Movie Review: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (with the Shadow Show performed by the Pelvic Thrusts)

 Movie number 9 of 2023

The Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Cinema: The Astor

The Shadow Show: Performed by the Pelvic Thrusts

Stars: 5

Alice called the other day. Was I doing anything Saturday night? No. Did I want to come along to a session of The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Yes. 

I haven't seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show in a cinema for I reckon thirty years. I remember going to one of the late-night sessions in one of the Art House cinemas in Adelaide while I was at university. In the meantime, I've seen productions of this on-stage numerous times. I've seen Robin Givens (the skater), a well-known Kiwi actor, Craig McLaughlan and Todd McKenny play Frank. I'll probably go along with friends to see a cleaned-up Jason Donovan in the role. He was allegedly pretty good when he was in London, even if he was drugged up to the eyeballs. 

But I haven't seen the movie on the big screen in years. And the Astor's screen is big. 

So, I braved the 78 Tram down Chapel Street and took myself down to the wonderful old cinema on the corner of Chapel Street and Dandenong Road. 

I was greeted by a mob of crazies. 

It was AWESOME.

If I had the gumption, I could have fished out my pyjamas, find those Micky Mouse ears and would hve been a perfectly fine Columbia. 

I've also been tempted to get some scrubs, a pair of marigolds and a string of pearls and go as Frankenfurter. 

Or there's the thought of getting a lab coat, put a petticoat underneath and go as Janet.

Regardless, half of the audience was dressed up. The other half not. 

The floor show was best viewed from the ground level of the cinema. We were told to go upstairs (where they were sending all the non-costumed folk) while the crazies were in the stalls. 

The show at the front, from what I could see, was crazy. A mix of burlesque and rip of. Mind you - they've been doing this since the seventies, so what do you expect. It would have been nice to see more of it, but thems the breaks. 

As for the movie, seeing it on the big screen again was wonderful. What you miss seeing it on television is all the fine details which make this so fun. And subversive. 

Remember, The Rocky Horror Picture Show came out in 1975...

On the big screen, all of the little things you have missed for years come out, and it's glorious. The pubic hair, the nipple slips, Christopher Biggins, the fact that the male cast members didn't remove their chest hair...these sorts of things. 

Of course, the songs haven't changed in 47 years. Nor has the hilarity.

What makes going to a session of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at this old cinema, with a heap of strange, well tattooed, body positive nutbags, is that it's sooooo accepting of everybody. 

And it's not a polite audience. They yell, scream, interject, sing along, throw rice at the wedding. You name it. You do it. The sessions was sold out. 

Alice and I sang along with the best of them. 

Of course, with today's gender politics, there are parts which haven't aged that well, but a disclaimer was provided after the Acknowledgment of Country. If you're coming to one of these sessions, it's taken as given that you're not overly PC. 

And at the end of it all, Alice and I were feeling most wonderful and we've vowed to go to another sessions - which the Astor holds fairly regularly, but next time, we'll dressed up. 

And with that, I hopped back on the 78 Tram and went come with all the drunkies and slutty teenagers and the rest of humanity found down Chapel Street on a Saturday Night. It was almost as fun as the Astor had been.

So, who's coming with me next time? 

Today's song: