Hey there, Pandora here discussing the Rocky Horror Picture Show. What makes this film so popular, and does it deserve its 'cult classic' status? The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become a massive phenomenon but is it really worth the hype?
The story for the film is quite simple. A newly engaged couple is travelling to see a former professor, get a flat tire and they go to seek help from a nearby castle. That's really it. The rest of the story follows what happens to them inside the castle. Okay it's not quite that simple. The film is intended as a homage to, and spoof of, old sci-fi and horror films. The castle belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a scientist, alien, hedonist, transvestite, and the night Brad and Janet arrive he is unveiling his latest creation to the Transylvanian "Unconventional Conventionists". So what the story is really about is the two nice wholesome kids, Brad and Janet, being dragged into this insane world. Throw in a love affair, a murder and a wedding and it covers all the bases.
So a plot that on the surface seems simple becomes great by the execution, because the film is quite short it never feels like the scenes drag, and the plot is not so complex that it seems rushed. The pacing of the film always seems spot on. Although there are some scenes that seem random they always have an impact on the story, the characters or their motivation. For example, the scene with Eddie coming out of the deep freeze does seem random but it is this that pushes Columbia away from Frank. Even the professor they are going to visit becomes relevant when he arrives at the castle looking for Eddie. Even the most random scenes in the film mesh into the story line.
The characters in the film are one of the main reasons the film is so memorable. They are all vivid and unique, drawing on the conventions of horror film traditions, the helpless heroine, the mad scientist and the hunchbacked butler all make an appearance. It's also to do with the way the characters are played, all the actors seem to be having massive amounts of fun making the film and this shows. The acting, especially Tim Curry, is over the top to the extreme but it works so well. Everything about the film is over the top. I always find a film is only as likeable as the characters, so for this reason alone it’s an amazing film. The way the characters play off against each other also works well. With the extremes of Frank-N-Furter and Janet, who faints at the Time Warp, and how these characters change through the course of the film. None of the characters seem obsolete or replaceable, the film wouldn't work if any of these characters were missing or replaced.
No one can talk about The Rocky Horror Picture Show without mentioning the sound track. There is only one song that doesn't seem to fit, Sword of Damocles, which is sung by Rocky Horror when he first emerges. This is the only song that seems out of place and doesn't fit with the character that is singing it. Okay the Time Warp is random but it still works in the context of the characters that are singing it, and it seems more like how they would phrase things, plus it is a good introduction to the mood of the film and the situation Brad and Janet have found themselves in. It's not that it is a bad song in itself it just doesn't seem to fit. As for the best songs in the film it's a tough call between Science Fiction Double Feature and the floor show. Science Fiction Double Feature is the opening song of the film and it really sets up what is the inspiration for the film, listing charters such a Michael Rene and Faye Ray and King Kong. The floor show is one of the most famous scenes in the film but the reason the music is so good, especially Rose Tint My World, is it really captures the characters and how the events of the film have changed them.
So that's why the film is so popular everything comes together to create something amazing, unique, quirky and edgy. I think it deserves its cult status. And is it worth the hype? If you don't know already I recommend watching it just to find out.
