Daily Archives: February 23, 2017

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Directed by Jim Sharman
Written by Jim Sharman and Richard O’Brien from O’Brien’s original musical play
1975/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Michael White Productions
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

 

[box] Lips: [singing] Science fiction… double feature/Dr. X… will build a creature/See androids fighting… Brad and Janet… Anne Francis stars in…”Forbidden Planet”/Whoa-oh-oh-ohh/At the late-night double feature picture show[/box]

This movie loses a lot when not viewed at a midnight showing with a lot of similarly loaded fans.

Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (a nubile Susan Sarandon) are stereotypical young sweethearts from middle America.  After she accepts his marriage proposal, they set off in search of the professor whose class brought them together.  On a dark and stormy night, their car breaks down on a deserted road.  They see a light in the window of a castle in the distance and decide to walk there in search of a phone.

On arrival, they find a party in progress.  Weird guests are joining tranvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) to celebrate the animation of his creature, Rocky.  Brad and Janet’s sexual initiations and assorted mayhem follows.  With Meat Loaf as an “ex-delivery boy”.

I had an almost shot-for-shot memory of every detail of this movie.  Most of it is quite stupid and out of control.  However, the songs are still wonderful and it was a fun blast from the past.  Tim Curry is amazing!

Trailer

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors
Directed by Frank Oz
Written by Howard Ashman based on his musical play and the film “The Little Shop of Horrors” by Roger Corman and Charles D. Griffith
1986/USA
The Geffen Company
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Audrey II: [singing] Feed me, Seymour / Feed me all night long – That’s right, boy! – You can do it! Feed me, Seymour / Feed me all night long / Ha ha ha ha ha! / Cause if you feed me, Seymour / I can grow up big and strong.[/box]

Corman’s original was made in 2 1/2 days for a budget of $22,500.  Multiply the budget by 1,000, add color and music you get even more fun!

The film is framed by a “Greek Chorus” consisting of a 60’s style girl group that comments on the action.  The plot of the  has been considerably fleshed out to include an origin story and new relationships.  Seymour (Rick Moranis) discovers the plant at a Chinese herbalist’s shop after a total eclipse of the sun.  He names it Audrey II after his crush, Audrey, the clerk at Skid Row florist shop where we works.

In this version, Audrey is dating the sadistic dentist played here by a fantastic Steve Martin. Bill Murray takes over from Jack Nicholson as the masochistic patient and Vincent Gardenia plays Mushnik.  John Candy, James Belushi and Christopher Guest have cameos.  For me the highlight of the film is the voice of the great Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops as Audrey II.

Life has been rearing its ugly head recently and I needed some cheering up before immersing myself in further dark foreign films from 1960.  This did the trick!  I have seen the musical on stage and loved this on its theatrical release.  It was just as good yesterday. Frank Oz of Muppets fame did a brilliant job with the various growth stages of the Audrey II puppet and the songs are all quite catchy.  Warmly recommended.

Little Shop of Horrors was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Effects, Visual Effects and Best Music, Original Song (“Mean Green Mother from Outer Space”).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ea5jKFGgUw

Clip