Hallowe’en Film Review: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

There are few films considered more ‘cult’ than that debauched stage-musical-turned-technicolour extravaganza, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And as it just so happens to have the word “horror” in its title, it’s the perfect choice for a Hallowe’en film review.

When newly-betrothed couple Brad Major (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) arrive at a deserted castle in the backwoods, they have no idea that they will find inside the ‘Annual Transylvanian Convention’ and its host, the self-proclaimed “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania”, Doctor Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry). What follows can only be described as one of the most totally inexplicable and madcap performances ever seen on film, with a great number of fishnet stockings, candelabras and grotesque figures. That is, of course, not to forget the aliens, laser-beams and living statues that abound, as well as the film’s many distinctive (if not necessarily catchy) songs, ranging from the irreplacable ‘Time Warp’ to the the show-stopping number ‘I’m Going Home’ to the impossibly distinctive ‘Hot Patootie’, sung by none other than Meat Loaf himself, who made his real showbusiness debut in the original New York show.

Of course, one of the most distinctive aspects of Rocky Horror is the dedicated cult following that it has gained, along with the impact that it has had on popular culture. The rather androgynous, elaborate costumes have long been acknowledged as a major influence on punk, and the opening motif of Patricia Quinn’s oversized red lips dubbed over with the original show’s creator Richard O’Brien singing the introductory ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature’ is almost internationally recognisable. And there is, of course, the show’s reputation as the most famous of the ‘midnight cult classics’ – although it was originally panned by critics upon its release, it only gained the level of fame it holds today due to a set of sell-out midnight screenings in New York in 1976, nearly a year after its original release. After that, the rest is rather well-documented – fans dress up in costumes for late shows and shout out facetious and obscene replacement lines over the dialogue. Some go so far as to perform in front of the screen, and anniversary and Hallowe’en screenings continue to sell out even today. In any event, from inauspicious beginnings, it certainly looks like the Show is here to stay.