Much better than it pretends to be

If a musical sci-fi satire about an alien transvestite named Frank-n-Furter, who is building the perfect man while playing sexual games with his virginal visitors, sounds like an intriguing premise for a movie, then you're in for a treat. Not only isThe Rocky Horror Pictureall this and more, but it stars the surprising cast of Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick (as the demure Janet and uptight Brad, who get lost in a storm and find themselves stranded at Frank-n-Furter's mansion), Meat Loaf (as the rebel Eddie), Charles Gray (as our criminologist and narrator), and, of course, the inimitable Tim Curry as our "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania."

Upon its release in 1975, the film was an astounding flop. But a few devotees persuaded a New York theater to show it at midnight, and thus was born one of the ultimate cult films of all time. The songs are addictive (just try getting "The Time Warp" or "Toucha Toucha Touch Me" out of your head), the raunchiness amusing, and the plot line utterly ridiculous--in other words, this film is simply tremendous good fun. The downfall, however, is that much of the amusement is found in the audience participation that is obviously missing from a video version (viewers in theaters shout lines at the screen and use props--such as holding up newspapers and shooting water guns during the storm, and throwing rice during a wedding scene). Watched alone as a straight movie, Rocky Horror loses a ...

Cast: Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry, Jonathan Adams, Mark Johnson, Barry Bostwick, Ishaq Bux, Richard O'Brien, Meat Loaf, Jeremy Newson, Gaye Brown, Anthony Milner, Annabel Leventon, Christopher Biggins, Charles Gray, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Patricia Quinn, Lindsay Ingram, Henry Woolf, Peter Hinwood, Koo Stark, Fran Fullenwider, Hilary Labow

Director: Jim Sharman

Genre: Comedy

Release Date: September 25, 1975

MPAA Rating: R

Screen Writer: Richard O'Brien

Runtime: 1hr 40min

Studio: 20th Century Fox