TotallyOz Posted January 2, 2013 Posted January 2, 2013 The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the rare movie that is both timeless and completely of its own time. While deservedly a cult classic with moments of brilliance, any objective viewing of it today shows it is filled with elements that modern queer or feminist theorists would certainly call “problematic.” I first saw the movie in Baltimore in undergraduate school. I instantly loved it. I have seen it in many cities but also just enjoy watching it on the computer. I do enjoy seeing the midnight shows in NYC as they are wild and crazy nights! These days, the 1975 musical by Richard O'Brien, who does a brilliant turn as the seemingly servile butler Riff Raff, is known mostly as an audience participation midnight movie. Viewing it in this setting is much more like being at large drag party than simply seeing a movie. People dress as the characters – and not always as characters of their own gender – and scream responses to the dialogue. First-time viewers are identified as “virgins” and brought to the front of the theater before the show begins to be called out. During the wedding scene, rice is thrown at the screen. It is perhaps the only time in America where normally vanilla, tall, hairy guys can be socially accepted while wearing leather mini skirts and garter belts. But, to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show in only that context deprives it of the many subtleties, both good and bad, that are in the script and the libretto. In fact, an at-home viewing of the movie is just as interesting as seeing at a viewing party – and will certainly allow you to remember more if it, since your odds of being wasted and distracted are considerably less. For the virgins reading this, a bit of the back story is needed. The film is set in the pre-HIV era of the mid-'70s, when people were experimenting with various forms of sexuality without much concern for long-term consequences. And at its heart, that is what the film is a celebration of – breaking sexual boundaries, fucking without fear, decadence, (implied) drug use and general partying. It's a giant “fuck you” to the sexual taboos that had haunted America since we were birthed out of the original debt ceiling tax protest of the 1770s. It starts with Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), themselves clearly virgins, at a wedding. Brad impulsively proposes to Janet, she accepts, and they head out to see their former professor/mentor to tell him the good news. Their car breaks down along the way, and they find themselves stranded and forced to knock on the door of a castle to ask to use the phone. (Why Apple has not used this film to sell people on iPhones, I'm not sure.) Getting into the castle is easy. Getting out? Not so much. They are confronted by friendly yet strange people who are hospitable, if vaguely threatening. The leader of this pack is Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), who describes himself as “a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.” While he is clearly a transvestite, “sweet” is hardly the word to describe him. Over the course of the film he will fuck both Brad and Janet, force Brad into wearing his own set of garters, act as a sort of Dr. Frankenstein by building his own boy toy out of spare parts, initiate a cannibalistic meal, be revealed as a murderer and a space alien, and eventually be betrayed by Riff Raff. All of this is good fun, set to very good music. Meat Loaf makes his first film appearance as the doomed Eddie. The best and most nuanced performance in the film is by Little Nell (who in real life became the owner of Nell's in Manhattan) as Columbia, the only person to ever have really loved Frank-N-Furter. The party attitude of the decadent '70s is what makes this film such a joy to experience. That '70s attitude, however, is also where the film's problems lie. This was not as enlightened an era as people would like to remember, and certain attitudes towards gays, bisexuals and women that would be considered completely ass-backward today are prevalent in the film – just as they were during the time. For example, Brad and Janet are not actually seduced by Frank – instead, by modern definitions, they are raped by him – and Janet actually sings a song about how thrilled she is to have been forced into sex. While today it is understood that the vast majority of transvestites are heterosexual, the movie seems to be saying that deciding to dress and act like a woman is what happens when a man is fucked by another man – a troubling and incorrect assumption believed and propagated by the patriarchy that to be penetrated makes a man lose his masculinity. And, of course, the film portrays transsexuals as not simply being people born in the wrong body, but as bisexual sluts who just want to party as much as possible. Then, toward the end, we hear from Columbia as to why she seems so weird and sad for much of the film when she sings, It was great when it all began I was a regular Frankie fan But it was over when he had the plan To start working on a muscle man The implication being that she felt invalidated as a legitimate sexual partner when Frank revealed his interest in men – completely in line with stereotypes that bi men are simply gay men who have yet to meet the right man. However, if you pay attention, the “problem” isn't that Frank is gay or bi, but rather that he's a pansexual predator. His interest isn't in men or women so much as it is with conquering people sexually who are not into him. This explains why Columbia, who actually loves and wants him, is rejected and turned into a maid/slave. It explains why his interest in Brad and Janet becomes near zero after he's taken their virginities. And it also explains why his ideal partner – that he actually has to build himself – is one who is beautiful but nearly brainless. He wants a sex doll that just happens to actually be a warm body. He does not believe in having sexual partners who have any sexual agency of their own. Indeed, even Columbia is portrayed as a victim in her own right. The description of her seduction borders on coercion/mind control - “He took me by surprise!” “He stared at me and I felt a change” - and Riff Raff says that seduction is akin to being “under sedation” - something that happened fairly often in the 1970s when guys would sneak Quaaludes and Valium into girls' drinks at bars and clubs. Still, these are modern complaints. Sexual liberation was a new concept in 1975; people were not as progressive or understanding as they are today. Homosexuality and bisexuality were not nearly as understood, and date rape did not yet exist as a concept. All of which is why the film stands up as well as it does. You can see people trying to explore these ideas. They make mistakes – which is only natural given the repressive culture they were coming out of – and nobody really means any harm. Even Frank-N-Furter doesn't realize he's an abuser, because he doesn't have the social context to make that mental leap. The end result is a film that is fabulously fun to watch either alone or at a viewing party, but that also has plot elements that can make for a good intellectual discussion and debate of sexual issues. This is why, while the film has to be taken as a product of its time, it will remain timeless. And exactly why people keep doing the Time Warp again. lookin 1 Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 I have never seen it. I have read the it in wikipedia so I know the storyline but this review helps. Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 I will have to take you to a midnight showing. We can join the audience in dressing up as characters from the movie. Now, whom should each of us be? Hmmm... TotallyOz 1 Quote
Guest EXPAT Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 OK, how many times have you seen this movie? I think I've seen it at least a dozen times all in the theatres too. If you go to a midnight showing make sure you bring plenty of toast. . . Quote
TotallyOz Posted January 12, 2013 Author Posted January 12, 2013 I have seen it at least 40 times. Mostly in the East Village of Manhattan at the Midnight show. Quite a fun night! Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 Only a half dozen times or so. Despite that a theatre in Harvard Square showed it every Friday midnight for literally decades. Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 What a great idea! Let's do it sometime my dear... I will have to take you to a midnight showing. We can join the audience in dressing up as characters from the movie. Now, whom should each of us be? Hmmm... I will have to take you to a midnight showing. We can join the audience in dressing up as characters from the movie. Now, whom should each of us be? Hmmm... Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 What a great idea! Let's do it sometime my dear... OK! Now which character will you be...? Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 I want to be the virgin bride to be.. Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 I knew it! I was going to suggest that... ...narrows my choices down to essentially 2, no? Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 You have to be the virgin bridegroom.. We will be sex free until we get married.. so our first night is special and can be considered our first time.. So romantic?? Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 Well ... the more true-to-life roles might be for you to be the virgin groom. Leaving me to be ... Heh heh. Quote
