Rocky Horror Picture Show Essay, Research Paper

It was a cool, crisp November evening, while five teenagers were hustling and bustling around my house excitedly getting ready for their very first showing of the live version of their all time favorite movie. They knew it would be the best night of their lives. The night of my 15th birthday party, my friends and I all piled into my parents car around 11:00 PM and headed off down the road to the Heights Theater. The movie we are about to see is an all time classic. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the best cult film of all time. The movie has all the three basic elements it should have. It has funny audience participation, wonderful acting, and a great story line.

Before the beginning of the movie, cast members will wander around the theater, and yell out various lines from the movie. When the movie curtain starts to roll its way up, you see a bright pair of red lips singing. When the lips appear, people will start to yell out their favorite audience participation lines. One of my favorite spots in the movie to shout out lines would have to be in the very beginning when the lips on screen are singing the song “Science Fiction, Double Feature.” The song is full of participation lines and props that people can bring to the theater with them. There is one line that I particularly like that comes from this song and it goes a little something like this; “and from a deadly place it came from (where?) outer space! (Thank you!).” Another example of audience participation/prop use would be when one of the characters, Dr. Scott, goes flying through the walls of the laboratory in his wheelchair. As he is rolling down the ramp from where he flew through, another character, Brad, yells out “Great SCOTT” and that s when everyone takes the toilet paper they have brought with them and throws it all over the place. Once all the toilet paper has been collected by the cast leader, they pick out one person from the audience and DOUSE them with toilet paper and it s the funniest sight one will ever see!

Even though there is a great amount of audience participation, one really has to turn your attention to the actors in the movie. It takes a special kind of person to really understand the movie they are in. If they are really into it, they will be able to pull it off and make the movie a huge success! They also have to be able to know about the breaks in between their lines for which the audience can shout out various participation lines. For example, Charles Gray the individual who plays the criminologist in the movie tells the story bit by bit, as it is going on. He has a very tough part, but a funny one because of the things he talks about, and the various call out lines. Another fine example of acting in the movie would be when Frankenfurter (Tim Curry), Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick), and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) are all in the laboratory waiting for his creation to “be born.” In this particular scene, they are all standing around and Frankenfurter goes into this long speech about making him a “man.” Once his “man” (Peter Hinwood) is created, Frank goes into this long dramatized song about his “creation.” I should not say anymore since I would not want to spoil the movie.

The actors in the movie fit along well with what the whole movie is actually about. The story line is complex but innovative, leaving many wanting to know more about what really happens to Brad and Janet after it s over, or what really causes Riff-Raff (Richard O Brien) to go mad, or why his sister Magenta (Patricia Quinn) really wears that dress of hers. One situation in the movie involves almost all the characters and it is when they are all in the main ballroom, and they erupt into song. It takes a lot of complex dances moves, lyrics and synchronization to pull that one off. Another complexity in the movie is when Eddie (Meatloaf) suddenly jumps into the movie, adding a little plot twist. The acting in the movie really adds a great contrast to the musical score, and the diverse settings and plot.

Cult films are usually very good, but the Rocky Horror Picture Show takes the cake. “Don t Dream It, Be it” as sung in the song “Rose Tint My World.”, a song in the movie. This quote can symbolize one of the best meanings a person can get from this movie. It is saying that if someone doesn t do what they want to do, or be what they want to become, they are only dreaming and if they are only dreaming, they aren t accomplishing anything in their life. Another possible meaning of this quote could state that if in a person s dreams what they want in their life, they should actually do things towards making it become an actual part of their life. If anyone wants to see this movie, I suggest that they do not go alone, if they do go alone however they had better watch out, or they will be hit with rice (quite possibly by me and my friends.)