# Rocky Horror Picture Show, The (1975)

### reviewed by
James Brundage

filmcritic.com presents a review from staff member James Brundage. You can find the review with full credits at http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/60e74e041ca9cd6b8625626f0062219f/4650ea226b8fd7108825696b0058451e?OpenDocument

    THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
    A film review by James Brundage
    Copyright 2000 Filmcritic.com
    filmcritic.com

Well here we are, doing the time warp again.

Celebrating 25 years of making high-schoolers giddy with its debauchery and high camp, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back with a 25th Anniversary two-disc DVD edition, complete with deleted scenes, outtakes, interviews, and an audience participation track.

But never mind the extra scenes: Nobody sees Rocky Horror out of some longing for a deeper meaning. We see it because it's a messed up film, and every once in a while its fun to just sit back, go wild, dress up in garters and watch a messed up movie.

Um…. Forget that thing about dressing up in garters.

For those unfamiliar with Rocky Horror, the film concerns the creation of a oversexed Frankenstein by the name of Rocky for the sole purpose of being a lovetoy for sexually ambiguous transvestite Dr. Frank-n-Furter (Tim Curry). Frankie's a little crazy, so he invites motorcycle gangs to party, murders people in public, eats food on their corpses, and begins singing and dancing funny rock musical numbers. Witnessing this are Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Surrandon), two recently-engaged youngsters living in the shadow of the 70s. This bizarre combination leads to some of the most fucked-up musical numbers you'll ever hear outside of the parody songs you sing to yourself in the shower and a generally enjoyable film.

Rocky Horror was pretty purely brain candy when it came out, and it remains that way to present day, extras or no. If you haven't already, you should definitely see it, if only so that you will no longer be considered a virgin in the eyes of fanatics. But as for all this extra junk? Just give me a simple sweet transvestite and forget about all the rest of it.

    RATING:  ****1/2

    |----------------------------------|
     \ ***** Perfection                 \
      \ **** Good, memorable film \
       \ *** Average, hits and misses \
        \ ** Sub-par on many levels     \
         \ * Unquestionably awful           \
          |--------------------------------------|

    MPAA Rating: R

Director: Jim Sharman Producer: Michael White Writer: Jim Sharman and Richard O'Brien Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Surrandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meatloaf, and Charles Gray

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