The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I hate musicals. I absolutely despise them... Well, most of them. Honestly, the only musical films I can stand are horror musicals. Repo! The Genetic Opera, and Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd are prime examples. I think I enjoy them so much because they take horror elements and amplify them to fit the over-the-top style of musicals. In horror, a lot of the time, bigger and louder is better and horror musicals are the biggest and the loudest of the genre. By far, the best horror musical I've seen (and I think most people would agree) is 1975's cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

This film has gained a gigantic following over time, and I can definitely see why. The story revolves around Brad and Janet, two star crossed lovers who have car troubles and break down in the middle of nowhere. They seek refuge at a mysterious castle, hoping to use the telephone and get their car fixed. To their surprise, this castle is the home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) and his bizarre affiliates. Brad and Janet's night soon turns nightmarish, as they have become prisoners of the Frank-N-Furter, and he's about to reveal his latest creation: Rocky. It may drag in a couple places, but this is a very original story.

The best thing about this film is Tim Curry. He reprises his role from the stage play, and this is his first feature film. You can tell he's just having a blast. His character has such an amazing screen presence. He's outrageous, hilarious, creepy, and absolutely unpredictable. The supporting cast also do a great job. Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick are appropriately confused and scared as the doomed couple. I also really enjoyed Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Richard O'Brien as Frank-N-Furter's go to henchmen. The cast is really amazing, and there's not one stiff performance in the whole film.

Now let's talk songs. The songs in this film are incredibly catchy and upbeat. Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, and Eddie are guaranteed to be stuck in your head long after the film's over. But my personal favorite song is Science Fiction/Double Feature. It's the perfect song to kick off the film and watching those infamous floating lips sing it during the opening credits is nothing short of mesmerizing. Overall, the songs are well placed in the film and not one of them slowed down the pacing, or felt unnecessary.

The acting and songs in this film are great but what really sold me was the set design and directing style. This film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Everything is bright and colorful, and every scene is eye popping. It's truly a technicolor nightmare. Also, horror elements are very predominant. Every scene has skeletons or cobwebs thrown about. It's also cool to know that the castle set they filmed in was also used for many Hammer horror films. The direction is also very unique. Jim Sharman always keeps the camera moving, and he uses some crazy editing techniques. One film I can think to compare it to is 1977's House from Japan, in terms of pure style. The film is visually arresting and never boring to look at.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a classic, and it deserves it's huge cult status. It's a fun, bizarre, one of a kind film that demands a view from any film fan. The songs are great, the acting is great, and the film's look is fantastic. It's like nothing I've ever watched, and I say definitely check it out.