Har har har.

The cult status is almost sickening. Just look at the negative votes on the one-star reviews, no matter how well-written they are. That's right, the fanboys just want to de-grade sensible, well-written reviews. If you like the film, that's fine, I'm glad you took something away from the experience that I didn't. But don't hate me cause I hated it.

I found it too long, too juvenile, convoluted, and shock-value-ridden. For midnight-drive in junkies re-living their pasts, im sure its great. But outsiders, ye be warned


THE most overrated movie of all time. I want my 2 hours back   June 21, 2003
 17 out of 32 found this review helpful

First off, I am not adverse to the bizarre, the freakish, the twisted, or the outlandish, or even the gender-indenty-problem-ish. As proof, I offer that I will soon own MEET THE FEEBLES.

What can I say about this movie? Maybe a lot of people lost their virginity to it at a drive-in. It's the obly explanation I can offer as to why such a huge cult following is attracted to such a cheap, inane, boring, unamusing piece of garbage that goes by the name THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.

Weird doesn't even begin to describe how far beyond norm this is, but I do not hold that against it, in and of itself.

What I do have against this movie is that, quite simply, it isn't interesting or funny. Tim Curry's performance and the parade of oddities, while certainly shocking, are not amusing, entertaining or funny by any fathomable means and do not serve any purpose except to simply be messed up for the sake of being messed up. It takes a perverse genieus to make so many outlandish, bizarre things seem so boring.

Imagine the BIG LEBOWSKI, with the dude and Walter replaced by a boy scout and his whiney girlfriend wandering around in a haunted house with freakish things happening, minus the wit, humor, style, and worthiness, and you have some idea of what this film accomplishes on levels of stupidity and pure badness.

I offer the musical numbers as an example. "I'm a sweet transvestite, from Transsexual, Transylvania." What part of that is supposed to be amusing? Beside the fact that has no wit or subtlety, its also juvenile and immature. If there had been something interesting going on with the transsexual theme, it might be fun, but it's simply THERE, and we're supposed to be amused by it, as if the fact that transsexuality EXISTS is funny in and of itself.

I am aware that film has ahuge cult following. I must defend myself from them. I suppose if I liked the film I can imagine what my positive review would be. But I did not like the film a bit. The viewing experience it offered probably accounts for a great number of those who value this movie for the nostalgia it offers rather than its content, but as for the rest, I just don't know what to say. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe there is some greater, ingenieus satirical concept buried beneath this freak show of musical numbers and sex "jokes", but it'll be a cold day in he1l before I ever, under any circumstances, use my valuable time on this planet to search for it.


A Classic Among Classics ... Only Crazier   February 2, 2006
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

If one were to ask a film critic what they consider to be the greatest movie ever made, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" would most likely not be a popular answer. If you look at this madcap rock 'n' roll musical from a purely cinematic point of view, it's easy to understand why: an amateurish attempt at a story, less than stellar performances, virtually nonexistent production values, and some of the cheapest special effects ever captured on film (even for the year 1975). When caught up in technicalities and a longing for mainstream purity, then one would have a perfectly good argument for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" being one of the worst movies ever made.

But if one were to ask a fan of the film why they love it so much, I guarantee you that their reason has nothing to do with production values or mainstream desirability. Quite the opposite--it's a film that's shunned by most audiences. This hasn't stopped it from becoming one of the most successful cult films ever made, grossing to date over $100 million (this is over a thirty year period, mind you; it's initial release was a disaster). This is because "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is not just a motion picture. It's a pure social and cultural experience, one that has liberated numerous people labeled by society as "misfits" or "outcasts" with its message of, "Don't dream it, be it."

It's also a ritual that warrants midnight gatherings on Fridays and Saturdays dressed as one of the film's characters. The fun is enhanced through the use of props (such as rice, water pistols, and toilet paper, all of which are used on cue) as well as by the act of shouting vulgar lines back to the screen. This trend of audience participation has remained a staple in "Rocky Horror"'s successful history and only adds to its appeal. Can you imagine how uninteresting it would be to view this film in the privacy of your own home?

Above all else, it's an opportunity to have fun, allowing for (and often encouraging) the release of the party animal within us all. Only at a "Rocky Horror" showing would no one blink when seeing an audience decked out in fishnet stockings, glittering corsets, and pasty makeup plastered on their faces. Everyone is uninhibited and no one cares what others may think. What a great excuse for a year round Halloween party.

"Rocky Horror" is also about the music, with some of the most classic songs ever recorded, including the show stopping "Sweet Transvestite," the delightfully sappy "Dammit Janet," and "The Time Warp," the film's signature song (which prompts the audience to get up and dance along with it). In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the very fabric of the film's greatness depends on the music. And why not? The oddball mix of science fiction, horror, sex, and comedy just aren't enough; all that can be seen in plenty of other cult films. Give us something more, something that would leave a lasting impression on the ones who took the time to see what this movie was all about. Through music, "Rocky Horror" does that, and does that well.

Of all the performances in this film, Tim Curry as the transvestite mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter is the most memorable. His decadence and sexual overdrive hits us like a ton of bricks and never lets up. (And who really wants it to?) In the tradition of Frankenstein's Monster (who has just come out of the closet), Frank actually creates a muscle man named Rocky for the sole purpose of "relieving his tension." The Middle American, wholesome young couple Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) couldn't be more out of place in the world Frank lives in, which makes the situation they're in all the more entertaining. Things only get weirder when you throw in a houseful of servants with quirks of their own, such as hunchbacked butler, a voyeuristic maid, and a tap dancing groupie. Top that off with the film's sinfully twisted story about the night that Brad and Janet spend in Frank's castle, and you have all the ingredients for a cult classic.

Like such offbeat films as "Forbidden Zone" and "Pink Flamingos," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a film that is experienced, not seen. From its humble beginnings as a London stage play to the creation (and initial failure) of the movie we all know today, "Rocky Horror" has given story creator and Riff Raff portrayer Richard O'Brien a godlike status among fans. The film is pure camp from start to finish: fun, cheesy, and entertaining. Whether you've seen it 1,000 times (some have actually seen it more than that) or are seeing it for the first time (which would label you as a "virgin"), it remains to this day a very unique piece of celluloid history.

Well, what are you waiting for? Pop in the DVD. Don your garter belt, spiked heels, and party hat. Get your water pistols, newspapers, and lighters. And above all else, let's do the Time Warp again!


Don't Dream It, Buy It   July 23, 2006
 12 out of 15 found this review helpful

A friend of mine told me about this movie and raved about it so much that I bought it on a whim, I will have to thank her for the rest of my life. This movie isn't just a musical on acid, it's actually an incredible story that will forever be treasured by anyone that watches it. The songs are incredible, the acting is superb, and believe it or not theres a good message mixed in--"God Bless Living Sincere."

If you've seen the movie before and didn't get it, maybe you should watch it again. If you've never watched it, it's high time you do. It's impossible not to sing along with "Science Fiction, Double Feature" "Sweet Tranvestite" "Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me" "Dammit Janet" and every other song they sing, not to mention dancing along with the "Time Warp."

I've been passing around the DVD ever since I discovered it, and everyone that's watched it has fallen in love (Most of them so much that they ran out and bought the DVD themselves). It's a weird story that manages to touch our own strange emotions like nothing else can.

PS> the DVD is actually something to rave about as well, the extra features are amazing! You can watch the movie with special versions that plays the audio of audience reactions when they watch it in a theater (it's an audience interactive movie) and it even shows the audience too which is great fun! It's funny/really cool seeing all the fans dressed up in costume and throwing rice during the wedding scene and covering their heads with newspaper as Brad and Janet run through the rain to the "Frankenstein Place."


Great Movie...Awful DVD...FOX is to be AVOIDED!!!!!!   May 18, 2005
 11 out of 32 found this review helpful

20th Century Fox must be related to the Fox network. The DVD would not play on one computer. My other would play the DVD if I downloaded egregiously invasive software and registered it with an actual email addy. In other words, I was giving Fox an invitation to spam. When the DVD finally began to play, I was inundated with ads to buy other Fox DVDs. When I tried to expand to full screen, I was given an error message and requestd to download an 'enhancement' to the WIN '95 & '98 package (How modern the folks at Fox are...NOT!). The enhancement felt that my birthdate was vital to the process. No wonder people are pirating movies online.

Since I opened the DVD case (How stupid of me to think the movie would simply open and play as all my other DVDs have.) I violated the Amazon policy on DVD returns. I am going back through my open orders and eliminate anything that has the Fox logo.