnathan Adams and Charles Gray offer considerable drop-dead wit in supporting roles. Only Peter Hinwood seems out of his league, selected more for looks than talent--but strange to say, this actually works in the context of the film.

If you've only seen this film at an audience-participation showing, you're in for a surprise: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is wickedly funny, something you're likely to miss when every one in the audience is screaming at the screen. Although the material was toned down for the movie--song sequences were rearranged, lyrics rewritten, and script and characters softened--the whole thing still has plenty of bite. The story, of course, is intrinsically subversive; the script has a uniquely British sensibility; and the songs are catchy, bouncy, and frequently have lyrics that are very clever in an underhanded sort of way. This double DVD release offers two versions of the film: the American release and the British, the latter of which is slightly different and includes the song "Superheroes." It also includes a version that offers "prompts" for audience participation and a version that shows the audience in action. There are also a mixed bag of videos, interviews, and the like. I was not greatly impressed with the bonus package--it seemed to me that it was all pretty obvious stuff--but most fans will find something to enjoy. Whatever the case, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW has a lot more going for it than cult status; it's a good film in its own right. Recommended.