The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one those movies you either love or hate. There is no in between. (Kind of like candy corn.) I’ve chosen to feature it on my countdown, so it should be fairly obvious which category I fall into. In my defense (because for some reason I’m feeling the need to defend myself when it comes to this movie), I was indoctrinated pretty early.
I can remember this movie always being on TV around Halloween, and I was the kind of kid that deliberately watched things I wasn’t supposed to watch. In fact, I went out of my way to do so. Sneaking downstairs to watch Dream On at two in the morning? Watching low-budget sexploitation films on USA with the volume turned down real low? I did those things. Before I was 12. Rocky Horror Picture Show had exactly the kind of bizarre, tawdry quality I was looking for in a “forbidden gem” (i.e. material my parents would have never approved of). Of course, back then I had no idea what “camp” was or WTF any of it was supposed to mean. I just knew it had The Grand Wizard from Worst Witch prancing around in fishnet stockings, which I found hilarious, so that was reason enough for me to watch it.
By the time I got to high school my movie knowledge was much more expansive and I was able to appreciate TRHPS for the parody it is. It was also quite popular in my high school–particularly with the theater crowd and us weirdos in the art club–and it was required viewing at every Halloween party. (Bring your own props!) I never missed an opportunity to do the Time Warp.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is, quite simply, one of the greatest if not the greatest cult films in the history of ever, and a Halloween staple. I won’t hear any arguments to the contrary. I would also contest that you cannot call yourself a true Tim Curry fan without at least having seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show even if you don’t consider yourself a fan. His performance is not to be missed.
If you need more reasons to love this movie, Meat Loaf is in it. MEAT LOAF! I’ve always been a fan of his rock-opera style which lends itself perfectly to the music of TRHPS (which is another whole reason to love this movie). Of course there’s also a very young, very hot, very scantily-clad Susan Sarandon if that’s what moves you. My favorite characters, however, are Riff Raff and Magenta. I know I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that I don’t like to wear costumes, but I could totally see myself dressing up as Magenta for Halloween. (Because I just don’t have the energy–or the eyebrows–for Columbia.)
(Sidebar: I love the presentation of this DVD set. It’s always fun when the discs are part of the case artwork and you’re required to position them just right for the image to make sense. It’s like a bonus puzzle.)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t for everybody, I’ll give you that–especially if you’re one of those straight-laced types who gets uncomfortable around, well, around the types of things that are depicted in TRHPS, to put it nicely. And yeah, it’s really fucking weird. On the other hand, it is one of the most original and wildly entertaining movies you’ll ever see.
So tell me — do you love it or hate it?
Meet Dr. Frank N Furter
I see you shiver with antici……….pation!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc80tFJpTuo
Spooky Sexy Screenshots
What is 31 DVDs of Halloween?
As a special feature for the Halloween Countdown, I’m showcasing 31 Halloween DVDs from my personal collection. I have a lot of Halloween-related and horror DVDs in general, but for this year’s countdown I’m only going to focus on my absolute favorites–the ones I consider 100% essential for my enjoyment of the holiday.
