Talk:The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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[edit] Impact on gay roles

it's kinda dull for the huge impact it had on movies. i've seen it listed as a breakthrough film for gay roles in the big screen and theatre. anyone knows a thing about that? lemme see what i can add

Issa 08:47 20 Jul 2003 (UTC)

[edit] Show or Picture Show?

hear ye, here ye, the Tarquin cometh to move this page. The question is, should it be: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (film, best-known) or "The Rocky Horror Show" (original musical)? -- Tarquin

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for my part. -- John Owens
I'd say the film was much bigger and is better known than the stage show. It's what I would expect most people to think of first if you say "Rocky Horror". Tualha 06:02, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)
When I think of Rocky, I think The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Popefelix 02:00, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I believe it depends on your location: in the U.S. and Canada, fans are much more familiar with the film. In the UK and Europe, the play is better known to fans, as it tours yearly in Britain and the continent.--Truver 03:05, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

There are two different pages, one for the film (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and one for the musical (The Rocky Horror Show). Note the difference as questioned above. --Cbrown1023 22:28, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Audience participation

[edit] (In)Tolerance of difference

What were originally ad lib responses from the audience are now as tightly scripted as any screenplay, and audience members who provide "incorrect" responses are angrily shouted down just as if they were being disruptive in a normal movie

Is this really true and commonplace these days? :( I've understood that part of the enjoyment is to hear new callbacks from groupies who are, say, visiting your theatre from another side of the continent. The etiquettes I have seen caution against discriminating new groupies - after all, the show is supposed to be about having fun. Card
It really depends on the local crowd. At some places, the audience lines have ossified into an orthodxy. Part of it is cliquishness, and part of it is unfamiliarity with what other shows are doing.--RLent 23:41, 17 December 2005 (UTC)
That was my response as I was reading that paragraph, too. But from what I gather (I've only been to the showings in one location myself), the natures of the groups varies from theatre to theatre, so perhaps this is one of the ways they differ. In my experience, they were pretty receptive to new callbacks (I contributed one I'm particularly proud of, "two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do", while Dr. Scott goes around the staircase ;), so if someone can verify that, at least in some places, incorrect responses are discouraged, we could stick the phrase "in some locales" in there, or something like that? -- John Owens 17:29 Apr 11, 2003 (UTC)
In the theatre in my town (Charleston, SC - Back Row Productions shadowcast), we don't shout down new lines. People just shout out any old line they feel like, and if other people like it, they laugh. Popefelix 01:56, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I have anecdotal evidence only, but the way I heard it, this contention is exactly backwards. I was given to understand that, in the Rocky Horror Show, the audience participation segments were written in, whereas in every showing of RHPS I've attended, new lines are welcomed. Thus, in my experience and from my understanding (which may be incorrect), "what were originally tightly scripted portions of the screenplay have given way to pervasive ad-lib responses." I am, admittedly, completely unable to document my statements at this time; however, the original statement above is likewise undocumented. It would be quite educational if someone has a reference of some kind which could settle this.

I'm consulting the offical fan website right now, and it seems to say the exact opposite of what that passage says. The website makes a point of saying that the difference between a true fan and any other fan is that true fans welcome and encourage new lines, and that "shouting others down" is considered to be the prime example of what the site calls "poor Rocky etiqutte." I've never actually seen the film in theaters before, but it seems to me that shouting people down for adding new lines is the opposite of what Rocky is about: having fun. I would edit the passage, but my lack of experience with the event stays my hand. Kakashi-sensei 19:19, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

The Theatre I goes to has pretty scripted call backs, but new ones are shouted as well, such as when frankfurter falls in the pool *It's next years mardi gras!*

This is a totally WP:OR observation on my part: The first 35 times I saw RHPS was at "Cinema 151" on El Camino Real in Santa Clara, CA in 1980-1982 (not sure if it's still there or still plays RHPS), and the introduction of new shouts was encouraged, and were sometimes adopted by others. When I went to Berkeley and saw it at the now-defunct and much-missed "UC Theatre" on University Avenue, and inserted some of the more popular "off-script" shouts from the Santa Clara crew, I received icy stares from others in the audience, and a general lack of willingness to deviate from the routine - an attitude I considered odd for both Frankie-fans and Berkeleyans. After a few times, I gave up on it.
I also saw it in Israel in 1980 during a summer youth-group trip; I and a girl from Santa Rosa, CA were the only two who gave "off-script" shouts, each different from each-other's, though the rest of the kids from our group enthusiastically joined in the standard shouts. The reaction of the old native-Israeli couple sitting behind our group to the whole scene was priceless.
I've been told that, at least at one theater, when the tablecloth is pulled revealing the main course, the new chant is "His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson. ..." --Davecampbell 00:28, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

We do the "Robert Paulson" thing at my theatre. Also, when the instant-audience disappears, someone always yells "Presenting the 2006 graduating females of the West Nickel Mines School!" Also, someone always seems to work in Steve Irwin. Snakes on a Plane comes up a lot, too. So new lines are all right with us. One time, though, I went to a showing where I was the only person yelling, and the people in front of me turned around and told me to shut up as I was ruining their enjoyment of the show. They apparently didn't like new callbacks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 129.174.180.3 (talk) 02:01, 28 January 2007 (UTC). --OmgitsMonica 27 January 2007

[edit] History

People began shouting responses to the characters' statements on the screen (including abuse of the characters or actors, vulgar sex jokes, puns, or pop culture references).

It's a bit before my time but it's my understanding that this practice actually started with the stage play before the film was even produced. Apparently the dialogue was carefully choreographed in the film so that the gaps left (for example in a conversation) were just long enough to allow for the appropriate shoutback. Can anyone corroborate this theory? Graham :) 21:53 Sep 19, 2003 (UTC)

The responses were shouted by the audience of the play. Tempshill 04:58, 12 Dec 2003 (UTC)
Do you have evidence to support this? I certainly disagree. I would view Sal Piro's statements that the callback concept began in the midnight movie showings, not at the Rocky Horror Show productions (London or Broadway). Rocky 17:57, July 31, 2005 (UTC)
No, it started with the film, not the original musical. It carried on from the movie over to the current musical stage productions. The film was not choreographed with specific pauses. TR_Wolf
I've never seen the stage version, but I remember that when it was playing at the Roxy in the '70's it was promoted as having "audience participation".69.19.247.226 08:42, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Just wanted to add that, having only my mom and dad as sources, here in Argentina happened the same after its release. People shouting, dancing and all. Then, my father told that in Israel, where he lived at the time, people did the same too. Of course, nowadays in Argentina, no place shows the film. I'd seen a theater reproduction, pretty cool, but that's it.

Ionathan

I just saw a special on (was it IFC or Sundance?) that covered the Midnight Movie's like Eraserhead, RHPS and Pink Flamingos. Richard O'Brien makes a remark about how people have come up to him and asked "Did you leave all those pauses in the dialouge so that we could say things back?" He said it would've been a nice idea and he wishes he was responsible, but it was not the case.--Skeev 12:58, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Venues

I first saw RHPS around 1995 at a theater somewhere in Bergen County, New Jersey that I'm pretty sure showed it every week at midnight. I now live in California - any idea how we can find out which theater and if it still does it? Tualha 06:02, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

The Nuart Theatre in Santa Monica does it every saturday.

Try here[1] if you know a specific city or ZIP Code in the area, to at least see if it's still playing in the area--not sure how to tell if it's where you saw it, unless you recognize the name or location. Niteowlneils 20:56, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Huh. According to this[2], it's only currently showing at 7 theaters in the US. One is in Jersey, but Essex County. Niteowlneils 21:12, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Forget Fandango, and forget IMDB. They don't know where Rocky is playing. Consult The Rocky Horror Interactive Theater List[3]. Popefelix 01:58, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

Added some trivia based on the voiceover commentary by Richard O'brien and Patricia Quinn. --MJW 81.154.201.45 01:23, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)

__________________________________________________________________

C'mon, RHPS is a horrible movie. It's for people who are easily intimidated. Little real shock value. Complete and utter crap. Go watch Behind The Green Door if you want something erotic, shocking and revolutionary. The music is pretty bad too, very forgettable.

Not everyone watches movies to be shocked. I happen to think it's a great story, well-told. Tuf-Kat 02:37, Mar 31, 2005 (UTC)
It's not about the movie per se. It's about the participation. It's going to the theatre, where there will be a bunch of other freaks who love doing this as much as you do, and shouting at the screen. It's getting up on the stage in a pair of gold boxers when you've got a potbelly and man-boobs, because there's no-one else to play Rocky. It's about the pretty girls in their underwear. It's the experience, man. Popefelix 01:59, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
When the movie came out it WAS shocking and erotic and revolutionary, nowadays its seen as a classic, and the current stage shows are more up to date in terms of music, eroticism and general fun. The music isnt forgettable, if it was there wouldnt be like 20 versions of the soundtrack, and covers, and the Time Warp wouldnt be one of the most well known songs ever! The songs are fantastic, the film is a classic and very enjoyable as is the stage show, which is more for the 21st century crowd.

I like the section; it's very informative. But, in the discussion of 20th Century Fox prohibiting the use of their logo in the film, the writer mentions "stage show". Shouldn't it be "floor show" instead? That's what Frank-n-Furter called it in the film. Jmeola75 02:03, 07 Jun 2005 (UTC)


It was the 15th anniversary VHS where RHPS fan club president Sal Piro pushed for a STEREO mix, that the album mix replaced the original mix. This was done out of laziness. The 25th Anniversary DVD release corrects that mistake, by going back to the original audio stems recorded during filming, and constructing a 5.1 surround mix of that.

[edit] Cult following

This section is getting silly and definitely borders on unencyclopedic. It needs cleanup. Naming specific theatres is absurd. Apart from mentioning the beginnings at the Waverly and the longest running cast in Allentown, PA, I don't see any need to list what theatres still do or used to do RHPS. I'm not going to start deleting stuff, but just wanted to see what others thought. -- Krash 17:13, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

Its got a bit out of hand, yes. The Waverly and The Classic were (seperately) basically the first to put it on a recurring basis, it seems - all the others listed seem to be newer, and/or don't even show it anymore. Neither does The Classic though; it closed down... --Kiand 20:31, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)

It got that way mostly as a reaction to someone posting (as fact) that tidbit above about there only being 7 theatres in ths US playing it. --Baylink 21:09, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I've decided to drop the entire listing - screw it, the waverly is the best known, as I'd even heard of it here (being a Classic atendee for a few showings may have assisted that...) --Kiand 23:34, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] List of songs?

A list of songs would be nice. It's neither here nor at The Rocky Horror Show. <KF> 19:57, Jun 16, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] $NAME vs NAME

I think it's better not to use the unix variable, because ven though it's a nice way of describe it, and a amusing, it is confusing to readers that have no clue about unix or bash variables, following the advice on jargon if $NAME is to be used, it should at least be explained. <drini ☎> 02:31, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cite this

This seems a bit more obscure than Dark Side of the Rainbow. Also of questionable notability, really. -- Krash 16:50, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

  • There are several coincidences between Pink Floyd's Album and Film The Wall. Nell Campbell, who in Rocky Horror plays a character listed in the credits as "Columbia (A groupie)", plays "groupie" in the film Pink Floyd's The Wall. Tim Curry, who played Frank, also played a character in Roger Waters' extravagant concert performace of The Wall Live in Berlin in 1990. The two also share a rather recognisable sound effect which seems equally inexplicable and out of place in both, being used when the wheelchair is pulled across the room and when the RKO tower collapses in Rocky Horror, and at the end of In the Flesh? in The Wall. Finally, one of the distinctive images of the film of The Wall is a terrified-looking face pushing through the wall, which is almost identical to the front cover of [Gabriel Knight] II: The Beast Within, the sequel to the very popular game Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, in which the main character's voice actor was Tim Curry (Frank).

Can't believe you forgot to mention the almost exact way that Tim is filmed inside the swimming pool with the s.s.titanic lifeboat and Bob Geldof in the swimming pool outside the hotel. More incredible is the use of the zoom in there which gives it an exact feeling in both. Also, although coincidence, Tim looks a lot like Bob Geldof when he gets off the water and sings I'm going home.

[edit] Holocaust references in RHPS

Krash, before I continue the argument, I need to know your basis of understanding. Do you have an explanation for the string of pearls Frank wears in the creation scene? And, if so, have you ever heard of Polari? 19:23, 15 January 2006 (UTC) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by FiveRings (talk • contribs) 19:24, 15 January 2006 (UTC).

This isn't a debate. I'm simply asking that you provide some evidence which would support that the ideas expressed within the text in question came from somewhere other than your own observations. Please read WP:NOR. -- Krash 19:45, 15 January 2006 (UTC)
I'm aware of Wikipedia practices. But I don't need an outside source to identify a pink triangle as a pink triangle, or a gragger as a gragger. The first has become a gay pride symbol, but that wasn't its origin. (And everything known to mankind isn't yet on the internet). I have one source that may be able to get confirmation from (in London in the early 70's, it would have been obvious). 20:16, 15 January 2006 (UTC)

I note that someone else has now noted the Holocaust references, in the context of Dr. Strangelove analogies (wasn't me). Perhaps, rather than a trivia section (or in addition), there should be a section on "references, in-jokes, and symbols". (Thus, the pearl necklace and the pink triangle could be explained, but also lots of other stuff, like the medusa). FiveRings 04:12, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

That note has now been removed as POV. Doesn't change the suggestion, however. (Is this thing on?). FiveRings 14:30, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Does no-one else think Frank's lighting flag looks a lot like the Flash and Circle, a British fascist symbol? boffy_b 11:11, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Original Research. Unless theres a decent reference saying that the RHPS represents the holocaust, it should not be included, in any way. --Kiand 11:59, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New image

I changed the image in the Infobox to the original movie poster. (Ibaranoff24 04:26, 28 February 2006 (UTC))

[edit] Average age of fanbase?

"Generally however, although most critics account this film as tripe, the groundbreaking and frank dip into taboo ensures that it is a hit for the teen and pre-teen fanbase."

Pre-teen? That must be a joke, right?

- - - No--many of our audience members and cast members (Chicago) first saw the film at home on video (with their parents) while still in grammar school. You'd be surprised how many 10-year-olds can do the Time Warp! Some have had birthday outings to our show, with parents in tow, when their folks have decided they're finally old enough for the theater experience (15th or 16th birthday is seems usual). IMHO a theater showing with live cast is not for the preteen crowd.

We once had a grandmother bring her grandkids to our show, to explain to them what she did in college. (She had been a member of the original fan cast from the Biograph Theater).

Our usual audience seems to be primarily older high school and college-age fans, with a smaller sprinking of older longtime fans (20 to 50 years old). - - -

[edit] Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" has Rocky Horror like following

According to a NPR story I heard, a laugh-out-loud hilariously awful film called "The Room" by writer/director/star Tommy Wiseau has gained a Rocky Horror like following in LA, and I suspect more cities are to follow. Could somebody with a Wikipedia account start an article or stub about it and might it (and possibly other films with audience participation screenings?) warrant a mention in the Rocky Horror main article? Anyway, here are some links:

Movie Site: [4]

NPR Article: [5]

Amazon.com DVD: [6]

IMDB Entry: [7]

Well, it probably wasn't because of my request, but an article about "The Room" appeared recently, it's of considerable length and detail, and made over the course of only several hours mostly by a couple of authors. (Check the history and you'll see how quickly it was created and edited). And here I was expecting only a stub that would slowly be added to.

[edit] Movie deals with adultery???

The article states the movie deals with the topic of adultery. How? Janet and Brad are not married. Cheating on a boyfriend or girlfriend is not adultery. Davez621 15:42, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

No, Brad and Janet were engaged when they met Frank 'N Furter and Rocky.

Cheating on a fiance isn't adultery either. --Kiand 21:20, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
Maybe not by definition, but most would consider it to be a form of adultery in spirit Riffraffselbow 20:37, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] RHPS userbox

Code Result
{{user Rocky Horror}}
Hoopla! This user is a Rocky Horror fanatic.


[edit] RKO Pictures

I just tossed RKO Pictures into See also. I feel like there deserves to be more of an explicit connexion between the two. Does someone feel like throwing together a paragraph or so? samwaltz 21:14, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tripe?

The sentence, "Generally however, although most critics account this film as tripe, the groundbreaking dip into taboo ensures that it is a hit for the teen and pre-teen fanbase," seems really POV to me. Also, pre-teen? Really? What 8-year-old do you think would be interested in this movie? PacificBoy 17:37, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

I decided to be bold and remove it. I'm surprised it hasn't been removed before, it's blatantly and insultingly POV.--Agent Aquamarine 00:34, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Great Question

What's so great about it? --66.218.11.146 07:21, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

It's difficult to explain to someone who's never seen it, so see it.--Agent Aquamarine 04:06, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Master and Margarita

I have added the "trivia" fact that similarities between the two are often commented upon by people familiar with both RHPC and the landmark absurdist novel Master and Margarita, and that there might be an inspiration. --Misha bb 10:27, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

This looks awfully WP:ORy. Is there any at all notable source for the comparison? LWizard @ 11:40, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
"Notable sources" for it being "often commented upon"? It's not like this is saying RHPS is "taken" from Master/Margarita or anything. It's just stating the fact that the two works are hugely similar, and this doesn't go unnoticed for people who've read the book and wathced the movie... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 129.240.157.30 (talk) 08:42, 13 December 2006 (UTC).
Then can you at least find me two separate places on the internet where the comparison is made? I found one person who noted the connection, in an Amazon review. You might also rewrite it to make it sound less like "Hey, I just noticed that. . ." LWizard @ 09:20, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Hm... Well, I'm on it! :) This is not something I "just noticed", by the way, I've heard the similarity referred to many times - although I haven't seen it in writing, so far. It ought to be out there somewhere, though, because there is an astounding similarity. Although, maybe the people who review classic Soviet litterature for newsmagazines and websites ain't the same people who review RHPS (and the newsmags/websites who review classic Soviet litterature may not review RHPS at all). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 129.240.157.30 (talk) 11:58, 13 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] References in pop culture

This section has become much too long, and full of references from sources that are not particularly notable. If we included every RHPS joke ever included in any webcomic then the list could go on for pages and pages. If we must have a list, let's try to limit it to a few examples of significant RHPS references in popular media. CKarnstein 06:32, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

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