The Rocky Horror Picture Show
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Directed by Jim Sharman
Produced by Lou Adler
Michael White
Written by Richard O'Brien
Jim Sharman
Starring Tim Curry
Susan Sarandon
Barry Bostwick
Richard O'Brien
Patricia Quinn
Nell Campbell
Meat Loaf
Charles Gray
Music by Richard O'Brien
Richard Hartley
Cinematography Peter Suschitzky
Editing by Graeme Clifford
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date August 14th 1975
Running time 100 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $1.2 million
Gross revenue $139.8 million
Followed by Shock Treatment
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 British musical horror comedy/rock opera film that parodies science fiction and B-movie horror films. The film is an adaptation of the British musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show. The film introduces Tim Curry and features Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick along with cast members from the original Kings Road production of the play first performed in the Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973.
Still in limited release 35 years after its premiere, it has the longest running theatrical release in film history. The film is considered a cult classic. It gained notoriety as a midnight movie in 1977, when audiences began participating with the film in theaters across the United States. Rocky Horror is the first film from a major studio, such as 20th Century Fox, to be in the midnight movie market. Widely known by mainstream audiences, it has a large international following and is one of the most well known and financially successful midnight movies of all time. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Plot
The story is narrated by a criminologist who, reading from a leather bound report titled, "The Denton Affair", tells the tale of newly engaged couple, Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, who find themselves lost and with a flat tire on a cold and rainy, late November evening. Seeking a phone with which to call for help at a nearby castle, Brad and Janet discover a group of strange and outlandish people who are holding an Annual Transylvanian Convention. They watch, still wet from the rain, as the Transylvanians, servants, and a tap dancing groupie, dance along to the "Time Warp", the film's signature song. They are soon swept into the world of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a bizarre and self-proclaimed "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania". The ensemble of convention attendees also includes servants Riff Raff, his sister Magenta, and a groupie named Columbia.
Frank claims to have discovered the "secret to life itself". In a scene inspired by the classic Frankenstein films, his creation, Rocky Horror, is brought to life. The ensuing celebration is soon interrupted by Eddie, an ex-delivery boy, partial brain donor to Rocky, and Columbia's implied lover, who rides out of a deep freeze on a motorcycle. In a jealous rage, Frank corners him and slaughters him with a pick axe. He then departs with Rocky to a bridal suite off of the laboratory. Brad and Janet are shown to separate bedrooms, where each is visited and seduced in turn by Frank, posing as the opposite. Janet, upset and emotional, wanders off to look for Brad, who she discovers is with Frank via a television monitor. She then discovers Rocky, cowering in his birth tank, hiding from Riff Raff, who has been tormenting him. While tending to Rocky's wounds, Janet seduces him, while Magenta and Columbia watch from their bedroom monitor.
After discovering that his creature is missing, Frank, Brad, and Riff Raff return to the lab, where Frank learns that an intruder has entered the building.
Dr. Everett Scott, Brad and Janet's old high school science teacher, has come looking for his nephew, Eddie, but Frank suspects Dr. Scott of working for the government investigating UFOs. Upon learning of Brad and Janet's connection to Scott, Frank suspects them of working for him. Rocky and the guests are served dinner, which they soon realize has been prepared from Eddie's remains. Janet runs screaming into Rocky's arms, and is chased through the halls of the castle by a jealous Frank. Janet, Brad, Dr. Scott, Rocky, and Columbia all meet in Frank's lab, where Frank captures them with the Medusa Transducer, transforming them into living statues. They are then forced to perform a live cabaret floor show. The performance is interrupted by Riff Raff and Magenta, who stage a coup and announce their plan to return to the planet of Transsexual, in the galaxy of Transylvania. In the process they kill Columbia, Rocky and Frank. They release the humans, Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott and then depart by lifting off in the Castle itself.
Cast
Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter: Main antagonist. Frank is a devious and flamboyant, hedonist bisexual scientist, who in his own words is “A Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania”.
Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss: A heroine. A sweet and somewhat naïve. Young girl who, recently engaged to Brad, succumbs to temptation.
Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors: A hero. The clean-cut fiancé of Janet Weiss who is awkward and out of step, and finds himself in situations never before experienced.
Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff: A handyman. Frank's minion and Magenta's brother.
Patricia Quinn as Magenta: A domestic. Riff Raff's sister. Quinn also portrays the iconic lips at the beginning of the film (lip-synced to Richard O'Brien's voice).
Nell Campbell (credited as Little Nell) as Columbia: A groupie, tap dancer, self proclaimed lover of Frank, and formerly involved with Eddie.
Jonathan Adams as Dr. Everett Scott: A rival scientist, who is Brad and Janet's high school science teacher and Eddie’s uncle.
Peter Hinwood as Rocky Horror: A creation. Blond-haired and tanned, Rocky is mute except for his musical numbers.
Charles Gray as The Criminologist: An expert and the film's narrator.
Meat Loaf (credited as Meatloaf) as Eddie: An ex-delivery boy. Columbia's former boyfriend, partial brain donor for Rocky, and nephew to Dr. Scott.
Production
Original theatrical cast member Tim Curry returned as Frank N. Furter. Sue Blane returned to design costumes and Brian Thompson came back as production designer.
The original American productions of the stage musical were both produced by Lou Adler who is best known for his Cheech and Chong feature films. Adler brought the production to the US in 1974 and later became executive producer of the film version.
Many of the original cast and crew-members from the stage production returned to work on the film. Director Jim Sharman, production designer Brian Thomson, and costume designer Sue Blane collaborated on the original London production with many of the cast that made it into the film version. Tim Curry reprised his role from the London and Los Angeles stage productions. After the film, Curry also did a short run on Broadway as Dr. Frank N. Furter. Creator Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff) also returned for the film from the British stage team, as did Little Nell (Columbia) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta). Jonathan Adams, the narrator from the original cast, also returned for the film, instead playing Dr. Scott. The film was shot at Bray Studios and Oakley Court, a country house in Berkshire, England, from October 21st, 1974 to December 19th, 1974. Filming of Rocky's birth occurred on October 30th, 1974, the 81st anniversary of the birth of Charles Atlas.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is slightly different from its original theatrical production. In the film, many of the original aspects from the stage show changed, as did characters and dialogue. All of the title character's lines were cut, making Rocky a mute who only sings during musical numbers. Eddie pops out of a Coca-Cola machine on stage, but rides out of a deep freeze in the film. Scenes were added for continuity and characters only mentioned in the musical were now in the opening scene.
Several ideas from the original conception of the film were dropped before production. During the opening theme, the film was supposed to include clips from all the films mentioned in the song "Science-Fiction Double Feature". Producers discovered quickly that obtaining the rights to all the various film clips would be very costly, and cut the idea. Another idea was to parallel The Wizard of Oz, by having the first 20 minutes of the film in black and white and Academy ratio until the doors burst open showing the Transylvanians in widescreen and then to full color at Frank's entrance. This effect would have been prohibitively expensive, so the idea was discarded. On the 25th anniversary DVD, there is an Easter egg hunt that allows the viewer to see the original black-and-white idea, with the color coming in when the doors open to the Transylvanians. The film was ultimately shot in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio throughout.
Locations, Sets and Props
Today, the castle, Oakley Court, Berkshire, where The Rocky Horror Picture Show was filmed, has been refurbished and is now a luxury hotel. The film's plot, setting, and style echoes that of the Hammer Horror films, which had their own instantly recognizable style (just as Universal Studios' horror films did), re-using sets and props through many of their films. Production designer Brian Thomson and director Jim Sharman chose locations, sets, and even props for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" that were, in many cases, used in Hammer productions. The classic "Creation" scene in Rocky Horror is so reminiscent of "Frankenstein" films because it uses the tank and dummy from a Hammer production of The Revenge of Frankenstein starring Peter Cushing. The castle is known as the Hammer House for the number of Hammer films in which it appeared. A great deal of location shooting took place there. At the time, the manor was in very dilapidated condition. Filming took place during autumn, which made conditions harsh.,
Costumes
One of the more unusual aspects of the film was the costume designs. Designer Sue Blane based all her designs on what little she knew of 1950s United States. A previous production she had designed called "The Maids" also starred Tim Curry in a Victorian corset. This same corset was used in the London stage production and then used again in the film. Blane compared the relatively small $400 costume budget of the stage show to the $1600 costume budget in 1974 for the film. Nearly all the costume designs from the original stage production were used in the film, with a few exceptions. Some new designs appeared and a few old ones were discarded. In the London stage production, Tim Curry began the role of Frank N. Furter as a blond, and although it was short lived, the original design sketches by Blane do reflect that. Magenta gained a new maid costume to give the character more purpose and Columbia gained a sequined evening coat.
The introduction of new characters such as the Transylvanians presented Sue Blane with a challenge to costume a number of extras who reappear throughout the film. The outcome of their costuming did not satisfy Blane who stated that she wished she had more time for those particular costumes.
In the stage productions, actors generally did their own make-up, but for this film the producers chose Pierre La Roche to redesign the make-up for each character (he had previously designed make-up for David Bowie). Production stills were taken by 1970s rock photographer, Mick Rock, who has published many calendars and photo books from his Rocky Horror work.
Release
The film has enjoyed an unusually long run, both in the US and internationally. It is considered to be the longest running release in film history, never having been pulled by 20th Century Fox since its original 1975 release, and continues to play in cinemas thirty five years later. Some cinemas showing the film have run it for decades at a time.
The film was released on VHS during the home video boom of the 1980s, except for the U.S., which had to wait for the 15th anniversary in 1990. This version was featured in special packaging: the cover box with an embossed image of the film's famous lips on the front, and a unique black-and-red videocassette casing. The tape contains a five-minute prologue at the start and a "Time Warp" music video at the end. In 1992, it was reissued, minus the embossed cover, black-and-red casing, prologue and music video. In 1998, a "Special Edition" version was released, containing the U.S. version of the film, and two deleted musical sequences, "Once in a While" and "Super Heroes", at the end. In 2000, a 25th anniversary VHS edition was issued, containing the British version with the "Super Heroes" number edited into the movie. In 1993, a Laserdisc edition was released, and in 1995 a Special Edition Laserdisc was released. On the 25th anniversary in 2000, a DVD was released with all the special features from the Laserdisc, as well as new features and DVD-ROM games. Before the mainstream use of home video (and for quite some time afterward, except for bootleg copies), a Super 8 version of selected scenes of the film was available.
There are two versions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the US and British releases. The British version contains the original ending with the full version of the musical number "Super Heroes". The US version omits the number, as the studio thought it was too depressing. Both versions are on the 25th Anniversary DVD. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is set to release a 35th anniversary edition Blu-ray in 2010. A casting call in New York and filming in Los Angeles with a pre-selected "Shadow Cast" was announced for "Special Features" content. A Blu-ray release is set for release August 25th 2010 in Australia.
Reception
The film opened in the US at the UA Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, California on September 26th 1975. It did well at that location but not elsewhere. The cult following did not begin until the film began its midnight run at the Waverly Theatre in New York on April 1st 1976.
Overall, critics were negative with their reviews of the film. The overtly sexual nature of this British rock comedy was not well received by the mainstream US media of 1975, although there were positive reviews. The music was praised, as was Tim Curry's performance. However, before the success of the midnight screenings, the film was withdrawn from its eight opening cities due to very small audiences, and its planned New York opening, on Halloween night, was canceled. Fox re-released it around college campuses on a double-bill with another rock music film parody, Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise, but again it drew small audiences. With Pink Flamingos (1972) and Reefer Madness (1936) making money in midnight showings nationwide, RHPS was eventually screened at midnight, starting in New York City on April Fools' Day of 1976. By that Halloween, people were attending in costume and talking back to the screen. By mid-1978, RHPS was playing in over fifty locations on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight, newsletters were published by local performance groups, and fans gathered for Rocky Horror conventions. By the end of 1979, there were twice-weekly showings at over 230 theaters.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has taken in $139,876,417 (USA) in box office receipts since its release. The length of its run in cinemas, weekly for over 30 years, combined with its considerable total box office gross, is unparalleled by any other film. The original budget for the film was $1,200,000. The audience participation helped the film become a worldwide phenomenon. As the cult-audience grew, Rocky Horror fandom became the subject of news stories. Dori Hartley, a fan from the original New York shadow cast, went on to appear in "Paradise Garage", a Tim Curry music video.
After the release, the original advertising campaign for screen and television was pulled by Twentieth Century Fox executives in the very early stage. The studio objected to the use of the red lipsticked lips uttering the words "Twentieth Century Fox." The American television network Fox Broadcasting aired the film's much publicized US television premiere on October 25th 1993. The film's popularity breathed new life to the stage production, which had had a 45 performance run on Broadway early in 1975 at the Belasco Theatre. Rocky Horror sequels and other media have found their way into production, including merchandise ranging from prefabricated costumes, games, and soundtrack releases.
A movie theater in Munich, Germany called the "Museum Lichtspiele" has been screening the film since June 24th 1977 without interruption, holding the world-record for constant screenings of a film and is listed for that in the Guinness Book of World Records. The theater has a dedicated screening room ("Kino 2"), decorated in the style of the film.
At Village East Cinema (181-189 2nd Ave, Manhattan), the movie was shown every Friday and Saturday, usually sold-out, including full reenactments by mostly the same actors during the 1990's. The film currently has a 77% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Sequels and Scripts
Interest for other films by both hardcore fans as well as the more mainstream audience has been around for some time. In 1981, Fox released Shock Treatment, the follow-up film by the same artistic group. It was never in general release, but premiered straight to the midnight circuit. This standalone feature was not a direct sequel to the original film. It told the continuing story of Brad (Cliff DeYoung) and Janet (Jessica Harper) following their marriage. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Charles Gray and Nell Campbell from Rocky Horror appeared in this film, playing different characters. Only Jeremy Newson appears in the sequel as the same character, Ralph Hapschatt. The original script was titled Rocky Horror Shows His Heels and began as a direct sequel until the idea was changed because of the unavailability of some of the original cast. The story was changed as well as the title, becoming first The Brad and Janet Show and finally Shock Treatment.
A few years later, author Richard O'Brien wrote another script intended as a direct sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show entitled Revenge of the Old Queen. Producer Michael White had hoped to begin work on the production and described the script as "…in the same style as the other one. It has reflections of the past in it."
A first draft of the screenplay itself was posted on the Internet as well as the others. The screenplay's plot begins on the alien planet, where author O'Brien's character, Riff Raff, is eventually transported back to the Earth on a mission that has him travel across the galaxy to Fresno, California.
MTV Films and Sky Movies were planning to remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The network was planning a two-hour-long remake to be based on the original screenplay, and featuring songs not included in the original. The film was initially anticipated to have been released sometime around Halloween 2009. The creator of the original, Richard O'Brien, was not involved; he has said that while he has no view on whether it should be remade, it does not have his blessing.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released as The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Music From The Motion Picture in 1975. It contained the tracks:
Side one
"Science Fiction/Double Feature"
"Dammit Janet"
"Over at the Frankenstein Place"
"Time Warp"
"Sweet Transvestite"
"I Can Make You a Man"
"Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul"
"I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)"
Side two
"Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me"
"Eddie"
"Floor Show":
a. "Rose Tint My World"
b. "Fanfare/Don't Dream It"
c. "Wild and Untamed Thing"
"I'm Going Home"
"Super Heroes"
"Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)"
Bonus tracks (1989 CD release)
"Time Warp (1989 remix - extended version)"
"Time Warp (music - 1 = background track = U mix)"
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 25 Years of Absolute Pleasure" (2000)
"Science Fiction/Double Feature"
"Dammit Janet"
"Over at the Frankenstein Place"
"Time Warp"
"Sweet Transvestite"
"Sword of Damocles"
"I Can Make You a Man"
"What Ever Happened to Saturday Night?"
"I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)"
"Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me"
"Once in a While"
"Eddie's Teddy"
"Planet, Schmanet, Janet"
"Rose Tint My World"
"Don't Dream It Be It"
"Wild and Untamed Thing"
"I'm Going Home"
"Super Heroes"
"Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)"
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