411: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Are you a virgin if you haven't seen Rocky Horror Picture Show live, or are you a virgin if you just haven't seen it?

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Oh, it's alive.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Fuck, so I'm still a virgin. Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hackerslash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. You've arrived on a rather special night. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack.

SPEAKER_04 0:34

Total joke, a waste of time, or slash.

SPEAKER_05 0:37

Totally killer, pun intended.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, we're reviewing these films based on the perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast, and this week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy Mac.

SPEAKER_05 0:53

That's a rather tender subject.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

And the classic horror connoisseur, John.

SPEAKER_04 0:58

I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

This week we're commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tim Curry's feature film debut.

SPEAKER_04 1:09

And if you support the show, you'll also be able to get to check out our B sides, which are free right now. You'll all be able to check it out, so stick around at the end because we're gonna get into all the zany wild shit that happens at the live showings of this movie.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

This week's film was originally adapted from a 1973 stage musical that paid tribute to science fiction and bee horror films. Brace yourself, Mac. The film opened in the US in September 1975, but was pulled from theaters due to incredibly small audiences. But when midnight screenings began in 1976, the movie found a second life. Audiences started talking back to the screen, dressing up and performing alongside the film, giving rise to the long-running tradition of shadow casts. The film became the longest continuously running theatrical release in history. And over the decades it's earned more than a hundred and sixty-six million dollars in the box office, has been restored by the Walt Disney Studios restoration team, and has even been preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. This week we're talking about one of the most popular cult films of all time, the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Who's seen this one before?

SPEAKER_05 2:29

It's been many years, but I indeed have seen this previously.

SPEAKER_04 2:32

For sure. I have seen this many, many times. I've seen it as a just watching the movie, I've seen it at the live showings at midnight many, many times with a f with friends. I have such fond memories of this movie actually, because I grew up watching this movie primarily as a teenager, going to those live shows on Friday nights with friends, and man, what a time it was. It's truly an experience like no other.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Well, I haven't. Okay, I should be clear. I know of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I've seen clips of it, I've seen so many images of Tim Curry. This movie is inevitable. It is always gonna be lurking around the corner. You gotta run into it at some point. But I actually know this movie more from Glee, I realize in retrospect, than I do from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And I think it's because I've always been scared as hell to watch this movie. Not like at home. I just happen to not watch it at home. But I have been invited to go see it live in a theater. It's back at the narrow theater in Norfolk. I kept getting invited, and then someone found out I was a Rocky Horror Virgin, and they said, uh-uh, you gotta strip down your underwear. I was like, uh-uh, no, the fuck I won't. Absolutely not. So I've always just thought that if I get subjected to this movie in public, I, as a massive introvert, would simply perish on site. So I I have actually avoided it for that reason.

SPEAKER_04 4:03

I mean, it is a time. I think you know, the best things like I actually it wouldn't be great for you because you probably have a meltdown, but literally the way to go into it is for your friends not to tell you anything about what being a horror a virgin to the Rocky Horror Picture Show is, and you just go in there and then all of a sudden you get called out. You know what I mean? That's really how you have to do it.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Absolutely not. Let me tell you this, Sean. You've worked in my place of work, it's a large place of work. On your first day, unbeknownst to you, they make you dance in front of everybody.

SPEAKER_04 4:39

That is true.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Imagine doing that, but like naked in your underwear, throwing shit on a screen. Absolutely not. No fucking way. The body dysmorphia is too damn high.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Uh-uh.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, folks. So going into this movie, knowing that that's the kind of energy that's associated with a Rocky Horror Picture show, I expected camp and comedy and people getting in their underwear. This was the extent of that. I also, yeah, to be fair, I expected incredible things from Tim Curry.

SPEAKER_04 5:12

For sure. I mean, it's definitely uh everyone, I think when you think of this movie, you think of Tim Curry for sure. He's like the face of the film. So you're right away gonna be expecting to see some kind of wild performance from Tim Curry. You may have heard some things, seen some references, you may have also heard some songs floating around out there. If you put on any kind of Halloween playlist on any kind of streaming service, odds are you're gonna get time warp or something in there. You know what I mean? It's just gonna be included for sure.

SPEAKER_05 5:41

I think you should mostly plan to be entertained when you're going into this because that's that's the whole deal here. I just kind of forgot, though, how weirdo a watch it is. It's like it's very entertaining, very energetic, but it's funky. Like the story's weird. What happens scene to scene gets weird. It's strange, but that just keeps you going because you're kind of like, what on earth am I watching?

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Yeah, I somehow expected it to be less weird, even though I knew it was gonna be kind of fucking weird. I wasn't prepared mentally for just how weird this movie was, and how how dare I, honestly? Shame on me. When people say they're gonna dress up, get naked, throw things at the screen, and do shadow casting. I feel like I should already have a sense of what's about to go down. But this movie was a lot, and I'm not saying a lot in a negative way, but what was really special is even though I was a Rocky Horror Picture Show virgin, I got to experience this movie with other people, and those are the fine folks of Hackerslash University, aka our Discord server. And I got to watch this movie with a live stream via Chris Flix with all of them. And when I tell you guys, this was A, the biggest turnout we've had for a watch party, or I think almost any Discord event we've ever had, and B, we had people coming on camera and dancing with the movie. Incredible. And C, we had people who had made signs and were deploying all the props in the moment. It was incredible. I was both wildly confused by everything was happening, but also deliriously delighted.

SPEAKER_04 7:30

What a cool experience, I bet. I was trying to get into the watch party, like I just was driving, so I just wanted to be in the chat and like listening to the film and just seeing what was going on, but like the audio wasn't working, probably for my own safety. And you know, the universe didn't want me in a live stream of a film while driving my car. So I guess, you know, I can't be that mad at it, but it did in the moments I was popping into the chat, feel like it was popping off and it looked fun, full of energy. And that's what this movie really is. It's fun, it's full of energy. The experience that you got just in the watch party. Imagine being immersed in a theater where people are just going nuts, right? Like you've just like, even thinking back to my first time, like it just really trying to soak it all in. There's just so much going on. And for me, I think watching this movie back again, because it has been a few years, admittedly, since I've watched this movie, it was full of nostalgia because it brought me right back to those Friday nights back home in the valley where I grew up and just getting together with friends and getting a little weird and having a little fun for the midnight live shows. But the best way I can describe this movie for those who haven't seen this one yet, it is truly a wild mix of campy absurdity, sexual rebellion, you could say. It's pure fun, and it just makes you want to come back to this movie again and again. Because even my wife, we were watching this one back together, she's like, I forgot how fucking wild this movie is. She's like, it's just, it just feels chaotic, but it's also just fun.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

I really want to just drive this home here because watching this movie for the first time in full, watching the complete thing, not just listening to the soundtrack as I've listened to basically my entire life at this point, not just looking at clips from Glee or that Glee episode that covered Rocky Horror. It felt like I had been finally led into a club that I've been circling the perimeter of for 35 years. And it feels wild that it took me this long to actually watch this movie. But man, experiencing this with our community specifically, and you talk about like imagine this with a theater of people who grow in fucking nuts. I don't like people like that. I mean, I've had bad experiences here in theaters, but if I could be physically in a theater with our community, with our chosen folks, you know what I mean? That would be really special because it felt like this experience was just as much about us as it was about the movie, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_04 10:09

That just means that we now have to put together a hacker slash meetup, rent out a theater, figure out how to get this fucking live show going, who we can get to do the actual like shadow casting, we'll get all the props, we'll have a great time, and it'll all just be the hacker slash family.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Okay, that I could actually get into. There was a time where I was in a lengthy situationship with a girl who told me that she did shadow casting for Rocky Horror in Orlando, and I never understood what that meant until now. In this moment, I realized like 10 years after we fucking stopped talking, that's crazy. Yes, okay, we can figure it out, Sean. We can figure it out.

SPEAKER_04 10:49

Yeah, crazy, crazy. And you know what? I think there's also actually a TV show out there that I have never explored. That I think for for me, outside of like this movie itself, is a little bit surprising. I did not know that they made like another version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. So I definitely have to check that out. Everything you said just opening this episode, I think to some that have not seen it or don't know a lot about this movie, I think it's just so surprising that this film holds the title for the longest theatrical run in history because a lot of people may not know what the live shows are and the fact that this does continuously play in theaters from time to time since its release in 1975, which is absolutely incredible. But if we're talking about the actual movie itself, I would have to say probably the most surprising thing about this movie is probably thinking back at 1975 when it was released, how bold it was for its time. For someone to put out a movie as wild as this, it's definitely something that had to have been a little bit surprising in 1975. I think way ahead of its time for sure, with the unapologetic celebration of gender fluidity and sexual liberation. And I think it probably just was a culture shock at the time. Who knows? I wasn't alive in 1975, but that's just my presumption. Also, Tim Curry's performance and pure vocal power are on another fucking level in this movie. So absolutely, absolutely crazy.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

If you've seen this before, you know what to expect. But if it's been many years, you just forget how bold he is and just incredibly intense in his role, and also how sexualized he is. And it's Tim Curry, and it's weird. I don't know, it's just it's strange for me to remember that this was, I mean, 50 years ago, but still, this person is capable of being Pennywise and Frankenfurter, right? And it's just it's absolutely insane and amazing. Love that.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Yeah, man. The first thing I ever saw Tim Curry in was the It mini series. And then I saw him later on when he did Home Alone to now see him in this. It's just wild to me though to know that this was his first movie. This is crazy to me. But I think the biggest surprise I had was by what actually takes place in the movie. And again, we talked about how there's a lot going on, it's pretty wild, but I was surprised that I was actually a little conflicted and it's complicated for me. So I've always seen this movie embraced by the LGBTQ community. I've always seen that. And I have always felt like a super bad gay for not having seen it. I'm someone who I feel like has existed on the on the outskirts of that. So I thought that this was pure good times kind of vibe, but there's some elements in this movie that made me pause and think, like, wait, what? Like this is what people were cool with this, right? It it struck me weirdly. I think if I had grown up watching this movie and saw this back in my youth, it wouldn't have even phased me, probably. But watching this now with the experiences that I've had in my life and at 35 years old, I'm like, oh, oh, okay. And it's not to say that it ruins the movie or that it should be taken too seriously or anything like that. But I think in reality, I have some complex feelings beneath the surface on this one. And it has less to do with the movie itself and more so to do with this tension that I feel and harbor on a regular basis with having to navigate even my own gender expression in the society that we exist in. It is a tough thing. We can dive into that more in terms of an exploratory discussion in the spoiler zone, if we may, but this movie scratches a lot more than I think it might just be more deeply internalized. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm saying it's an interesting thing and not what I was expecting. I was honestly fascinated to see just what unfolds in this movie, but also learn that there's significant debate about whether it's transphobic. There's a huge discussion surrounding this movie. So it's a lot to chew on for sure.

SPEAKER_04 14:57

I mean, for sure. I definitely think like different time, especially if you haven't seen this movie until now. Who am I to have any say in any of this, right? But from what I've gathered, it's just the imperfect nature of the film that I think people like gravitate towards. And yeah, it's not perfect, it doesn't represent the LGBTQ community super well, right? But it is accepted by a lot of that community, maybe for its imperfections. From what I've gathered, I don't know. Who am I to say? But I think when we think about the movie, and maybe like we're a horror podcast, we're reviewing horror movies. It's the Rocky horror picture show, right? How frightening is this scary movie, this horror musical, if you will, right? And I don't know that it is all that frightening, right? I think according to Richard O'Brien, there's the skeleton in the clock that may have been rumored to be a real life skeleton belonging to the woman who commissioned the clock, which I think in in in and of itself, if that were to be true, would be probably the most frightening thing about this entire film. I think it even got auctioned off in 2002 for like 35,000 pounds, which is kind of funny. So whoever has that clock, maybe they can uh let us know. Is that a real skeleton in there?

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Skeletons in your closets, but when we've all come out of the closet, we go into the clocks.

SPEAKER_04 16:21

We go into the clock, man. I don't know. All in all, yeah, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, not going to be a scary, scary film in any sense. It's a parody of some classic science fiction, horror flicks, so it's gonna be more campy and playful than scary for sure. That's what you'll find.

SPEAKER_05 16:38

100% agreed. It's not really I mean, I know it's a horror film, but is it that's kind of how you feel watching it? It's like, you know, it's set in the universe and everything, and it's paying homage to a bunch, but it's not a scary movie, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Yeah, I mean, it's because this movie leans into absurdist comedy, and that's okay. Squint your eyes just right. You can perhaps find some specific things that maybe the scary thing is what lurks inside of us all along, right? And there's a lot to pull in terms of it being less about the movie and more about the circumstance in which this movie grows a cult following. Imagine and place yourself in a world where you are finding your community solely in midnight screenings of this movie, and that's where you finally find your people. Wouldn't it be incredible if this movie got the reception that it deserved in the broad daylight? That would be something, right? Instead of having to grow in the midnight scene. Again, it has nothing to do with this movie even trying to do anything remotely frightening. However, it is a little fucking violent. I was it was more violent than I was expecting it to be. And that was something that caught me off guard. But in reality, there's nothing like Rocky horror. And I say that knowing that there's a lot of other horror movies, there are a lot of other musical horror movies, and this movie was also billed against Phantom of the Paradise. So it's not even that there's not other campy rock-ish type of musicals, but this one specifically blending sci-fi and horror B movies, dripping with camp, dripping with gender expression fluidity, feels more like a reclamation of tropes versus mocking tropes. And I think that's really significant because it creates a space in which marginalized communities feel like this is radical, but in a way that gives permission to be bold and to be proud and to experiment with identity, to bend gender rules, to claim visibility in the darkness of a theater. Like there's a lot to really soak into, but also frame that within the historical context of when this movie was made and where it existed and why it has been so persistent over the last 50 years is just wild to really unpack and soak in.

SPEAKER_05 18:54

It really does successfully mash up so much that makes it stand out. I mean, you've got the whole 50s B movies, you've got classic horror film, glam rock, Broadway, Comedy Camp, all of it smooshed together. And it just feels so independent. It feels like the word indie truly belongs to this film.

SPEAKER_04 19:12

Yeah, a hundred percent. This is a very interesting film because really, on one end of the spectrum, it feels wildly original, but yet totally derivative on the other end of that spectrum, right? Like you would argue that because it does blend horror and sci-fi, comedy, glam rock, musical theater, it blends all of that together and turns it into something that had basically never been done before on screen. Like when you think of all those things together, it has to be original from that aspect. So even though it's referencing tons of other movies in this movie, it still feels fresh and completely original, which I feel like is hard to pull off.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

It really is. And I think another element that may have been a little hard to pull off for this movie, and this is where it actually takes a little bit of a dip for me, is it's really the ending. And it's not even that it's executed terribly by any means, but because there's just so much happening, there's a big tonal shift at the end of this movie, and in a moment where it could have just chosen to cleanly tie things up. Look, this is a movie that's absurd, and uh because it's absurd, it boldly swings into surreal and bleak territory that just it feels like contrasts with all the chaos that we just went through with all these musical numbers. I'm not gonna spoil any specifics here, but I think this ending sticks with you long after, and not because it's even in the catchy way that I think the rest of the movie is, but because it feels like almost like a curtain call in its own way of just fucking absurdity.

SPEAKER_05 20:52

Yeah, it's it's like that old Chappelle skit where they have like the wrap it up, you know, sign or button or whatever that was. That's that's what this feels like at the end. Where it's like, all right, we're done. Finish the story, let's get on with it. We don't have to make it too interesting. Although it is very interesting. It's as it's as weird as the rest of the movie, you know. And I think I'll give it credit for at least being consistent there.

SPEAKER_04 21:12

Yeah, it is definitely, I mean, you said it, like as weird as the rest of the movie. It is a tough one with this ending for sure. I agree. Like, I do think it kind of falls off a little bit when we get towards the end. I like a lot of pieces to the ending of this movie, including a very special nod to one of my favorite classic horror characters. I love when that shows up, right? And we get some awesome sci-fi campy vibes that I think are really prevalent in the ending, but at the same time, it does sort of feel like a a rush, where it doesn't really feel like we built to the strong ending that we wanted compared to the absolutely electric first half of the movie. But what I think you might not know is that depending on which one which version you watch, you might just get an extra little song segment because in the UK version, Version, if you can find that, you get the superheroes song segment at the end, whereas the US version that we probably are streaming right now does not include it.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Damn, bro, there's a bonus track.

SPEAKER_04 22:12

There's a bonus track.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Okay. Well, guessing now I gotta get a VPN going. Listen, I can't wait to see how this movie shakes out into its ratings. Hopefully as iconic as the film itself. But before we get there, Sean, how would you describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_04 22:27

Well, it's really camp over carnage in this one for sure. Even when violence happens, it's exaggerated and theatrical rather than realistic and shocking. So there is the occasional unsettling imagery with hints of, you know, maybe cannibalism, but it's really bizarre and satirical rather than graphic. So it really is just earning this one a low goer score with a high dose of camp.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

And what about the animal report?

SPEAKER_05 22:53

I think we're feeling pretty good here. All good in the hood.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Well, let's go ahead and get into our ratings. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, celebrating its 50th anniversary after being released in 1975. Was it a hack or a slash?

SPEAKER_05 23:06

We've said it earlier, but this film is just a wild mishmash of sci-fi, horror, rock musicals, all sorts of stuff. It somehow just works better than it has any right to. It's super campy, it's outrageous, it's got a lot of style. But strangely, sincerity somewhere mixed in there as well, even with all that chaotic mess. I think Tim Curry is the standout star here, and he steals every scene that he's in. And it's it's like a spectacle. One after the other after the other, every scene that he's in. So 50 years later, I mean it seems like it was only yesterday, but it still feels like a slash.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is it's really more than just this cult classic, right? It's this glitter-soaked love letter to the B movies of the past, honestly, when you think about it. I think Richard O'Brien created the Rocky Horror Picture Show out of his deep affection for classic science fiction and horror. And you can kind of feel that passion stitched into every scene of this movie. I think the film parodies the golden age of sci-fi pulling directly from the very movies it name drops in its unforgettable opening number science fiction double feature. Great song. And for me, it hits even harder knowing that it rifts off of one of my favorite movies of all time, Frankenstein 1931, right? But what makes this movie so fascinating is the way that it blends this affection for old school horror with camp, the glam rock, a little splash of pure chaos. And you know, Mac, you were talking about it. Tim Curry as Frankenfurter commands the screen with one of probably the most iconic performances in cult cinema history. And at the end of the day, this movie may be a stitch-together parody, but just like Rocky himself, it's alive with energy, joy, irresistible weirdness. And I think the midnight showing of the live shows for this movie make this movie even better with all of the fan participation. And if you know, you know, but it makes this movie even more special. So for me, between the time warp, Eddie's Rock and Roll Rebellion, and Frankenfurter's Electric Charm, this movie slashes its way into cult classic immortality, and it's a slash that'll have you shivering with anticipation every time you press play.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

Wow. Well, hey, far be it for me to stop a good time. This movie could, especially in this day and age, there's so much out there. This movie could easily be dragged across the coals for what could be described as very problematic aspects and material. But in all reality, I think this movie exists in a time capsule and has to be acknowledged for having evolved into something so much bigger than I think anyone could have imagined when this initially came out in 1975. And I really want to watch it again to fully soak everything in because there's a lot to dissect. There's a lot I think I disagree with in this movie. There's a lot that I think maybe even doesn't even need to be in the movie. But what I find significant is how far it leans into that absurdist comedy that we've been talking about. This movie is credited with being such a moment of awakening for so many people, even beyond the quality of the actual movie. And it's a film that inspires communities to come together. And that is wild to me. This movie has humans buying rice and bringing toast and throwing it at screens. This movie has people shouting obscenities every single time characters are introduced on screen. That is insane to me. If this movie can coordinate and unite this many people, then it's because it's in some ways liberating, it's campy, it's funny, and it's a cornerstone of queer cinema. Listen, Tim Curry, we've talked about it. He's unforgettable, but I think the biggest thing about this movie is that I walked away feeling like I had gained not just a movie but an experience. Anything that makes you feel that way has gotta be a slash. So with that, the Rocky Horror Picture Show from 1975 has earned a universal slash. Now you can find this movie streaming online, but we have so much more to say when we get into the spoiler zone in just a bit. We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_04 27:42

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SPEAKER_00 29:24

Welcome back, folks. You're now entering the spoiler zone for the Rocky Horror Picture Show from 1975, which has earned a universal slash. Now there's a lot to dissect here and a lot to discuss, but before we get there, let's go through those kills.

SPEAKER_04 29:38

Well, yeah, I think you said it, Chris. Like you're not expecting going into this one thinking, even as the movie starts, that you're gonna see like a really violent film or you're gonna get like a whole bunch of kills. And it's not that we even get a whole bunch of kills, but you might be surprised to find that we do actually get four solid deaths in this movie. And even no, like we definitely get one early on, right? But then the other three happen at the end. So, like as you're progressing through the movie, it's like, are we gonna get any deaths, or where is this story gonna end up? And I think it's really interesting, but we do get four solid deaths. So I'm really curious, you know, which one of these had you jump into the left, stepping to the right, doing the time warp again.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

Okay, is it anybody but Eddie's death? I mean, listen, these motherfuckers killed a guy named Meatloaf and served him for dinner. That's wild.

SPEAKER_04 30:34

It is wild, actually. I just it didn't actually connect the dots to his name being Meatloaf and actually being served for dinner. That's wild. Oh man, good times. I mean, yeah, great death for sure. It really kind of set a different tone in that moment because it went from like zany and like musical numbers to a really horrific like play of events.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

That is wild to see Tim Curry wield a weapon in the middle of a musical number. It's giving Sweeney Todd but way more campy. That is crazy to me. And to see that kill go down and to see when Tim Curry emerges from there, I was just like, oh, oh, wait, what? Did that just happen?

SPEAKER_04 31:17

Yep, it sure did. Probably went in his portfolio for it, you know.

SPEAKER_05 31:21

It is it is a pretty big kill to throw in, compared, even compared to the other kills where we get laser beams. We got a sharp object to the head on a beloved musical artist. But yeah, the other kills are fun, though. I think the lasers are a good time. Being a sci-fi fan, anytime we get to see a little laser gun, I'm here for it, especially when it's as silly looking as that one. Columbia getting shot by like accidentally scaring Riffraff with her scream. Like she screams at him, he's like, oops, I shot her too quick. Like that was great. That was just a pure moment of comedy for me.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

I love that Max favorite part of this is little laser pew-pew.

SPEAKER_04 31:58

I mean, that's what the rest of these kills are, right? It's all getting shot with that, you know, antimatter laser gun or whatever. And that's where like the the, like you said, the movie takes like a really drastic turn towards the very end of the movie. Like, you're not expecting that at all, right? We're not expecting to see that happen, and like all of a sudden we got this really heavy, heavy, like sci-fi, I'm from outer space kind of thing, and we're shooting you with these lasers. It's very like campy, the lasers, the effects are terrible, right? It reminds me of like if I was going to like a like a maybe like a David Bowie concert with a light show or something, you know. But absolutely hilarious getting shot with those lasers. And yeah, man, I I they were just kind of fun, all three of them. You got Columbia getting shot, you got Frankenfurter getting shot, you know, that whole scene, and then you've got Rocky Horror, you know, with the kind of like the playoff of King Kong climbing the tower with Frankenfurter on his back, you know what I mean? So it was just fun.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Yeah, I also just want to point out that when we got the lazy little pew-pews out, I was really thrown back to Plan 9 from Outer Space.

SPEAKER_03 33:04

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

And of course, that's like the idea, right? We want to take all these old sci-fi movies and really bring it to life. But that's where I was. How many Johnny Depp references am I gonna make in one episode? I don't know, we'll see. But I also just want to highlight, because you talked about Rocky climbing with Dr. Nate Frankenfurter, and then I just think about what Rocky looked like, and I keep thinking, damn, Glee really did a good job casting Court Overstreet's character Sam as Rocky in that episode, and I had no frame of reference, I had no idea how similar they looked. It was just I was having a whole moment every single time a song came on and it was in Glee. I was thinking back to the scene in Glee that I saw, and I'm like, fuck man, they did a better job than I expected.

SPEAKER_05 33:51

Six degrees of glee, always.

SPEAKER_04 33:53

Always. You know what's obviously when we're thinking about this movie, it is a musical, right? It is theatrical, so you know that it's going to be the music I think that really makes this movie really special. I mean, and I know we we may have we all may have something to say about the music, but I really just want to nail it in that the opening number science fiction double feature, even though it's not like a big part of the movie, it's the opening segment to the movie, it's the lips or the mouth that's singing the song. But it's one, it's a great song. Two, it references so many great classic sci-fi monster movies that you are going to like see the parody of throughout this movie, right? It and it says it in the song, which is just so clever, right? Like it's referencing the invisible man, forbidden planet, it came from outer space. You've got Flash Gordon, King Fucking Kong. Like, I was just talking about King Kong with perfect organism in our Discord, right? Like, we were having a conversation of like what we thought of the original King Kong. And so, like, it's just great that we're watching this movie that's like referencing some of these great old like sci-fi monster mashup classics. Also, there's just so many Dr. X When Worlds Collide, Tarantula, like it's just so fun, the music in this movie. I guess gotta say it.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

The music really is special for sure. I mean, damn it, Janet, and Time Warp, I think, are my two favorite songs, and honestly, it has such a great soundtrack on top of all of that. But one of the things that really stands out to me is actually the costume work in this movie because damn, how iconic is this, right? Sue Blaine didn't just dress these characters, she ended up influencing an entire fashion movement. And when you think about what punk style ends up looking like in the UK, of course, it's pearls, fishnets, leather jackets. How crazy is it to be shaped by this movie in particular? And it kills me to know that you look at this attire, you look at this dress throughout the movie, and I only learned this later, but the cast basically froze their asses off filming this entire thing. That's crazy to me. They're dressed so skimpily, and you're having to give off zany decadence, and it's supposed to feel very like warm and liberating. But the conditions that they were in was absolutely wild to me, and Susan Sarandon got super fucking sick. So it's just crazy. Like, okay, you look great, you also are feeling terrible, but damn, the way those two things work together is just this movie was a fucking time. You just can't do that now.

SPEAKER_04 36:33

I think that was another surprising thing about this movie. Even like you may forget Tim Curry, Tim Curry, and it's like fucking Susan Sarandon is Janet in this movie. And that's like, man, you've seen her in so many movies after this movie that you come back to this movie and you're like, wow, that was Susan Sarandon. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 36:50

It's great to get your your start somewhere, right? These people have range, it's so impressive. I think everybody involved in this. I think the costumes are a great call out. They did amazing work to really make things edgy. The set design, though, is such a weird compliment to that because we've got these really grandiose sets where you walk into a room and it's massive, filled with people, or or maybe not, maybe an empty room, and we're entering from a staircase way up above. It's so visually interesting. And I could see how it would play really well if it were on Broadway. So now it, you know, it all makes sense. But it's epic. Every room that you walk into is we've got different colors, we've got different designs, crazy sorts of like altitude differences as well. So it it really keeps things visually appealing the whole time.

SPEAKER_04 37:36

It's so true. The set design is great. And what's funny with the set, I'll get to the set design because I want to come back to that too. But we talk about finding Easter eggs in movies, and we think about Easter eggs and references and nods and movies, but in this movie, there's literal Easter eggs in the movie because they did like an Easter egg hunt on set as a cast, and I guess a few of the eggs were so well hidden that the cast never found them. So I that's how the story goes. But there are literally Easter eggs in this film. So if you're watching like the moment, I think there's the moment where you're there's the throne that uh Riff Raff is sitting on, and if you look under the seat, there's literally an Easter egg sitting under the seat. So you can literally find Easter eggs in this movie, and not just little nods to other movies, but actual eggs, which is kind of hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 38:26

Okay, but is that part of the live show experience? You had to also fucking walk up in that bitch with Easter eggs.

SPEAKER_04 38:32

Gotta bring some Easter eggs. I don't remember the Easter eggs in the live show, but it very well could be.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

It's been a long time. I'm having I'm having a vision, a pipeline vision. Tim Curry to Rocky Horror Easter eggs, Tim Curry to Pennywise, it Bill Skarsgard to Pennywise, and it with a whole fucking Easter egg scene, that fucking hallucination with Ben Ben Hanscom in the library. The pipeline is pipelining.

SPEAKER_04 39:03

It's wild. That's wild. Yeah, so there's some really fun stuff, some weird stuff going on in this movie. But yes, Mac, I love that you brought up the set design because let's talk about that for a second. Dr. Frankenfurter's castle, otherwise known as Oakley Court, was also used in a ton of other hammer film horror flicks. Like you may see this castle in things like The House in Nightmare Park, The Reptile, The Brides of Dracula, The Man in Black, all great hammer films from really the 50s through the 70s. And I heard now you can actually stay there because it's an actual hotel or something. So maybe we gotta check that out one day.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

I just really want the Atlas or the tour that Sean can put together where it's like the best attractions to fucking visit in relation to all these movies we reviewed.

SPEAKER_04 39:59

We gotta put together a list for sure and like map it out.

SPEAKER_05 40:02

One of those rooms, though, I think sets the stage for my favorite scene, and that's towards the beginning when this newlywed couple, or not even newlywed, this just newly engaged couple, walks in, they're walking through the house, and they finally make it into a room with people in it. And they look down and see that gaggle of humans staring back up at them. I mean, that was I think that was the best part because they have no idea what's to come. And as we get through that scene, it becomes more ominous.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Yeah, I 100% agree. The time warp scene is my favorite scene in the whole movie. One, it's like the best song in the movie, let's just be clear. But it felt like more than a song, and it felt like a rite of passage. And it feels like you are with Brad and with Janet being introduced into this community and seeing it performed for the first time in context, and then also seeing how the narrator cuts in and tries to give you the clues on how to do the dance, but then watching our community get up and dance along on camera. It felt like I was also being initiated into something bigger than the movie itself. So great call Mac, incredible scene. My backup scene is actually meatloaf being eaten for dinner. Because what a fucking hilarious way to acknowledge that Eddie is dead than by calling the subject and situation tender.

SPEAKER_04 41:25

Ah man, it is a great moment. It's like one of the truly like horrific moments in the movie, like the reveal that they're eating like a piece of meatloaf. The singer, not not the you know, baked ground beef. It is a loaf of meat. That is that is true. It is true. It was just great, though the the tablecloth like being whipped off the table and just seeing like the the corpse of of Eddie under there and everyone's shock. And you know, the actual like lore of this movie goes is that the only person that knew out of everyone in that scene that that was going to happen was Tim Curry. So like a lot of the reactions were actually shocked because they weren't expecting to see something in the table, which I think is brilliant, right? Whenever we can try to like play tricks on the cast to get genuine reactions, it just makes it really special. So yeah, it's a great scene for sure. But I think, you know, even you know, we're talking about Meatloaf, we're talking about Eddie. Even, you know, we talked about his kill being probably the best kill in the movie, but and we've talked a little bit about why that kill was so special. And it is truly like the whole progression and the insanity of Tim Curry as Dr. Frankenfurter, like in his face, you can see his facial reactions. Like, we don't see the actual kill, we're not getting a lot of blood, but we got everything we needed in Tim Curry's reactions as it was going through, like wherever, like icebox room or whatever the hell they were walking into. It was very strange, but really a great scene. I think it's interesting, like that whole progression of that scene because Meatloaf as Eddie with this whole motorcycle segment and as he's playing like hot patootie, right? Like, I think him and the stunt man for that scene got into several different accidents while filming that scene. The stunt man drove the fucking motorcycle through the scene, and including like up and down several street ramps. The bike fell off the top tier, landed upside down, it pinned the stunt man underneath. Meatloaf ran over, like trying to like lift the bike off of him, like that was an issue. Uh, I guess he kind of like laid there silent for like an awkwardly long time before finally moving, but he was like, ah, that's just what we do, you know what I mean? Because gotta make sure that like I'm all good.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

Can I tell you what I thought about when I saw that scene? I was thinking of Grease 2, because Grease 2 is Grease but with motorcycles. And any single time I see a motorcycle in a fucking musical, I'm thinking about Cool Rider, and I'm thinking about the song Who's That Guy? And then I'm thinking about the Luau scene and At the end of the movie when the scorpions in Balmudo drive into the okay, I'm done. All right. I realize I'm ranting now, but musicals are fucking great, okay? Musicals and motorcycles, even fucking better.

SPEAKER_04 44:11

This is so good. It's so good. But even in the middle of shooting, the the this wheelchair hit a ridge at the bottom of the steps that sent Meatloaf flying towards the floor, shattering the camera and the windshield. I think his stunt man even tried to catch him, but the ramp caught the stunt man's leg and caused a serious fracture. Like, there's just Meatloaf got the got a deep cut on his head, which is funny because like he has like a deep cut in his head in the movie. I don't know if that was like fake or if that was part of the thing, but like just thinking of like all the trouble that went into just this little part of the movie, you know what I mean? That was probably the hardest thing to get done. And you gotta give it up for them for sure. But dang, so many great moments. How could we like not even think about like we gotta talk about the whole it was such a hilarious like progression of Frankenfurter kind of playing tricks on both Janet and Brad. He's like disguised as Brad, jumps into bed with Janet, reveals it, then she's like, I'm kind of into it, let's go. And then he does the same thing to Brad. I mean, come on, it's fucking hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 45:17

The execution of it is hilarious, but the concept of it was not very hilarious to me at the time of watching it. And it it was made funnier when it happens with Brad. Yeah, not because it's happening to Brad, but because it's just like, man, okay, the logistics on this, like the disguise work and just fucking taking off a fucking wig like you're in Scooby-Doo is just funny to me.

SPEAKER_02 45:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:40

So, like for sure, the movie's funny. Okay, I just want to be very clear. I think this movie is funny, but I don't think this topic is funny. And that is something that I struggled with watching this, and this is where I thought, and again, this has less to do with the movie and more to do with like the internalized tension from having to navigate fucking bigoted angry people all the fucking time who are like, oh, trans people this, trans people that, that gays are predators. I'm like, no, obviously we're not, and then you have a movie where it's like, okay, the fucking punchline in the movie is that this guy's a sexual predator, okay. It's it was a lot there, it leaves a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. And then I was like, damn, I must be overreacting though, because this movie is highly beloved. And I wasn't even like mad at it necessarily, because again, the comedy is exquisite. But then I looked into this movie after and I was like, oh shit, no, people actually find this to be super problematic.

SPEAKER_05 46:35

It's a big one, you know. When you watch it, you you have to have mixed feelings about it because, like you said, on the one hand, you have the comedy, on the other hand, there's a lot of discomfort and awkwardness going on there. And you have to question, do we need it for the for the story to work? Could we just imply, you know, with a closed door? I don't know. It wouldn't be the same movie, obviously, but it is when you're watching it a bit a bit uncomfortable. I think if you show it to somebody who's never seen it before, and and you don't tell them, you know, you're gonna have a reaction on your hands very similar to Chris's.

SPEAKER_00 47:06

Yeah, I mean, I think the reactions could be far worse. I think it could be far better. I mean, I think I'm very like in the middle on this. But again, uh Tim Curry's execution of this, and I do think Janet actually resists for quite a bit. But then it just becomes even funnier when it then happens to Brad, he's smoking a cigarette, and then she's all mad at him, like girl, you just did the same thing.

SPEAKER_04 47:30

Yeah, I think the whole progression was kind of I I think it was intended to be funny, but I think it was kind of funny the way it played out.

SPEAKER_05 47:37

It's in some of these scenes that the Tim Curry's hairdo reminds me of like Fru's a Balk for some reason. I I just I keep seeing that in my head. I can imagine the curls transplanted there.

SPEAKER_00 47:51

Tim Curry about the call the corners in this movie.

SPEAKER_05 47:54

Right. But I mean, Tim Curry is just exquisite in like pretty much everything we've ever seen him in. Uh I I think of him from Legend. You know, we also mentioned it as well. And I think you've just got such powerful acting here. And this is at the start of his film career, that's insane to me. That is so crazy. Because even throughout this film, this character has to be cheeky. And he is able to throw in these like full facial, like half of his face winks with his eye, not just a quick wink, like a very controlled mannerism approach to this character, along with really powerful. I mean, the dancing moves this guy's doing here are insane. I think you would need to limber up for weeks beforehand.

SPEAKER_04 48:40

Man, I I think there's so much to say about all the characters in this movie for sure, and I definitely like want to jump into a lot of it. But yes, like if we're if we're talking about Tim Curry, right, as Dr. Frankenfurter, I think one thing that's very interesting when you think of like Tim Curry, right, often described as maybe almost the complete opposite of this character, right? Very thoughtful, very soft-spoken dude. His boisterous, I think, projecting mannerisms and booming voice in this movie are maybe part of like his inner demons that needed to be brought out for him to have like this dynamic performance. You know what I mean? And I think for this movie, his character that he brings to life, the character of Dr. Frankenfurter, I think really, you know, it you know, it it is said in like interviews and stuff that it came to fruition when he began wearing like the high-heeled shoes, right? He just like really brought it in, and like the director, Jim Sharman, said he was like the man every woman wanted to be with, and the woman every man wanted to be with. It was just like, you know, he just there's something special that he does, and you know, that's just such an interesting thing when you can just like really just let yourself go and just be a completely different person to project like a really awesome character, you know?

SPEAKER_00 49:55

For sure. And I think what was really interesting was learning about the choices that he made. So he originally did this role on stage with a German accent and then switched to the voice that we have in the movie, yeah, and they wanted to like fire him from the movie, or were heavily against this voice, and this was something that he absolutely was adamant about and stuck to his guns on, which is just honestly such a great move.

SPEAKER_04 50:21

For sure, for sure. What's so interesting, too, is like they were considering other people for this role in this movie, like they were considering Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones who wanted to play Dr. Frankenfer in this movie version. And it's if it's super interesting because the director, uh Jim Charman, he famously turned down an offer from 20th Century Fox for this larger budget and a longer shooting schedule if he would agree to cast more famous rock stars of the time. And so we're thinking of Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Cher, things like that, or people like that. But he felt that the people who were really responsible for developing it from you know, the you know, just from the actual theatrical performance and the people that he had already been working with with Tim Curry and things like that, he turned that down so he can keep the people he thought already knew how to do the performances the way he it was intended to do, which I think is awesome.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

Yeah, I mean that is loyalty. That is also a different side of the same coin that we see with like Rob Zombie casting all his friends and his wife in his productions, Adam Sandler doing the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 51:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

But I mean, there's something to be said about loyalty and consistency and letting someone own that story throughout.

SPEAKER_04 51:40

Yeah. Being able to keep like as many original cast members as possible is definitely something that's really cool. I think what's also interesting to find is like, how did Susan Sarandon find herself in this movie? Because she didn't even plan to audition to play the role of Janet. She had just stopped by the set to say hi to Tim Curry, who was a friend of hers, right? But while she was there, producers saw her and asked her to try out because they said everyone they auditioned so far were good singers, but none of them had made the character of Janet very funny, which is what they were kind of going for. They wanted a little bit of funniness to it. And Sarandon said no because she said she can't really sing, and uh she's you know kind of afraid of singing, but they asked her if she could just sing happy birthday, I guess, and she did it, and they loved her and she got casted, so like right place, right time, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

For sure. And how interesting is it to be a double threat or even a triple threat in this industry? Because I cannot sing worth a shit. I mean, I also can't act. Let me not be crazy here, but to be wildly competent, professional, talented in one arena and then just casually go on to something where you're like, oh yeah, I guess I can do that. It reminds me of, and I know I've been talking about it a lot, Glee, Corey Monteith was not a dancer by any means, wasn't even really a singer, but could play the drums, and they liked his his chemistry and his read, and they got him to work through his singing. And he also becomes he's like the male lead of the show as Finn for so many years, up until his untimely death. And it's just wild to think like these are people that you capture and you see the potential in, and then you work with to develop this even more. It's just it's crazy to me.

SPEAKER_05 53:27

Man, it's one of those cases there I just can't imagine other people in these roles. You know, the characters themselves are very memorable, they're very unique. And to picture somebody else doing any of them, unless it's on stage, you know, in that case I get it, but like to imagine a world in which these people were played by other actors, it wouldn't make sense. It's a fun film, and I think there's a lot to pick apart. The casting's not one of them that they nailed, but you know, it's a bit weird and the story kind of shambles around a little bit. I think the worst part for me, aside from what Chris Worthy discussed earlier, is it does feel a bit lost, especially in the like the last third of the film, where we're kind of meandering around with the plot. It's not really this leads to that. It's kind of like, well, how are we gonna finish this? And yeah, I feel it a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 54:14

Yeah, it's definitely a tough one for sure. I think this movie was, from what I read, originally intended to be shown in black and white until Dr. Frankenfurter's entrance, and then only his lips were going to be in color, and the rest would still be in black and white, and then at the end of the sweet like transvestite thing, it would literally go immediately into color, and it was supposed to stay in color until up until the superhero song at the end. That was the original intention or vision for this movie. And I think that there was some kind of 25th anniversary release on DVD that I believe did something similar to this, but ended up starting out in black and white and eventually went to full color after Riffraf opens up the door revealing the Transylvanians. But let's be honest, this just isn't the same as originally intended. And the original vision could have easily been obtained, I feel like, if they were trying to go with something like that. So I would imagine that would probably be the worst part for me, is just not getting like the true vision of this movie. Because I think it would have been kind of cool to go from black and white into color or transition into color, kind of just like almost like thinking of like the what the Wizard of Oz did and how cool that was, like at for its time.

SPEAKER_00 55:33

Bro, we have the technology that's so easy to do. I can do this right after this call.

SPEAKER_04 55:37

Well, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. So, why why hasn't it been done is what I'm saying. So, like, that has to be the worst part. However, Chris, I think I would imagine the worst part for you would be the fact that Elvis Presley was the studio's first choice to play Eddie according to Meatloaf, but apparently Elvis actually did not obviously he didn't do it, but he did express interest. So, like him not being the part, man, that might be the worst part for you, right? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 56:04

Yeah. Okay. Holy shit, I had no idea. I mean RIP Elvis, you were dead two years later. Yeah, that's true. Maybe for the best. Maybe you weren't in the great physical condition for this. But damn, Elvis Presley in this movie? Wow, I need to rethink this entire thing. I you I was still pretty stuck on my worst part of the movie, but damn, maybe, maybe it's different. Maybe, maybe you got me, Sean.

SPEAKER_04 56:30

Yeah, I don't know. You never know. I mean, it is cool though. I mean, I think Meatloaf did a great job, right? I think the producers or whoever didn't even think that like Meatloaf could do the hot patuti song in one take. Like they were concerned that he wasn't gonna be able to do it. But literally, the professional that Meatloaf is, that guy just nailed it right away, like without a beat, like didn't even stop, like did the whole song, didn't even skip a word.

SPEAKER_00 56:55

Can I confess something? Yeah, I don't really care about Meatloaf. Also, why does when I think of Meatloaf, why do I think about Jack Black?

SPEAKER_05 57:04

Wow. That's a if you wanted to know why people care, his name was Robert Paulson. That's why people care.

SPEAKER_00 57:11

He's nothing to me, Mac.

SPEAKER_05 57:13

He was endeared to us in in his role in Fight Club.

SPEAKER_00 57:16

Oh my god, I also don't give a fuck about fight club. Maybe that's why. Yeah, okay. There it is. Yeah, yeah. I think that might be why I'd be hard pressed to find myself giving a fuck about anything to do with like Brad Pitt, Fight Club. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 57:29

It's also the fact that like we were all trying to figure out like he would do anything for love, but he wouldn't do that. And it's like, what is that? Like, what wouldn't you do for love? Because you literally sang about it so passionately, but like, what was it that you wouldn't do for love? Meatloaf. We want to know.

SPEAKER_00 57:46

Did Jack Black play Meat Loaf in a movie? Because listen, I'm looking. Why is it? I'm just saying, I'm not the first person because I'm looking in Google Images, and there's a lot of people comparing them side by side, and they're not not dissimilar, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 58:01

Like they're they're right there.

SPEAKER_04 58:03

That's hilarious. I mean, I see it, I see the similarities. I just think it's hilarious. That's all.

SPEAKER_00 58:08

Yeah, I I need to understand what their situation is. Okay, now we're just getting into pictures of meatloaf. But I just don't really care about meatloaf, and maybe if I was to care less about meatloaf, maybe I wouldn't have been so bothered. But I really honestly, the only thing that really threw me off in this movie is the bamboozlement of Janet and Brad in bed. It ends up being very funny. So this is like I won't even call it a nitpick by any means, but it it was enough to make me feel like, uh, I don't like this. But again, hey, that's me and my own traumas. So who's to say? But I will say that I will be watching this movie again. I want to soak it in some more. There's a lot to chew on here, and I think there's a lot to chew on in terms of how this movie has aged 50 years later. Obviously, acknowledge this movie was made 50 years ago. Must be chill about it. But it's wild to see how successfully it has endured the test of time and how you can just reframe this and what it has done for so many people and so many communities to help feel less othered by society and more embraced by their people in these theaters.

SPEAKER_05 59:20

And that's what gives it infinite rewatch value, is because not only is the film worth rewatching, right, but it's worth it for people to go see it live in different places, involved with different groups. I'm sure you could go to the same place, you know, two nights in a row with different friends, and you would have a whole new experience. I think this film has that value within it as well. It's been probably a couple decades since the last time I watched it, but it's one of those where I'm like, you know, if I get the next opportunity, it's it's gonna be a fun time.

SPEAKER_04 59:47

Yeah, it's definitely a movie that you want to revisit for sure. It's it's one of those things where I do end up watching it every few years or so. It's been a long time since I've been to a live midnight showing. I would love to do that again. And who knows, maybe we'll get to pull over pull off this hacker/slash live show. We'll do our own midnight showing, we'll rent out a theater. It'll be a great time. But yeah, it's just one that I love to watch, and I think it stays close to home because every year I'm listening to Halloween music. I have my own little Halloween playlist that I play every year, and that playlist involves multiple songs from this movie, so I feel like I'm always kind of living this movie at some point, even though I'm not may not be watching the film. But yeah, I definitely love watching this movie. If you haven't gone to a live show, go experience a live show. They're fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:40

Okay, actually, no, I'll wait and hold my logistics question for the free side. But for now, there you have it, folks. The Rocky Horror Picture Show from 1975 has earned a universal slosh. And we've certainly had a robust discussion here, but the conversation about how wild this movie is doesn't end here by any means.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:00

It sure doesn't. And if you want to find out how you can do the time warp with us again and go even further than this episode, consider supporting the show and visit patreon.com/slash hackerslash where you can enjoy even more of the show, including bonus content with early access, extended episodes with our free sides for the spooky season, movie nominations, and live shows.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:23

We'll see you next time, folks. And remember, don't judge a book by its cover.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:27

Let's go back. I'm cold and frightened.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:40

Okay, so my question here for the logistics of everything. Are you a virgin if you haven't seen Rocky Horror Picture Show live, or are you a virgin if you just haven't seen it?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:51

Oh, it's alive.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:52

Fuck, so I'm still a virgin.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:54

Technically, you could probably pass. It's a new age. We do things on like Zoom calls and WebExes and things like that, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:03

Like yeah, yeah, I'm totally not a virgin. I've sexed. What the fuck? I mean, that's what it are you cybering? That's what it sounds like you're saying, Sean.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:12

I'm just saying, you know, we we do a lot of things over like video calls now, and you know, I'm just saying, like you could experience a uh a gathering of watching this movie. People, like you said, in the Discord watch party were throwing stuff and yelling stuff, and they made signs, and it felt like you were getting the experience. You just weren't in the same room as everyone. So is it the same? It's close, it might pass.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:36

It's a simulation.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:37

I have to really stay far away from making this super after dark. I don't know why. There's just my my head wrapped there as soon as you were talking about things on the internet.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:47

But okay, so I'm probably fine. I'm probably fine. I don't have to do any crazy shit if I watch this live in person.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:54

No, you don't have to. I mean, also it really depends on who you go with, right? Like, if we were going together, I ain't gonna be like the one that's like, oh, right here, right here, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:05

Yeah, I'd be like, wow, this guy's fucking lying to y'all.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:08

Yeah. It's a tough one.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:11

Thanks for not being a traitor.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:13

It's a tough one because that's how that's how I got initiated. Because I had never like I've seen the movie.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:18

Break the cycle, Sean. Hurt people don't need to hurt people. This is how you continue cycles of generational trauma by just paying it forward.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:26

It's true, it's true. I too am not like the most like extroverted person, right? I'm definitely an introvert in a lot of ways, and so you know, I like to have a good time. I like campy movies, I like that kind of stuff. I've watched the Rocky Horror Picture show. I've got like a cool group of friends, and you know, I I just remember first Friday night midnight showing. We're going with some friends. We're going, it was me and my buddy David, I think we were together, and my and we had went with some girls, and we went over to the midnight showing at the Fallburg Theater, right in the valley. I just remember it. We're sitting in line. I'm like, wow, this is an experience. I'm smoking a cigarette, waiting for everything to start. There's a lot of people wearing a lot of things. It's interesting. I'm like, this is this is definitely gonna be a different experience for sure. And we go into the theater and I'm sitting there and they're getting started. You know, the the the shadow cast members are getting up on the stage. It's interesting, right? Like, I'm okay, this is gonna be fun. And then they start talking about like who are the virgins here? Like, who hasn't seen the movie? And of course, like, I'm not raising my hand, I'm just sitting there. I'm like, I'm chilling, right? Like, I'm just gonna let that pass by me, let all these idiots say they're the virgins, and then I'll just enjoy the show. That didn't fucking happen because the girls that we were with were like, this guy right here, this guy is a virgin, pushed me up there, had to get on stage, did not have to get into my underwear though. So that was kind of nice. They did lie down like a bunch of girls on the stage with actual pies that were in their laps, and there was a small piece of bubblegum in the middle of the pie, and then everyone had to face first dive into that pie to dig out the piece of bubblegum. So that was the initiation, that was the initiation that I had going into my first Rocky Horror Picture show.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:12

That is wildly erotic and problematic.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:15

Yeah, so you know, wasn't dancing naked or stripping down into my skivvies, but it was an interesting time to say the least.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:24

Okay, Mac, how'd you lose your Rocky Horror virginity?

SPEAKER_05 1:05:28

I mean, I've seen the movie, but I've never seen a live show. You know, I'm I'm like you in this Chris. I don't like the live things generally. There's too many people, right? I think the closest I've come, you know, theatrically has been gosh, maybe like during Christmas time with the uh the the nut little nutcracker. You know, that's the last time I saw something like that. And then, you know, experientially, the closest I've come is like a drag brunch that I didn't know was a drag brunch. I just thought I was meeting somebody for a brunch date, and uh, she forgot to tell me very important, you know, element. And it was very entertaining. Just like this, I'm sure this would be very entertaining. But uh yeah, if you if you don't like know what to expect and it's thrust upon you suddenly, it it could be a lot socially.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:15

Just to be clear, I love drag shows. They're so fun. They are part of the culture. However, my introversion it is at a spectacular level of high. And every single time I go, it's like I am a magnet for attention because they can smell that I am uncomfortable in social situations.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:32

Smell the fear on you.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:34

Yeah a hundred percent a hundred percent if I don't excuse myself and go get a drink like I just want to like tip and watch and woo from afar. I don't want to be involved and on the spotlight. I don't want that. I want to just linger in the back. Thank you so much. Incredible what you do I totally get that Mac it's it can be a lot. I remember oh gosh the last girl that I dated for her birthday we went to a drag show in like the Fort Lauderdale area and these girls were doing backflips. It was pretty fucking amazing. One of them fucking talked to me though and like put a microphone in front of my face and was like nope. Sorry you're great. Thanks bye.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:16

See I feel the same way I've been to like one comedy show and thankfully there was no whatever you call that like crowd work. Nothing thank goodness because if they had picked on me I would have been like no thank you. And I feel like I would have the same reaction where you know Sean you try to lie I would I would swear up and down. I'd be like going into it Googling figuring out timeline wise where could I have seen this? Which city which state what day what night let me build this story up so that people believe me. What do I say yeah I was seven years old and no so actually what you don't know is that I was born at a Rocky Color picture show.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:54

My mom went into labor at damn it janet oh my God I mean yeah you know nowadays anyone going in can definitely easily probably Google some resources to get themselves out of trouble but you know back in back in the day you don't have your trusty Googling friend you know to to get you out of sticky situations.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:19

So oh man but you were in a real fucking sticky situation without bumblebee.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:25

Definitely definitely you know it was an experience for sure and nerve wracking leading up to the whole thing but you know it's those moments where you have to step out of your comfort zone that that's where you really grow they say you know what I mean so was it like uh just a whipped cream pie or was it actually like you know cherry or something like that? No, it was like a big whipped cream pie. Yeah real allergy safe huh yeah yeah no no no crazy uh like actual fruit pies or pumpkin pies or anything like that. It was a time it was a time but you know after that didn't have to deal with that the rest of the initiations from then on and on the other live shows were just pure entertainment which is always a lot better than having to partake in some of that stuff but just like the the you know you experience a little bit of it Chris right it's just the ambiance of like being in like a like usually it's like not the best theater right it's like an older smaller theater so like it just got a vibe of its own and it's just really fun. You've got the shadow casting which is a whole nother element of these films like where it's just kind of campy kind of fun depending on who these actors are uh they can really make or break the experience for sure but the crowd if you got a good crowd like a not like a whole bunch of newbies but you got like a good crowd of like you know tenured veterans from going to these live shows it's just a good time because you you know they they are the ones that are super prepared right you know when when the wedding stuff is happening we're throwing rice maybe sometimes we're throwing confetti around the theater becomes a mess like whoever has to clean up that theater god bless them but we had uh in our live stream we had meet who often hosts double features in watch parties in our community and every few minutes we just had an update on what was deployed it was the rice it was the toast it was it was just so much it was so great yeah the toast the toast we can go back and relive this because the chat archive is still there so you could go back into the auditorium channel and you could re review all the chat and all the nonsense that was going on during this watch party it was pretty magical I bet I bet do they do they have a sh like a person for each character that's on screen yeah they usually yeah like I was curious do they just like play it in the background if they don't have someone that just let the movie fill in for that for that character.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:56

I think for the most part all the major characters you're gonna get somebody for can I make a confession again I know I confessed about Meatloaf already but I was so fucking confused why everyone was saying asshole and slut for any time Brad and Janet were on screen and I um it took me a little while to really understand it took me a long time I was so confused. That was the one thing where watching it in the Discord live with everybody I just see the chat popping off and everyone like wow these these guys really fucking hate Brad shit.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:32

They're just like really just talking so much trash.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:35

What did Janet do all she's done was love Brad and then it's revealed we're not calling him slut.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:45

Nobody's nobody is innocent here. Like uh everyone everyone here Brad Janet everyone's just getting down and having their time so everybody was fucking around and finding out for sure for sure yeah there's just so much fun like I I remember I remember when the rain scenes are happening one some people bring newspapers so they're maybe like holding newspapers above their heads which is always fun people will do the time warp dance but in that rain scene there was also a couple of performances that I went to where people actually brought water guns and were shooting water up in the air and shooting each other with water guns so you're getting wet in that theater too so man what a what a good time like if you haven't ever experienced anything like that you know and you're not too afraid to and they still do them like that like I haven't been to a live show in probably 20 years. So I mean I don't know what they're like anymore. I'm hoping they're just as wild and and crazy as they were in the past but you know it has been a long time so who knows they may have cleaned it up there might be some rules and regulations going on here.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:50

Classic 2025 give me a live show of Sweeney Todd where someone just comes around serving little meat pie bits and then sprays you with some fake blood every time someone gets their throat slit.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:00

Imagine oh my gosh I mean I feel like we could try to do like some kind of weird live show for like terrifier or something do some wild stuff.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:09

Oh absolutely one time we did terrifier bingo and we actually we also did it well we did a drinking game more so um people got lit that night in the Discord server. I can only imagine yeah we're gonna come up with something fun for the watch parties in October specifically maybe it's not a you know live show type of situation the way that Rocky horror has become but maybe we can we can come up with something for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:38

Man I think also like I'm just trying to remember all the different like wild things that you would do like we're talking about stuff that you would throw around and the kind of props that you would bring to the to the live show theaters and we talked about some of the obscenities that you might yell out when you see Brad and Janet but there's also some like really fun clever things that I think I remember like saying like there's like specific lines that you kind of talk back at or throw a word in between so like I think there's like a moment where Janet yells like I'm coming with you and then the the audience is usually saying something like that'll be a first you know what I mean like that kind of thing or the owner of that phone like there's the line of the owner of that phone might be a beautiful woman right and then the audience will be like he is you know what I mean so like there's some really fun stuff that kind of goes over there. That whole dialogue right there is hilarious. I think Frank there's a moment where he's like saying and he's good for relieving my tension but in between my tension the audience is yelling sexual you know what I mean so like there's some it once you get used to the flow of these and you're participating and you know what to say and you cue it up and you're you're part of it it's a whole nother experience.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:54

Oh yeah here it is and fucking and sucking it was one where I was like what are you talking what are you saying? Because it felt like it was also like so out of context.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:02

Yeah I don't that that one I'm trying to remember exactly where it is but yeah there's just so many fun things throughout from start to finish honestly I feel like I would just A, I wouldn't know what the fuck to do.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:16

That's just the first part. Two I feel like I would be as lost as I was in mass looking for my little book about when the fuck I'm supposed to say things when the when the priest is talking and also with you and also gosh they're gonna have a noob friendly like you know placard or something like that with every all the responses written down like hey this is a different kind of show.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:39

We don't make everyone learn it you know the hard way here's here's your just like they do in some Catholic churches like all right you we know you forgot so let's just give you this one cheater with everything you need to say.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:49

We know you don't pray.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:50

Oh it's been many years we know that statistically here you go sorry I don't paray that way oh man I remember yelling Bullwinkle every time Rocky's name was mentioned that was a kind of a fun like callback type thing. The whole dinner scene was absolutely hilarious. I think that you know we got like we came here to discuss Eddie and then you're like dinner?

SPEAKER_00 1:16:13

And they're like that's a rather tender subject that's a rather tasteless joke okay now it makes me wonder what are the kind of call-outs we can make for other horror movies and Sean I think we gotta cook on this a little bit for October to really make it to really make it lit.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:29

I think we could do it for sure we gotta we gotta be intentional about it but we can definitely make this happen with something fun.