It’s the third ever Spooktober and, as this is a celebration of spooky themed movies, I noticed I’ve been going very contemporary. For our first Spooktober ever, I looked at the cult classic that is Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Our second entry was the very recent Good Boy. So, for our third ever Spooktober entry, I decided we go cult classic. These have become fan favorites for a reason so I wanted to see what made them work and why they still work even to this day.

Well, when it comes to cult classics that have earned their stripes, the best example would be the original 1975 release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. After all, it’s been five decades since its release. And yet the film is still being shown in theaters during midnight screenings consistently. I think it’s high time I go experience this movie for myself and see what the hoopla is all about.

Although this is a fifty year old movie, I still will be making this review SPOILER FREE. If I haven’t watched it, I know there’s gotta be others who haven’t. It may be a cult classic but the Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t exactly mainstream. So, yeah. SPOILER FREE review!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows newly engaged couple, Brad and Janice, on their way to visit their old teacher. Their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They go visit a castle to get some help. There they are taken in by Dr. Frank-N-Furter for shelter from the rain. But it seems the good doctor may want to give them more than just shelter…

Let me save you the trouble and get right down to it. I loved The Rocky Horror Picture Show! As someone who loves unique visuals, movie references, some laugh out loud moments and fun musical numbers, this was something to behold! It was not ashamed to tell you right from the start that this was going to be aping B-Movie tropes and I enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

Despite it’s low-budget trappings, it still manages to ooze a lot of personality and retains a very unique identity. The sets themselves never feel like they were direct copies from any classic cult films it borrows from. The costumes were also on point, immediately giving you an idea of how each character is and their personality. One thing I have to mention is the choice of lighting. I was incredibly impressed with how they used light to enhance some scenes. There was one particular scene where one character came from the background, into a dark area and emerge into a purple light while the foreground is lit naturally. It wasn’t something I expected and I appreciate how it made the scene look.

Of course, the Rocky Horror Picture show is based on a musical so it has a lot of song numbers. And all of the song numbers are great! When it comes to musicals for me, there are going to be some songs I don’t really care for. I definitely can’t say the same for the Rocky Horror Picture Show! They all came off as very enjoyable to listen to in their own way. However, I do have to mention, while they are all good song, only a couple of them are truly catchy. And you know these songs are Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite.

Now, I understand Time Warp is The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s most popular song. Understandably so. It’s the film’s big dance number so it comes off as the most bombastic. It’s also a catchy dance tune, complete with the actual steps on how to do the Time Warp dance. It’s also kind of the “safest” songs of the film’s soundtrack. Besides the idea of people doing a “pelvic thrust” that causes people to go insane, it’s pretty tame. I’d say it’s tame enough for even kids to listen to.

What’s definitely not safe for kids to listen to is Sweet Transvestite! It’s a raunchy soul rock ballad with some big words children might want to ask their parents what it means. And some parents will be asking where they learned that word. However, I do think this is the Rocky Horror Picture Show’s best song. It’s funny, tells a story, has very clever lyrics and, most importantly, introduces Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. I think half of the reason why I thoroughly enjoyed this much more than Time Warp is because of Tim Curry’s performance and vocals. Still, once Sweet Transvestite started playing, I completely understood why The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic.

Speaking of Tim Curry, he definitely steals the show. I just love him as, no matter how small the role is, he always gives it his all. But, for this, he seemed to give more than just one hundred percent. Yeah, I know that’s impossible. But if there’s an actor who can do it, it’s definitely Tim Curry and his Frank-N-Furter seems to be the proof.

That’s not to say the other actors are just phoning it in. On the contrary, they’re all very good! Everyone is giving very exaggerated performances but it all works in this B-movie setting. The only “weak” acting came from Peter Hinwood as Rocky but you can hardly blame him since he doesn’t really do anything in the movie despite his name being in the title. He doesn’t get to do much so he doesn’t really get to show off his range.

While I did know coming in the movie was a comedy, I didn’t really expect it to be as funny as it was. It certainly helps that it feels like a genuine love letter to B-movies. So, it does keep everything very light and puts you in a good mood by the first minute. Honestly, I was caught off-guard by how funny some of the jokes were. Well, maybe the jokes weren’t all that hilarious. But the movie does put you in an incredibly giddy mood and, well there’s Tim Curry. These two things together really helped making even lame gags laugh-out-loud funny.

As much fun I have with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I do have to put on my critic hat on and say there are some big problems with it. First, the plot is pretty nonsensical and things just happen. The first half is actually pretty tightly plotted out. Things just start to fall apart by the mid-point of the movie’s 100-minute runtime. The third act is just too weird to make any kind of sense. Another problem I had is the ending. I’m honestly not sure how I’m supposed to feel regarding what happened to Dr. Frank-N-Furter. As this is a SPOILER FREE review, I can’t say what his ultimate fate was. But I’m not sure what kind of emotion it wanted to draw out from me.

Still, I loved my first watch of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, while I enjoyed it, I can’t really give this a full recommendation for everyone. This is definitely a more, shall we say, unconventional film. The best way to check if this might be something you’d want to watch is very simple. First, it has a song called Sweet Transvestite. If that song title makes you, I don’t know, icky inside, then The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t for you. Second, it’s product of its time. Although this is satire, it is satire from the ’70s. Some things, such as the way sexuality is depicted here isn’t exactly inoffensive in this day of age. I do recommend this movie if you’re truly open-minded and not easily offended. Thankfully, I’m both those things. Your mileage may vary.

Have you seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!