The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
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A young couple seeking help after their car breaks down near a castle encounters a mad scientist and a bizarre, costumed party.
The story
On a dark and rainy night, a naive young couple, Brad and Janet, find themselves stranded after their car suffers a flat tire. Seeking help, they wander to a nearby castle where they encounter a group of strangely dressed people hosting a party. They are welcomed by the inhabitants, including the butler Riff Raff and the maid Magenta, and introduced to the master of the house, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. This mad scientist and alien transvestite invites them to stay for the night, leading them into a bizarre world of costumes, music, and strange characters.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a flat tire on a rainy night, Brad and Janet seek help at a nearby castle and are welcomed by the eccentric inhabitants and the mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Frank reveals he has created a muscular man named Rocky. The plot thickens as Frank seduces both Brad and Janet while they are in separate rooms. Meanwhile, a government investigator, Dr. Scott, arrives looking for his nephew Eddie, who was recently 'mutilated' by aliens. The group eventually shares a dinner prepared from Eddie's remains. In the ensuing chaos, Frank uses a device to turn the guests into statues, only to 'unfreeze' them for a cabaret show. The film concludes with a mutiny by Riff Raff and Magenta, who flee to their home planet, while Frank is killed by a laser. The castle then blasts off into space, leaving Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott alone in the dirt.
- First release year
- 1975
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jim Sharman
- Writers
- Richard O'Brien · screenplay; Jim Sharman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tim Curry · Dr. Frank-N-Furter; Susan Sarandon · Janet Weiss; Barry Bostwick · Brad Majors; Richard O'Brien · Riff Raff; Patricia Quinn · Magenta; Nell Campbell · Columbia; Charles Gray · The Criminologist
- Genres
- musical comedy; horror
- Themes
- sexual liberation; androgyny; queer identity
- Tone and mood
- campy; kitsch; offbeat; bizarre
- Premise and plot tags
- parody; tribute; science fiction; horror; musical
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Rocky Horror Show (1973 musical stage production)
- Reception
- Initially ignored by critics, it became a hit as a midnight movie with a large international cult following, eventually being selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 55; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.2 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Preservation · National Film Registry · 2005 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film's costume designs influenced punk rock fashion trends.; It is the longest-running theatrical release in film history.; The film's title was originally 'They Came from Denton High'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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