Rocky Horror Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do The Time Warp Again- (D+)- I knew before I watched it that I would be disappointed so at least I wasn't shocked. It began with the usherette (one of the things from the original show) and it was a sweet, even moving beginning. Then the movie started. I enjoyed Brad Majors (one of 3 characters I deemed "OK" as Columbia would say in the original movie). Janet Weiss was miscast and it didn't work. Magenta was, far and away, the worst thing about it!! If she is your favorite character, you are going to be unhappy. Riff was not absolutely terrible but not good either. Columbia was EASILY the best thing about all of it. The take is a little more modern but done well- what I wish the rest of it could have aspired to. Laverne Cox has fun as Frank and she'd be the 3rd most likable thing in it- but it is still deeply flawed but NO ONE is close to Tim Curry- especially here. Tim Curry doesn't get all the Criminologist parts that should be there..but I feel it's probably because of his health- which is quite noticeably not good. It is still touching to see him though also depressing too. Ben Vereen (of Roots) does alright with Dr. Scott. He'd be the 4th best thing. Rocky was BAD. Not as bad as Magenta. But still bad. A couple of the classic scenes are missing too- forewarning. Also- the way many songs are done leave a lot to be desired.

Now let me tell you what MOST ticks me off alongside the horrible Magenta portrayal. My favorite thing about The original Rocky Horror Picture Show is the DIVERSITY of it. There is someone for everyone in it. The Transylvanians are a huge melting pot- dwarfs, fat people, skinny people, old people, young people, really weird people of all colors, hairstyles, races, shapes and sizes and so much more. IN THIS they are all skinny, most look the same and they are all younger and they all feel false and costumed. It is not as welcoming a group as the original or the stage play. FAR FROM IT!! And the original seems to have no gender, no race, no sexual orientation and its FREE. Not the case here. And the audience participation scenes feel very false also- because they have to be sanitized (just as some of the movie does too). The Concept of that does not work at all. And even Eddie (another heavy character in the movie) becomes lean Adam Lambert.

The only reason this gets D+ instead of an F is there were a couple characters who worked- especially Brad and Columbia. It will open up the show to some new viewers- which will hopefully lead them to the insanely superior original (though I wished they would have seen the original first). Laverne Cox did still try hard and I love the Fay Wray reference towards the end. The usherette (the best voice also) and Tim Curry being there makes for a couple of moving moments. I wanted to like it more. I really did. It just didn't happen. Watch the original instead. If you still need to see it, watch the original after and cheer yourself up.

I gave it a two for costumes and it's rocky horror. But this sucks. What were they thinking with the changes to the music and the unnecessary voice changes? The only actor they got right was riff raff. How can you possibly do worse than the original? Completely lack any sort of spark, put a woman in the role of Frank, place it in an old movie house, and have some of the worst acting I've ever seen.

Why would they bring in Adam lambert and not make him frank? And do tell me why Columbia isn't falling all over Eddie.

It's actually painful to watch. And I'm seriously not sure how much more I can stand.

'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' is a film that still holds up to me as enormous fun and is a great experience when seeing it at a midnight showing which adds to the atmosphere. There are a lot of people who don't see the appeal and understandably, as it is not a film for all tastes.

What makes 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' still great fun to watch are its timeless songs (especially "Time Warp" and "Sweet Transvestite"), a clever and very funny script, a wonderfully naughty and risqué atmosphere that pushed boundaries like no film had ever before and Tim Curry's landmark performance that deservedly turned him into a star. Whether you like it or not, it is difficult to deny that it is an ahead of its time film and that there's very few if any films like it.

It is always fairer to judge something as its own entity, but there are times where it is very difficult to compare two versions when so much that worked so well previously fares disastrously here. That is the case with this 2016 TV production, as an adaptation of the film and even the stage show it's an abomination but it is also an example of something where people would still be making the same criticisms without having seen or needing to see the original.

Redeeming values are very difficult to find on the whole, but two things are done well. One is the cool opening scene in one of the few song renditions that treats the previous film version's with even a shade of respect. The other is the courageous performance of Tim Curry in the very small role of the Criminologist, despite being so badly diminished by his stroke four years ago that hasn't stopped him doing what he loves and it's not stopped him giving a sincere, moving and authoritative performance.

However, the production does suffer badly from being too clean and too glamorous in production values when part of the film's charm was its decadence and that it feels far too watered down and too safe, there's very little to none of the sense that the film pushed boundaries or what made it so daring, wickedly naughty and unique. Despite the songs being so great themselves, the re-arrangements certainly aren't, sounding and performed like they came from 'Glee' or something from the Disney Channel. Only "Science Fiction" and "Hot Patootie" are treated with respect, with "Time Warp" being an absolute train-wreck in every regard and "Sweet Transvestite" was just dull with Frank's entrance (iconic before) lacking impact completely.

As for the script, little of the naughtiness and wit comes through due to erratic and too fast line delivery, so the lines feel like they were thrown away rather than relished. Aside from Curry, another huge issue is bad casting. Topping or matching Tim Curry is impossible, but Laverne Cox (also have to agree that Frank does not work when played as a woman, which points the point of the character, causing distracting and constant gender confusion that were very likely accidental) even as a standalone performance tries far too hard that everything about her performance becomes flat and forced.

Ryan McCarten and Victoria Justice sound, look and act like they were auditioning for 'Glee', while Ben Vereen is a forgettable Dr Scott weirdly made up, Reeve Carney overdoes it as Riff Raff and strains his way through his whole music, Christina Milian is nowhere near sinister or conniving enough as Magenta and Annaleigh Ashford sleepwalks her way through Columbia. Adam Lambert also had potential to be a redeeming quality and while his singing is brilliant he would have made a much better Frank, he is too polished and theatrical for Eddie. Chemistry between the performers is non-existent and the choreography is both leaden and overblown performed with lumbering energy.

Overall, a huge disappointment even when watching it with an open mind and without prejudice. Did think it was not a good idea but have been pleasantly surprised by how potentially bad ideas have actually been executed well, but this TV production fails spectacularly when compared and on its own. 2/10 Bethany Cox

LOVE the new opening (re-envisioned) LOVE the supporting cast (especially Riff-Raff), and I was diving into the pool. . . great great great . . enjoying it. Like showing the audience. Loving the new music and dance I was ALL IN. . .until. . . um

Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The character needs to be BOLD and shocking and BOTH masculine AND feminine at the same time. Needs to be playful, violent, and sexual or the premise does not work. FnF needs to take command of the stage AND seduce everyone. In leather and fishnet stockings. The seduction is what MAKES the show.

Where was the raw sex appeal? The boldness, the Master toying with a mouse? The line, "Don't be upset by the way I look" fell flat with a tentative FnF wearing a red sequined dress from Golden Girls.

The old saying about 'messing with a classic', is perfectly on display here.

'Re-booting', or doing a new version does NOT - rarely does - mean 'improved'.

This is something SO bad, that HULU should've demanded it totally be re-cast, re-shpt, re- everything, and had the people involved in this not just fired, but, forced to repay the money WASTED.

Hell; I'd take '''em to court, and shake them by their ankles, if need be.

The 'talent' - used in this true 'horror' are people who are so lacking in talent, they make up - in spades (full of sh-t) in their mugging for the cameras, their raging.... egos on display.

Tim Curry is in it, and whilst I'm sure the people behind this travesty thought it'd be a 'nod' to their 'homage', I'm positive he did it for the cheque.

Richard O'Brian - who wrote and starred in the original, as Riff-Raff, also must've said after hearing the synopsis, and seeing the money, 'this won't be remembered as anything more than a bad case of stomach flu, and he'd be right.

The idiot who plays Riff-Raff is some person who starred in the 'broadway (lower-case 'b' on purpose) show' (cough, cough, COUGH!) of a (I can't believe this) musical version of ... Spider man, the no-talent babbles (forever, it seems), in his (vanity-slathered, self-penned, 'natch) IMDb bio, about how he started in this thing. Now, it IS true 'big names WERE involved in it, however, this thing is GONE, and it only opened in 2013, so, that's not good 'staying power', and the whole thing was endlessly ridiculed, mocked - and worse (and there've been many examples of people with 'reputations' making some gosh-awful travesty - this is yet, another).

He goes on - in his self-penned 'ode' - about how he was destined from the beginning to 'act'.

'Cute' he might be - in a very fey, androgynous (yawn) way, but, cute doesn't age well - at all ('Whatever Happened To Baby Jane's a good example), and right now - his screeching whine could make cats commit suicide.

As for the others...I'd pay anyone who - without looking - could give the CV on them all - or even 2, because, they're not the 'Stars of today', and definitely not tomorrow .

I AM sad Laverne Cox from Orange is in this. She must've thought 'this'll gimme the chance to show my range, and versatility', whilst -sadly - the morons who made it must've said; 'she's a big name, and - oooh; how 'radical' to have a real transgender play one'!

Yipes.

The re-orchestration, of the tunes is more ego-run-rampant - by people who desperately want it known 'they did it', - and screw the music.

What it shows, in stead, is they've NO UNDERSTANDING of NO APPRECIATION of - the music.

The camera work's a joke - a perfect example, would be the Time Warp.

In this part, the only thing I found - not good', but, intriguing - was several moves done during the dance, but, unlike the original - or, ANY musical, for that matter - the camera is all over the place - it never focuses on ANY thing, for even 5 seconds.

Now, pick-cuts might be 'the latest' (it's not. It WAS - past-tense), but, it's NOT the way to show DANCE.

The bit which intrigued me, is the dancers would form shapes, and would pull, push, trust, almost like origami, being unfolded, however, it was impossible to either watch, or enjoy, because the camera couldn't stop!

The (literal) whiny, screeching by 'Spider Man'/Riff-Raff during this hurt my ears (NO; I'm NOT 'old', I'm 30, but, I DO have taste, and I do work in this business). Whereas Richard O'Brian would start the number off in a monotone, then change - to a different - almost shriek, and then the song changed styles throughout it's 2-3 minutes, this is done in JUST 2 modes; screeching, and annoying.

Some chick - the one who's supposed to be Columbia - looks more like that Harly Quinn in that film this past summer, I sh-t you not.

Save yourself, your ears, and eyes, and don't - DO NOT - watch this crapola.