ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, THE - DVD review

The thing about "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is that whether or not you like it is beside the point. You have to buy it. In the two-and-a-quarter decades since its inception, it has become a genuine cultural icon. Not to have "Rocky Horror" in a movie collection is like not having "The Catcher in the Rye" in a book library; it's like never having tasted Kentucky Fried Chicken or a Big Mac; it's like never having watched Monday Night Football or never listened to Little Richard. Gad, it's like never having connected to the Internet. It's just not done.

"Rocky Horror" is the king of the hill of midnight movies, the undisputed champion of camp, the consummate cult classic. Other filmmakers tried to imitate the success of this British rock-opera sci-fi, horror-movie spoof, most notably Warner Bros. with their "Little Shop of Horrors," but they had limited success. "Rocky Horror" combines just the right amount of corny fright-flick parody, outrageous vulgarity, and straight-ahead rock-and-roll to entertain almost anybody with an open mind. The stage production that preceded it might have done poorly, as did the movie's original engagement, but thanks to its midnight showings the film has earned a place in the history of world cinema.

Something About the Video:
Needless to say, the movie loses much of its giddy appeal when translated to the relatively small and solitary confines of one's home, especially without a theater audience present to participate in the festivities. But here's where Fox have tried to help out. Not only do they offer the film on DVD in close to its original widescreen aspect ratio (here 1.74:1), but they offer it in both the U.S. theatrical version (about 98 minutes) and the U.K. version (about 101 minutes), which adds a new musical sequence to the conclusion ("Superheroes").

Something About the Extras:
Better still, they offer the option of captions to prompt the home viewer to become involved, like when to put a newspaper over one's head, when to light a candle, when to throw things. The Fox disclaimer is thoughtful enough, however, to warn the viewer about throwing things too hard in the direction of one's expensive audio-video gear. Perhaps best of all, though, the disc offers a version of the film with actual clips of midnight-movie audiences indulging themselves in the experience--dressing up in costume, singing along with the actors, going with the tradition--all while the film is showing in the background. When a little pair of lips appear at the bottom of the screen, the viewer can press "enter" on the remote and get the audience reactions. It's a long way from real thing, of course, but maybe with some guests in the room, it can come close.

Yet More About the Extras:
All of this is presented in a deluxe, two-disc set, packaged in a handsome slipcase to celebrate the film's twenty-fifth anniversary. In addition to the above, we find quite a few other goodies. Chief among them is an full-feature audio commentary with writer and actor Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff) and actress Patricia Quinn (Magenta); a thirty-six-minute documentary, "The Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show"; eleven outtakes; two deleted musical numbers ("Once In a While" and "Superheroes," which is also provided in the U.K. version); a VH1 pop-up music video, "Hot Patootie!"; two sing-alongs, ("Toucha Toucha Me" and "Sweet Transvestite," both done with the vocals removed, and both blurry, by the way); a photo gallery; an alternate-credit ending; a misprint ending; and DVD-ROM games. Plus, there are recent VH1 interviews with the stars. Two of the interviews are with Richard O'Brien, the second being the most interesting with O'Brien singing in and touring the "Rocky" castle, an actual manor house often used in old Hammer Film productions, now a hotel; and there are interviews with Susan Sarandan, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, and Meatloaf Aday. There are also thirty-five or thirty-six scene selections, depending on which version of the movie you watch, and two pan-and-scan theatrical trailers. English is the only spoken language option, but English and Spanish are provided as subtitles. The subtitles come in handy for interpreting the words to the songs (my wife swore she couldn't understand a thing) or for singing along through the film.

And Even More About the Video:
Fox's excellent video reproduction proves itself from the outset when the screen is occupied by a close-up of two lips and teeth singing the title song, "Science-fiction Double Feature," over the opening credits. The lipstick is vividly outlined, a deep red against a solid-black background, with the teeth perfectly delineated. It sets a good precedent, which is followed in stark contrast by a solid-white church placed against a bright, clear day, also flawless. About the only time the image looks murky is during the added "Superheroes" sequence in the U.K. version of the film.

Oh, Yes, and the Audio, Too:
The sound during the opening musical number makes an impression, too. The two main audio tracks are presented either in monaural or in newly remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo surround. The stereo is agreeable, very wide, very dynamic, with the rear channels used to enhance the musical ambiance. It is bright, forward sound, to be sure, sometimes edgy and not particularly natural, but it strikes the right balance for loud rock.

And Now, Back to Our Movie:
For those who are interested in such things, the plot involves a sweet, innocent young couple, Brad Majors and Janet Weiss (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandan), whose car gets a flat tire on a lonely road one dark and stormy night. They take refuge in a nearby dark, old house (the movie was shot in England with mostly British actors, but the story supposedly takes place in middle America), and the old manor house is where the bulk of the action occurs. At the door they're met by the butler, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien, who also wrote the script and music), who lets them in to a party in progress. The festivities are to celebrate the awakening of the latest creation by Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry). The creation is a man-made being named Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood). So far, so good. Then all the conventions of fifties' sci-fi shock movies are turned on their ear with Curry's entrance, dressed only in women's underwear, silk stockings, and garter belts, singing "Sweet Transvestite." Seems the bisexual Frank N. Furter has tried to make for himself the perfect lifetime companion. Nothing is the same after that, as Brad and Janet are seduced by a madcap world of kinky, cross-dressing, gender-bending rock and rollers. Patricia Quinn plays the wild-eyed maid, Magenta; Little Nell is the tap-dancing Columbia; Meatloaf is the motorcycle delinquent Eddie; Jonathan Adams a rival, wheelchair-bound scientist, Dr. Everett V. Scott; and Charles Gray is the dour, straight-faced criminologist telling us the "facts" of the case.

A few additional musical highlights I haven't mentioned include "Dammit, Janet," the show-stopping "Time Warp," "I Can Make You A Man," and "Don't Dream It." If the movie, directed by Jim Sharman, has any serious flaw it is its attempt to maintain the same uproarious pace of the first thirty minutes through the rest of the motion picture. Not that Sharman doesn't try. Indeed, the tempo never actually flags; it just flattens out as the gags begin repeating themselves. It's not easy work to be corny, kitschy, schmaltzy, and smart at the same time, and the result is often hectic and frenetic in the movie's second half, rather than absolutely funny. Nevertheless, the cast give it the best they've got, and Curry steals the show as the chief looney from the planet Transylvania.

"Rocky" rocks.