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The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary Edition
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (18th December 2010). |
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The Film
 Going into my first-ever viewing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) (a true virgin!), I kept in my thoughts a quote from Roger Ebert, which I’ll paraphrase here, where he said that he could think of nothing more boring than watching this film alone, at home, without the benefit of the typically raucous midnight crowds that worship it. Of course, having never seen the film in that manner I can’t say whether or not he’s right, but I could feel the energy emitting from the screen which must fuel the fans into making these screenings an experience worth seeking out. I didn’t let the potential lack of par-tic-i-pation dissuade me, however, since I’ve wanted to see this film since I was just a kid. Not that I haven’t had more than enough time to buy a copy on VHS or DVD in the last 20-odd years, but I’d let it lapse into one of those “holy grail” titles that I kept listed in my mind. Films which I know I should see as a fan of cinema, but for one reason of another hadn’t, and now it’s almost become a running joke to see how long I can hold out. My first exposure to “Rocky Horror” was via an extended series of clips as featured on “Grampa’s Sci-Fi Hits” (1965, but released on home video in 1989), a video which showcased clips from various B-movies of the 50's and 60's hosted by Al Lewis in his Grampa Munster getup. Keep in mind, I was roughly 8 or 9 at the time it came out, so seeing sexually charged clips from this film (and “Barbarella” (1969… oh, Fonda was such a fox to me as a youth) cemented in my young, impressionable mind the iconic image of Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter, in full drag, singing about being a “transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania”. In fact, despite having never seen the film, it’s the role I have always associated Curry with anytime I see him in a film. I figured it would be nearly impossible for a film to live up to the 20 years of hype built in my brain. There was just no way the film I imagined in my mind’s eye could be nearly as fantastic and deliriously bizarre as I had envisioned. But, I was wrong. It was everything I thought it would be, and more. One evening, on a dark and stormy night, newly-engaged couple Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) find themselves stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire. Miles from any help, they walk down the road to a castle they passed looking for a phone to use. There, they’re greeted by Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien), the castle’s handyman, who invites them in to join in their Transylvanian party, hosted by the ostentatious & outrageous transvestite, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). Soon, Brad & Janet find themselves stripped of their wet clothes and part of a bizarre experiment by the good Dr. to give life to his blond-haired, blue-eyed, Frankenstein’s monster-like creation, Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood). The plot should sound like something directly out of a 50's sci-fi B-movie because that’s exactly what inspired creator Richard O’Brien to write it in the first place. In fact, the tone is perfectly set by the film’s opening song, “Science Fiction/Double Feature”, which rattles off a number of popular old films that were instrumental in planting the idea for “Rocky Horror”. The script originally began life as a stage play, called “The Rocky Horror Show”, which ran for 45 shows in 1973. Once it had completed its run there, O’Brien teamed up with American producer Lou Adler (who is best known for producing the Cheech & Chong films of the 70's). And the two brought it to Los Angeles for some performances at The Roxy. Soon after, it was decided that they should make a feature-length film based on the stage play, featuring many of the same cast members from the stage productions. Locations were scouted and the production settled on filming at a castle known as Oakley Court, a place that was home to many productions from Hammer Studios for their popular horror films. Fitting, given that “Rocky Horror” was as much as homage to those films as it was a parody of them. Leading the cast is Tim Curry as the doctor with a zest for bisexuality, cross-dressing and muscled men who have been given the “Charles Atlas seal of approval”. I was amazed to learn that this film was Curry’s feature debut, having worked exclusively on the stage before taking on the role. I suppose all that time playing to an audience allowed him to realize what people liked best about the role; he then amplified that for the film. Honestly, I’ve never seen a man wear a corset so well while belting out tunes about muscle-bound men, transvestites and intergalactic travel. I think Curry is one of those astounding, very fine actors still working today who is able to blend into his roles so well, he’s sometimes overlooked. Aside from this being his signature role, people shouldn’t forget he’s also responsible for bringing to life some of cinema’s most nightmare-inducing villains, namely the Lord of Darkness from “Legend” (1985) and Pennywise the clown from “It” (1990). Curry has such an expressive face, with that wide, Cheshire cat smile and round, Pug-like eyes. His tireless bravado is exactly what a character like Frank needs to survive through the decades in this film. I found myself laughing even during some of the unintentional moments (if there are any) simply because Curry is such a maniac, his little mannerisms kept me constantly glued to the screen. I’d told myself for years that I’m not a fan of musicals, but I think it’s just that I’m very specific about which ones I enjoy. Usually the more off-kilter, the better - unless it’s something classic with Frank Sinatra or Gene Kelly, those I could watch for days. With some, I find myself wishing they were non-musical, such as “Repo! The Genetic Opera” (2008), because I like the subject matter but hate the songs written for the film. I was initially worried that might be the case here, but I was surprised that I liked most, if not all, of the 20 songs presented during the film. Could I have done with a little less singing? I won’t lie, probably. I loved the aesthetic of the production design, the costumes on all the main characters, the dialogue ripe with witty retorts and thinly-veiled double entendres, oozing sexuality and androgyny. But, this is a film meant to be wild and spectacled and sung loudly from every voice in the cast, so I can let go of the my want for more dialogue. I’m not entirely convinced this film wouldn’t be forgettable and potentially terrible if it were neutered of its singing and dancing; it makes the final product that much more outrageous and eccentric. I know directors enjoyed much more artistic freedom during the 70's, but I was still shocked by some of the displays of frenzied sexuality and gender-bending that occurred throughout. It’s great to see how far some directors were willing to take their films back in the days before everyone was so concerned about being politically correct. Did you know that “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is the longest-running film in theatrical history? True story. Since entering cinemas in 1975, the film hasn’t ever been pulled from distribution by 20th Century Fox. It has enjoyed one of the most successful midnight runs ever, earning over $135 million on a budget of less than $1.5 million. I can think of at least 2 movie theaters within driving distance of me that still host midnight screenings every single weekend. All these years later, it still pulls in new fans on a weekly basis thanks to the party atmosphere that surrounds these events. As someone who was as uninitiated as you can get, I think the film proved to me why it’s endured so long. It’s an absolute riot from start to finish, filled with plenty of that B-movie charm that I grew up loving as a kid. Now that I know what I’d be getting myself into, I think it’s time to seek out a midnight screening and see this one with an audience full of hardcore fans, the way everyone says it’s meant to be seen. This Blu-ray release contains both the US and UK versions of the film, the difference between the two being the final musical number, “Super Heroes”, has been trimmed from the US release. Otherwise, the two cuts are identical.
Video
Fans will no doubt we thrilled with this Blu-ray’s 1.66:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer. Fox spared no expense in cleaning up the image, giving it a full 4K/2K digital restoration from the original camera negative, resulting in a gorgeous image that drips right off the screen. The red lips that open the film are vibrant and lush, looking like they could jump right off the screen to plant one on you at any moment. Colors are appropriately subtle and muted during the opening of the film, but once Brad & Janet arrive at the castle, that’s when the kaleidoscope of colors kick into high gear. Everything becomes a sumptuous visual feast for the eyes. The costumes on the party guests, the outlandish décor of Frank-N-Furter’s castle, the laboratory and it’s myriad chemical colors filling the tank where Rocky Horror dwells… there’s something that pops off the screen with amazing clarity in every shot. Film grain is maintained at a healthy level, never appearing so faint that fears of DNR may be warranted (indeed, this image looks free from any sort of digital manipulations) but retaining enough to lend a fine structure to the 35mm image. Fine detail is exceptional – you can practically count the hairs on Curry’s inner thighs above his pantyhose-encased legs. Here’s where I do have a problem, though. The intercut scenes of the criminologist (Charles Gray) look poor in comparison to the rest of the film. For one thing, I felt these scenes were mostly useless to begin with, only present to provide some unnecessary exposition on the goings-on in the film. But, what’s worse, they look like they were sourced from a videotape and then upconverted to high-definition. There is some detail in these scenes, but they often look soft, out of focus and hazy – a far cry from the masterful presentation given to the main bulk of the film. I don’t know why these look so much worse, but I can only assume it is a result of these being shot separately from the majority of the picture, possibly with different lenses, cameras and lighting techniques. Either way, they don’t ruin the whole of the image (I’d rather argue they slow the film down altogether), but it was immediately noticeable to me during the first such scene.
Audio
What good would a musical be without a stellar soundtrack? I wouldn’t know because this Blu-ray cooks up some serious juice with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit that is relentless in it’s audible assault. I don’t have the equipment to sample the additional two rear channels 7.1 affords, but reports consistently state that their inclusion is negligible to most non-hardcore audiophiles. The thunderstorm Brad & Janet get caught in during the film’s opening sounds positively crushing as rain batters down on viewers from every corner of the room. Once they enter the castle, then the track really springs to life with the sonic boom that is “Time Warp”. From there on, it’s a veritable assault on your senses as your eyes try to focus on the many visuals present while your ears perk up to all the auditory sensations. Instruments sound perfectly balanced among the channels, allowing the track to feel much more robust and dynamic than a more limited option would be able to offer. Dialogue generally sounds clear and free from any hisses, pops or cracks, but it can sometimes get lost in the mix. The musical selections sound so superb that the dialogue seems to have taken a backseat to receiving a comparable boost in clarity. There aren’t too any instances where this is a problem – most of the film is sung, after all – but I can recall a few scenes where I strained to make out what was being said even though my ears were bleeding seconds earlier from a tune. For all you purists out there, this release also retains the original English Dolby Digital 1.0 mono soundtrack. I’ve read some reports online that there is an audio error on the 7.1 track. During the scene where Janet sings “Over at the Frankenstein Place”, her vocals were taken from an unused take, resulting in incorrect lip synching and off-key tones. Obviously, since this is my first time watching the film I didn’t notice this, but if you’re likely to notice, and be bothered by this, there’s always this option. There are also Portuguese and Polish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound tracks included. Subtitles are available in many flavors: English for the hearing impaired, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Finnish, Dutch, Danish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Norwegian, Polish and Swedish. Phew!
Extras
Fox had no choice but to show some serious love for one of its most long lasting films of all-time, so this Blu-ray release contains a mixture of both old and new special features, some of which haven’t been seen since the golden days of VHS. New to this release are the “Midnight Experience” interactive features, “Shadowcast” documentary and an interview and photos from Mick Rock. Everything else has been carried over from the previous DVD and VHS editions – audio commentary, featurettes, outtakes, alternate/deleted footage - with the exception of an audience participation track and some VH1 TV specials which were present on the prior 2-disc DVD edition. Still, this is an exhaustive amount of features that should satisfy fans of the film, though I think a more comprehensive documentary on the film could be put together for a future release, should one materialize. A “Play with Alternate B&W Opening” playback option leads things off. This simply allows viewers to watch the film in glorious black & white right up until “Time Warp” kicks in and everything goes color. I sampled a bit of this and actually found it to be cool and effective in setting a tone for the film before the craziness begins. This was the original intention of O’Brien and Adler, but budgetary constraints forced them to abandon the idea. “The Midnight Experience” presents 4 different interactive features for viewers to engage while watching the film. Note that you may turn as many or as little on at one time as you’d like, so the viewing experience could easily veer into sensory-overload mode (as if it doesn’t already) by having all of these features running at the same time. Since the menu explains them quite succinctly, I’ll let it to the talking: - “Trivia Track” – “The answer was there all the time,” Learn little known facts about the film, cast and its creators. - “Vintage Callback Track” (Unrated) – Join the tradition of shouting callback lines at the screen with the original 1983 “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Audience Par-Tic-I-Pation album brought to you by “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Fan Club president, Sal Piro. Not for the faint of heart! - “Prop Box” – Bring the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” - in-theatre experience right into your home! Now you can throw props along with the film. Toggle through the available props using the left and right arrow keys on your remote. Hit “enter” on your remote to activate a prop at any time during the movie. And for you virgins – sit back and relax – the appropriate prop will be presented at the appropriate time during the film with no selection required. - “The Late Night Double-Feature Picture-in-Picture Show” - A live Shadowcast performance with “Rocky Horror Picture Show” cast members from around the globe. The “green” button on your Blu-ray player’s remote will toggle back and forth between having this shown in a picture-in-picture box and showing it fullscreen. Of these, I’d say the most useful is the “Trivia Track”, since it provides some great anecdotal and production information about the film. The callback track holds little interest for me, although rabid fans who show the film while throwing a party might find it worthwhile. The “Prop Box” is fairly lame; throwing digital items that don’t interact with the cast and only serve to clutter up the screen seems pointless. The “Shadowcast” is unique; I didn’t realize how hardcore some fans got about the movie. I don’t know why you’d watch it since they’re just re-enacting what you’re seeing on screen, but it’s amusing to watch for a bit. “Rocky-Oke! Sing It!” is an interactive feature which presents lyrics for the film’s songs so that viewers can sing along at home. An audio commentary with creator/actor Richard O’Brien and actress Patricia Quinn is carried over from the previous DVD. The two have a great deal of recollections to make about the film’s production, but it’s O’Brien who’s able to provide more information than you could ever ask for. As the creator of “Rocky Horror”, and star of the film, he has more insight into the characters, songs, sets, costumes and all other minutia related to the project than anyone else. It would have been great if they got Tim Curry to sit in on this. I’d love to hear his thoughts watching this film 35 years alter, knowing the kind of legacy it has spawned. “The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast” (1080i) is a two-part featurette about the search for the biggest fans to star in the shadowcast that is featured on this Blu-ray release: - “Don’t Dream It, Be It! Part 1” runs for 30 minutes and 2 seconds. Think of this as “American Idol” for “Rocky Horror” fans. People from all across the country showed up in Los Angeles last year to try out for the chance to win a spot in the cast performing the shadowcast. I was expecting a train wreck, but the truth is that most of these people come across as completely normal folks who happen to be seriously obsessed with this film. And the fact that they can mouth the lines and capture the performances right down to the slightest gesture – without even watching the screen – shows they have seen this film far more times than I can imagine. - “An-Tic-I-Pation! Part II” runs for 28 minutes and 12 seconds. In this segment, actors Barry Bostwick and Patricia Quinn join in on the auditions, giving pointers to some of the potential cast members and judging a few of the audition tapes. “Mick Rock (A Photographer)” (1080i) is a featurette which runs for 3 minutes and 36 seconds. Rock was the only photographer who was given full access to the film’s set, and here he talks about capturing some of the film’s most iconic shots during the production. “Mick Rock’s Picture Show (A Gallery)” (1080p) is an image reel which runs for 3 minutes and 50 seconds. “A Few From the Vault…” (all in 480p) contains bonus features which were present on the previous DVD editions of the film, though since I’m unfamiliar with what those contained I couldn’t be certain this is everything. Still, what is offered up is exhaustive when coupled with all of the new features produced for this Blu-ray release. Deleted musical scenes presents two numbers cut from the final film: - “Once in a While” runs for 3 minutes and 8 seconds, this would have come right after Janet and Brad’s respective encounters with Dr. Frank-N-Furter. - “Superheroes” runs for 1 minute and 52 seconds, this would have appeared at the end of the film, and is in fact present in the UK version of the film included on this Blu-ray. Outtakes contains alternate versions of several scenes: - “Time Warp Alternate, Take 1” runs for 1 minute and 29 seconds. - “Time Warp Alternate, Take 2” runs for 1 minute and 17 seconds. - “Brad and Janet Undressed Alternate, Take 1” runs for 1 minute and 1 second. - “Brad and Janet Undressed Alternate, Take 2” runs for 35 seconds. - “Brad and Janet Undressed Alternate, Take 3” runs for 48 seconds. - “Brad and Janet Undressed Alternate, Take 4” runs for 29 seconds. - “Brad and Janet Undressed Alternate, Take 5” runs for 32 seconds. - “Janet’s Seduction Alternate, Take 1” runs for 1 minute and 24 seconds. - “Janet’s Seduction Alternate, Take 2” runs for 49 seconds. - “Floor Show Preparations Alternate, Take 1” runs for 43 seconds. - “Floor Show Preparations Alternate, Take 2” runs for 50 seconds. An alternate credit ending runs for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. There's also a misprint ending runs for 1 minute and 44 seconds. “Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show (1985)” is a featurette which runs for 36 minutes and 25 seconds. This behind-the-scenes piece starts off with an interview with creator Richard O’Brien talking about how he came up with the script and the run it had on stage in England before making the transition to becoming a motion picture. Once the discussion hits that point, the film’s cast and crew members discuss how they approached their roles in the film. A great deal of information is packed into this featurette, so anyone unfamiliar with the film’s origins, or those who just want to know more, will find a lot to absorb here. “Beacon Theater, New York City (10th Anniversary)” is a featurette which runs for 5 minutes and 26 seconds, if you want to see the pinnacle of audience participation during a film, look no further than this screening which looks like it was an absolute riot for fans. Featuring a shadowcast and audience participation during a screening of the film, the decibel level inside must have been ear-shattering. “Time Warp Music Video (15th Anniversary VHS Release)” is a music video which runs for 4 minutes and 41 seconds. Don’t expect any kind of a production here, as this is basically a video of the popular song performed by the shadowcast members at the Beacon Theater. Theatrical trailer 1 runs for 30 seconds and theatrical trailer 2” runs for 2 minutes and 59 seconds. “Pressbook Gallery” features pages from the film’s press kit, with the option to zoom in on the text of some pages by pressing “enter” on your remote when the preferred text is highlighted in a box. “Poster Gallery” runs for 25 seconds, and it shows a mere 4 posters for the film. Granted, they’re all very cool, but I’m sure they could have found a few more to sweeten this up. The disc is also BD-Live enabled with the ability to use Fox’s IMDB-powered “Live Lookup” feature that allows viewers to get more information on the actors in the film.
Packaging
I’ve always loved digi-book packaging. Some Blu-ray enthusiasts hate it because it ruins the uniform look of having all those little blue cases lined up in rows, but I think one thing Blu-ray commonly lacks is the special packaging that some DVD's still receive. “Rocky Horror” is Fox’s first foray into using the digi-book package, and I hope it’s a sign of what we can expect from future titles to receive it. The glossy, gorgeous cover opens up to reveal a 24-page booklet full of photographs from on-set photographer Mick Rock. There’s also a note from producer Lou Adler inside, as well as a small insert with some words of wisdom from Sal Piro, president of the Rocky Horror Fan Club. It’s one sexy package, and rightfully so for a film such as this. I’ve read this packaging is a limited item, so if you’re in the market for this film I suggest you snap it up quickly.
Overall
All these years of hype and wonder – finally realized – and well worth it. The film managed to live up to my wild expectations, even exceeding them in may ways. Back in the 70's, directors had carte blanche with many of their films, and this is a shining example of a picture full of controversial subject matter, outlandish dialogue, outrageous costumes and some truly memorable songs. Fox beautifully restored the image with a luster that it hasn’t seen since its first run in theaters, possibly even better. The audio quality is top-notch as well. Throw a hefty slab of extras into this exquisitely packaged disc, and this is the kind of Blu-ray release that gets fans excited with an-tic-i-pation.
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