DVD Reviews

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (35th Anniversary Edition) – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Oct 25, 2010, 15:52 GMT

Fasten your garter belt and come up to the lab and see what\'s on the slab! It\'s The Rocky Horror Picture Show Special Edition, a screamingly funny, sinfully twisted salute to sci-fi, horror, B-movies and rock music, all rolled into one deliciously decadent morsel. And now there\'s even more to make you shiver with antici...pation: two additional musical numbers, "Once In A While" and "Superheroes", never seen theatrically or available ...more

“His lust is so sincere.”

I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.  The Time Warp is done again, and this time in high definition!  Hard to believe that thirty five years have passed since those sweet transvestites from Transsexual (a planet) Transylvania (a galaxy) sang and strutted from the stage to the screen, but their success would be realized around midnight at a theatre near you. 

[In the voice of Charles Gray, a criminologist, an expert, and a narrator] Brad Majors (a hero played by Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (a heroine played by Susan Sarandon) are a couple of kids who get a flat near an ominous castle.  They go to the creepy manse with the intention of getting help out of their predicament. 

However, they find that they’ve landed themselves in a predicament of a different color.  The castle is being approached by motorcycle driving oddities.  Brad and Janet’s knock is answered by the ghoulish Riff Raff (a handyman played by Richard O’Brien) who introduces them to his weird sister Magenta (a domestic played by Patricia Quinn) and Columbia (a groupie played by Little Nell [Nell Campbell]). 

The two are ushered into the ballroom where a group of Transylvanians, the ones riding the bikes, engages in a traditional dance of their people… or so I’m told.  Brad and Janet, not finding anyone who can Madison, try to back out of the ballroom and into their host Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a scientist played by Tim Curry). 

The cross-dressing, not-so-good Doctor takes them up to the lab, to see what’s on the slab.  His latest experiment, Rocky Horror (a creation played by Peter Hinwood), is the “what” and he’s given life.  Unfortunately, one of Frank’s failed experiments, Eddie (an ex-delivery man played by Meat Loaf), revives and performs a musical number before being put on ice permanently. 

Brad and Janet’s mentor Dr. Everett Scott (a rival scientist played by Jonathan Adams) is also dropped into the mix as he’s looking for Eddie.  The stage is set and all our players will have to drop their inhibitions and “be it.” 

If you looked up cult movie in the dictionary, the leering visage of Dr. Frank-N-Furter might be staring back at you.  I don’t know if Rocky was a success when it was released but it certainly found new life and that aforementioned cult when it started getting screened at midnight showings. 

The film is a monster mash-up of old horror and sci-fi movies, erotica (both homo and hetero), camp, and blended up with some highly memorable music by Richard O’Brien.  It’s “just be it” theme spoke to many.  So much so that if they’re not singing along they’re interacting with the screen.

Some even go so far as to shadow the film in costume, called shadowcasts, which becomes a separate show from the one that is being projected.   Not that they can match the delights that appear on screen.  Tim Curry’s Frank-N-Furter is a burlesque creation that belts out tunes (in garter belts) that you can’t help but sing… even if you’re not a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania. 

It’s a performance full of bravado and it propels the film along its gender-bending trajectory.  Not that he’s alone on stage (although Frank certainly would have it that way). 

Richard O’Brien is a memorable handyman resembling an emaciated Igor (who must compose in his off hours), Patricia Quinn is a sneering temptress whose lips do double duty on the opening credits, Little Nell performs a tap number in sequined gear, Peter Hinwood is a fantasy made flesh, Dr. Scott is a gentlemen und a scholar, Meat Loaf belts out his hot patooty with abandon, and all is lovingly narrated by the dulcet tones of Charles Gray. 

Unless you have sensitive sensibilities, the film is a devious delight that will have you rocking in the aisles.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.66:1).  It has been thirty-five years so we do have some new special features to celebrate.  They are presented in high definition unless noted.  You do get two cuts of the film: the U.S. version runs 98 minutes and the U.K. version adds the “Superheroes” ending that makes the running time 110 minutes.  You also have the ability to play the film with the black and white opening. 

What this does is make the first half of the movie black and white and switches to color when Brad and Janet enter the dark old house.  They wanted to do this originally to ape the Wizard of Oz but didn’t.  Rocky-Oke also offers you all of the songs with “bleeding” subtitles so you can sing along or if you want you can have the actors singing turned off so you can sing along solo.

There’s a vintage commentary from Richard O’Brien and Patricia Quinn.  The 58 minute “Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast” is a two-part documentary on the auditions in London, New York, and Los Angeles for the players that would act out the horror show that accompanies the film.  Two original cast members appear in the second half, but I’ll not spoil who. 

That “Midnight Experience” option offers that complete “Late Night, Double Feature picture-in-picture Show” shadowcast, a trivia track, the vintage call back track, and a virtual prop box that lets you throw things at the screen. You can turn on all of those items or just what you want. 

Next is the 3 minute “Mick Rock (a photographer)” about the on-set photographer and you get a 4 minute “Mick Rock’s Picture Show (a gallery).”  The “A Few More from the Vault” section is in standard definition (save for some things).  First are two deleted musical scenes.  The first is the 3 minute “Once in a While” and the second is the 2 minute “Superheroes” (since this is the alternate ending on the UK cut it’s in HD). 

Next are 10 minutes of outtakes, the 4 minute alternate credit ending, the 2 minute misprint ending (no audio for Superheroes), the 36 minute making of “Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show” from 1995, the 5 minute “Beacon City, New York” 10th anniversary showing, the 5 minute “Time Warp Music Video” from the 15th anniversary VHS release, the 30 second theatrical trailer, the 3 minute theatrical trailer, a pressbook gallery and a poster gallery (both galleries are in HD). 

It’s in a digibook package so you have pictures and text plus an insert about the Rocky Horror fan club. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show may be an acquired taste, but those that have tasted the devil’s brew may well find themselves addicted. 

The transfer looks fantastic and the new special features are fun, although a new contribution from Curry or O’Brien would’ve been nice.  However, maybe they’re fostering the antici….. pation of the 40th anniversary. 

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