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So, if Day One and Two dipped our toes in the waters of sex comedies then today’s film is an all out cannonball.

Author

Tyler Clark
June 21, 2023

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Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

So, if Day One and Two dipped our toes in the waters of sex comedies then today’s film is an all out cannonball.

It’s not even a sex comedy per se, it’s just a comedy that also happens to be the horniest movie of all time.

It's The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Cult Movies at Their Peak

Some may think we should be saving it for the day we eventually do cult movies, but rest assured we’ve got a deep well to pull from on that. Plus, while Rocky Horror is indeed a cult film, it feels more like a response to B-movies rather than one itself.

Director Jim Sharman knew exactly what he was doing when he made this film and true cult films of their time were films that had no idea that what they were doing was bad or seen as such at the time.

They thought they were making real art .Classic examples are stuff like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Manos: The Hand of Fate.

There are some films that have since gone through a reappraisal such as Freaks or The Big Lebowski. Generally speaking however, especially in the 70s when Rocky Horror was made, these cult filmmakers thought they were making something special. And they did, just not in the way they intended.

So, while Rocky Horror may not a true B-movie, it is a wonderful send up of the genre.

Transexual Transylvania

It is astounding to watch Tim Curry’s performance as Dr. Franken Furter. It really speaks to the power and charisma of the performance that it’s become a queer icon despite the fact that if this were made today it would be rather problematic.

Curry plays it with such joy and excitement that the role becomes a brilliant example of celebration through transgression. He’s balancing silliness, sexiness, not quite parody, and not quite honesty.

It does seem odd, but once you actually sit down and engage with it you absolutely understand why it’s held its place in queer culture for so long.

Today’s Scene

Stream It

If you want to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show at home, you can find it here.