[Papillon Noir]

Essay C

There is no doubt as to what the Ultimate Horror Musical is. No other horror musical has had the cultural signifigance of this film. It stands heads above any other horror musical in its influence in film, society and people's individual lives. That film would be The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

RHPS began life as a stage musical in a tiny 63 seat theatre in London in 1973. During its initial run it moved to succsessively larger theatres and the crowds kept coming. Richard O'Brien, the show's author has said he wrote the play in order to explore some ideas on sexuality. Certainly the frank look at sexuality in the film is a product of the experimental 70s.

After a successful run in London a Los Angeles production was mounted, to mixed reviews. Following that it premiered on Broadway to mostly negative reaction. Fortunately a film version was already in production. The film featured many of the original cast- Tim Curry, Nell Campbell, Patricia Quinn and Jonathon Adams. Meatloaf, from the Los Angeles and Broadway production was used, and two newcomers to the show were brought in because the producers wanted Americans the play the roles- Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon.

The film follows the misfortunes of two young lovers - Brad Majors and Janet Weiss as their car breaks down and they seek assistance at a creepy old mansion. This is a basic plot device used in many horror and sci-fi films of the 40s, 50s and 60s - and that's the point, since this film lovingly sends up countless genre films. Right from the opening shot- a giant pair of heavily lipsticked lips singing the opening song, we know we are in for an out of the ordinary experience. The use of the giant lips is a symbolic representation of sensuality and you can't help but think a few unsavory thoughts as you watch the lips form the words to "Science Fiction/Double Feature."

Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there
In silver underwear
Claude Rains was The Invisible Man
Then something went wrong
For Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace
It Came From Outer Space
And this is how the message ran...


Science fiction (ooh ooh ooh) double feature
Doctor X (ooh ooh ooh) will build a creature
See androids fighting (ooh ooh ooh) Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in (ooh ooh ooh) Forbidden Planet
Wo oh oh oh oh oh
At the late night, double feature, picture show

The loving references to classic films bring thrills to any horror movie fan. The fun homage doesn't stop there. The mansion where the movie was filmed was known as "The Hammer House" since it had been used in so many Hammer productions. The tank where the creature is born was used in Hammer's "The Evil of Frankenstein." As the plot develops we meet the evil Dr. Frank-n-Furter and his degenerate crew as they waylay Brad and Janet in their quest to find a phone. Frank-n-Furter seduces both Brad and Janet, which leads to Janet seducing Rocky Horror. In the ultimate paen to hedonism, Janet sings:

I'll put up no resistance
I want to stay the distance
I've got an itch to scratch
I need assistance
Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me
I wanna be dirty
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me
Creature of the night

In the try anything once atmosphere of the 70s this sexual experimentation was intriquing to audiences. They identified not with the dullards Brad and Janet, but the freakish Frank-n-Furter and his strange crew. Audiences started doing some strange things at showings of the film- first they started showing up in costume- most often as Frank-n-Furter, Riff-Raff, Magenta or Columbine, though there were Brads & Janets too. Soon they were talking back to the film as it rolled past.

Frank-N-Furter Do you have any tattoos Brad?
Audience: ASSHOLES DON'T HAVE TATTOOS.
Brad Certainly not!
Frank-N-Furter Oh well, how 'bout you?
Audience: SHOW US YOUR BATTLESHIP JANET!

And not only were they talking back, they were participating with props! When Janet puts a newspaper over her head to go outside in the rain, audience members would put newspapers over their heads while other let lose with a volley of squirt guns. When Fran-n-Furter called for a toast the audience threw toast at the screen. When wedding members threw rice, so did the audience. An amazing thing had happened- the fourth wall was broken down and it was THE AUDIENCE who did it. Never before had this happened. This was an organic process initiated by audience members, not something that was part of the film itself. Of course some uptight theatre owners didn't take too kindly to these shenanigans. SMART theatre owners moved the shows to midnight and encouraged the participation.

This had now become the first movie by a major studio that was being shown on the growing Midnight Movie circuit- and this is another way this movie broke new ground. Other studios saw the business RHPS was dojng and rushed some of their stranger films into the Midnight Movie Circuit. Some theatre owners showed nothing but RHPS at midnight and at those theatres things got quite elaborate. Not only were there props and dialogue for the audience there now arose full blown floor shows with audience members re-enacting the entire movie in front of the screen. Some theatres had rotating casts, and even pre-show acts where they would initiate "virgins" to the RHPS experience. For these audience members this had become more, far more than a traditional moviegoing experience. It had become their lives. Some audience members went to see the film hundreds, even thousands of times. It became a tranformative experience for them. Many of these audience members were alienated members of a counter-culture. The RHPS had given them something to belong to.

These midnight showings went on for years. DECADES. The Clinton Theater in Portland, Oregon has shown the film every weekend at midnight for over thirty years, making RHPS the longest running movie in cinema history. RHPS even found its way into other movies- in the movie "Fame" some teenage students go see the RHPS at a midnight showing and one of them has his life changed. So it has been for many viewers to take to heart its message of "Don't dream it, be it."

Prompted by the midnight success of the movie revivals of the stae show popped up round the world- notably Australia, England, Mexico and South America. Cast albums have been recorded in England (several productions), Australia (serveral productions), Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Germany (two different casts), New Zealand (twice), Iceland, Denmark, Toronto, South Africa, Korea, Peru, Panama and Vancouver. In 2005, the film itself was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

There are many great horror musicals but it can safely be said that none of them stand up to RHPS in its influence and simple enjoyability. Above all, it's a FUN movie to watch, either with a fully armed theatre audience or at home in private. Some people say it's not much of a horror movie, but theyre wrong- it has a mad doctor creating a creature, and an axe murder, the victim of which is then served for dinner. The Rocky Horror Picture Show works on so many levels- as a sendup, as a musical with a great score, as an enjoyable movie with a perfect cast, and for many people, a reason to live. It is clearly the ultimate Horror Musical.




V's Response

Well researched, very thoughtful and insightful and very nicely written. My only complaint - it could have been trimmed and edited to a more shorter essay, with some negligible facts done away with.

Still, this one is the best out of the three. Just for the length, I ll deduct a nominal amount from the points.


4.9/05







Essay C was written by Neverending!