Be Reel: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

On Halloween a few of my friends and I got together to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie musical was released in 1975 and has built up a large cult following. Stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and company fully embrace the strangeness of the story and do a decent job of bringing it to life. I would rate this movie as Bad Good, because despite my personal fondness of it, there is no denying its objective flaws.

The movie has very grand set pieces and some instances of decent acting, but overall it is just a strange mess of confusing scenes. The story itself is very difficult to follow, and any viewer who is not carefully monitoring every detail will likely miss vital plot points. The acting is very over dramatic although clearly done for comedic effect, it can often be painful to watch. One scene in particular stands out when Frankenfurter, Brad, and Dr.Scott discover Janet and Rocky in the lab. Although it plays for laughs, it does nothing to propel the story or help clarify what exactly is happening in the scene. Overall, the movie has objective flaws and can be enjoyed, but not for its quality.

(Ignore the last few seconds of the clip from Les Miserables, I couldn't find the regular movie clip.)

Subjectively, I am a huge fan of this movie. Although it did take me a few viewings to fully understand the movie, the music is what ultimately kept my attention. The soundtrack is one of my favorites, and although none of the actors are outstanding vocalists, their untrained voices add to the charm of the music. As for the poor quality of the acting, it is just another thing to adds to the charm of the movie. It never feels like a big budget production which helps to make the wildly outlandish story be more believable. Despite the confusing story, strange acting, and unpolished singing, Rocky Horror Picture Show is a film that I really enjoy.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not without flaws, but that does not mean it can’t be enjoyed. I would strongly recommend that anybody looking for a good laugh, or some great, catchy songs watch the film. You may be surprised with what you see.