THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

UK, 1975, 105 minutes, Colour.
Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Nell Campbell, Charles Gray, Peter Hinwood, Patricia Quinn, Meatloaf Addie.
Directed by Jim Sharman.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: parody whose over-all effect is too bizarre. The technical bravura is clever-, acting effective and the parody of horror movies and conventions sometimes funny. But the ambiguities of transsexual Transylvania and the ugly intensity of Tim Curry's Dr Frankenfurter, while allowable and not meant to be taken too seriously are presented as the modern fantasy-land and ruler – and the effect is decadence and possible corruption. The stage show and film certainly reflect the oddities of the 70s pop culture, but the atmosphere seems to be unhealthy.

1. The popularity of the film? Audience interest in content, style? Issues? The advertising with its emphasis on decadence? What kind of decadence? What value to its audience?

2. The film reflecting the atmosphere of the Sixties and Seventies in music, pop-culture, the search for identity, sexual identity? Questions of ambiguity? fascination with the deviant and the decadent? How healthy is the interest? The fact that this is parody and satire?

3. The film's use of music, rock music, satire and parody, the parody of films, especially the 'B' grade style of the Forties and Fifties, science-fiction conventions, horror conventions, musical comedy conventions? The social Implications of this film?

4. How clever was the parody? Insight into the themes being explored, the conventions of the originals? How much of the parody was mere mocking?

5. The impact of the openings, the emphasis on the lips, the parody of the Hollywood films in the lyrics of the song? Comment on the structure with the narrator, his ironic English tone, his re-appearance during the film, the ending?

6. What horror film conventions were used: the creation of the monster, the innocent young couple and their marriage, the journey , the storm and the castle and its equipment? The servant, the monster?

7. Frankenfurter as the star of the film? As a left-over from horror films, the Transylvanian background, the emphasis on sexuality, transvestitism? The weirdness of his character, the decadence? His purpose in the castle, the nature of his entourage, his personality and its intensity, as illustrated in his songs and dancing? His aim in creating the perfect figure? The overtones of homosexuality? Could audiences identify with this character, in interest? The fascinating aspects of the personality?

8. The portrait of Brad and Janet as the ordinary hero and heroine? The innocent couple, their marriage, the trip, the songs that they sing? Frankenfurter and their encounter with him? His corrupting each of them? His violating each of them sexually? The effect on the ordinary hero and heroine? Janet and her Involvement with Rocky? What happened to them at the end? Their liberation?

9. Riff Raff and the parody of the servant in horror films, a character of evil, his assistance to Frankenfurter, his songs, his relationship with Columbia?

10. The presentation of Rocky, the parody on the Frankenstein monster, the sex object, his innocence? Frankenfurter's regard for him? His relationship with Janet? Frankenfurter's horror?

11. The parody with the character of Eddie and the satire on the bikie gangs, his brutality and death?

12. The parody with Doctor Scott and the crippled doctor the hero of films? His relationship with Eddie? With Brad and Janet?

13. The final show, the dress, the dance, the lyrics?

14. The overthrowing of the social order with Riff Raff and Magenta, the use of the Laser Beam? The end of Frankenfurter? The Transylvanians?

15. The significance of the ending, the three back to normal, what have they experienced, what was left, how were they changed?

16. Comment on the nature of the outrageous style, the pantomime style, the visuals?

17. To what purpose?