I see you shiver with antici –
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” came out in 1975 and is the longest running theatrical release in film history. As the film is still being shown in theaters four decades after it’s original release, it’s no surprise that Hollywood has decided to remake the cult classic.
The original cast boasted such names as Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter, Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss and Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors.
Brad Majors and Janet Weiss are engaged. When their car breaks down, they end up at a castle owned by Dr. Frank N. Furter who is a trans alien from Transexual, Transylvania. Throughout the movie, Dr. Frank N. Furter seduces Brad and Janet, bringing about their sexual awakenings.
Not only that, but Dr. Frank N. Furter’s hunky creation and the titular character Rocky also stands in the way of Janet and Brad’s perfect romance.
Dr. Frank N. Furter is reimagined on FOX by Laverne Cox, Janet by Victoria Justice, and Brad by Ryan McCartan.
This replication of the original starts out strong. While the redo is technically a replication, director Kenny Ortega attempts to both stay true to the original tone of the movie as well as reinvent some of the musical numbers while trying to pull in a new generation of audience.
There has been some dissent among viewers at having Laverne Cox play Dr. Frank N. Furter. Part of the shock of the first film was its use of a trans female character taking the lead in a film in a time when this was unheard of. Cox does a wonderful job with the performance but this doesn’t stay true to the original film as a male playing a trans female, making the show much less transgressive than the first.
As this is a made for TV version of the film, around 15 minutes of the original film was cut out to meet time constraints. Some of the more shocking moments of the film were also watered down, such as the dual seduction scene.
All in all, the time warp is still in tact and revisiting Dr. Frank N. Furter’s castle is the main appeal to the recreation.
Rocky Horror Picture Show debuted on FOX on Oct. 20, 2016.
If you can’t sit back and watch Cox croon, the Fargo Theatre will be showing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 11 p.m. on Oct. 28. Local musical theatre group Blur will be performing their own rendition of “Rocky Horror” 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 – 22 and Oct. 27 – 29.
Whether it’s Cox on FOX, classic Curry or a theatrical spin on the original movie, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is definitely not something you’ll want to miss this fall.