Review of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) by Timothy S — 06 Aug 2012

A lot of movies fail in their initial release and go on to enjoy a second life as a cult favorite on home video or the midnight circuit, but none of them have achieved the success or notoriety of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". The film itself is overshadowed by the antics of the fans who flock to it time and time again, and seeing it at a midnight screening is unlike anything you're likely to experience in a movie theater. It's a cultural phenomenon that has defied age and seems to be passed on from generation to generation.

The film itself is as outrageous as the hype, and you can't help but have a good time even when you can't hear what's going on on the big screen. The music is a lot of fun, most notably the most famous musical number, "The Time Warp". It's the most infectious musical sequence in the film, and the one that always gets the audience members on their feet. I also always enjoy "Sweet Transvestite", the wonderful song that follows it.

The cast is a lot of fun, but it's Tim Curry in the film's showiest performance as Dr. Frank N. Furter that garners most of the attention. I'm not sure why it didn't make Curry a superstar because despite this film's undying popularity, true success has eluded him. The movie starts to drag somewhere in the middle, shorty after the death of Meatloaf. mostly because there's not a lot of memorable music in the second half. In all honesty, the ending goes on a little too long. Maybe it's just because at that point, it's going on 1 a.m. and I'm starting to get tired.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a one-of-a-kind movie going experience that everyone should partake in at least once in their lifetime. It's a true cult classic in every sense of the phrase.