244 reviews
- sylvesterthekat
- Oct 20, 2016
- Permalink
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.
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.
If the original "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is so bad it's good, the "Let's Do the Time Warp Again" is so good it's bad,"Good" in the sense that it is far too polished and glamorized to even come close to capturing what made the original so enjoyable. There was no sense of grit or earnestness when it came to the singing or the acting. As strange and incoherent as the plot in the original RHPS, the cast made you feel for each character and connect with them. In the new one, sure, the actors are talented but everything comes across as too neatly put together, and maybe it was the commercial breaks but there hardly seemed to be any real chemistry built up between the actors.
I don't know that anyone wanted a new RHPS in the first place. BUT, I think there was a chance that if this project were in different hands it could have been something uniquely its own. Instead, all of the edge is removed and I don't think there would be any reason to watch this over the other, beyond sheer curiosity.
I don't know that anyone wanted a new RHPS in the first place. BUT, I think there was a chance that if this project were in different hands it could have been something uniquely its own. Instead, all of the edge is removed and I don't think there would be any reason to watch this over the other, beyond sheer curiosity.
The original film of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was flawed and at times sloppy, but it was brimming with heart and a genuine weirdness of character. It could be confusing to follow at times but it remained a mostly straight-faced homage to the weird science films of the 1950s with the added attraction of sexual and gender twisting, but crucially presented without comment or focus - this is one of the reasons it succeeded so well and why it became an underground hit.
This new version of this classic film made sure to disembowel the original, reach up and pull out its heart, and to then airbrush the empty husk that remained.
One of the major downfalls is the absolutely lifeless soundtrack recordings of the songs: they sound as if they have been compressed and muted of life to ensure that nobody's heart rises above sixty beats per minutes. Over this limp soundtrack the characters mime their songs, mostly badly, some not even making a huge effort to even sync up at times (particularly guilty of this is Columbia).
As to the casting, gone are the individual characteristics and introduced are a parade of generically handsome and pretty boys and gals with all the individuality of a Toys R Us dolls aisle. The original worked because it was played mainly straight; the new version gives us hammy overacting with too much self-awareness which obviously does nothing to draw an audience in; it's as if the new production had either never watched the original film or had so grossly misread it as to be almost imbecilic. Talking of Frankestein, we are treated to an on-the-nose depiction of Mary Shelley's gravestone, despite the fact she died in London, England; anything to ram down our throats the Frankenstein connection! In the original film Rocky was slightly neanderthal in appearance - blankish expression that reminded us of Frankenstein's monster (after all that's what he represents) with a hard muscular body, with tight buns showing through tight gold undies; the new Rocky looks like a gym-bro with dipped highlights who may or may not be slightly constipated: he is more Brut than brute.
Dr Frank-N-Furter, crucially, is a transvestite not a transsexual - Transsexual is the name of the planet. The stunt casting of Laverne Cox is badly done: whereas the original had a skinny flat-chested Tim Curry working brilliantly as a transvestite, Laverne Cox is a female Dr Frank-N-Furter and, as the transvestite she sings about being, should be dressed in a male attire: this casting was ill-thought-out. I enjoyed Laverne in Orange in the New Black but her attempts to channel Tim Curry's origination of Frank-N-Furter is embarrassing: the British accent is all over the place, often with an American twang at the end of phrases, and often sounded like it's being strangled out of her. Her rendition of 'I'm Going Home' at the climax should have been emotional and stirring, as in the original, but it was in fact as empty as the preceding hour and a half had been. Speaking of the climax, Riff-Raff and Magenta strongly resembled a pair of Red Dwarf villains in their silver get-up, and the castle crumbling brought to mind the old British children's show Knightmare.
The film also suffered from an almost total lack of character delineation - far more-so than even the original which, as I said before, certain had its sloppy moments of confusion. Magenta and Columbia were more marginal than in the original and Eddie's cameo was almost completely pointless if not for the fact that he is used as a postmortem device later on in the film.
The film also suffered from a real lack of chemistry, not only between the viewer and the cast but also between cast members; Rocky and Janet's bedroom scene lacked any sexuality or tension whatsoever: Hank drinking Manny's corpse-water in Swiss Army Man was more romantic and sexual than this white-bread colourless scene; not to mention the bed-hopping hilarity of the original was almost entirely airbrushed to be as inoffensive as possible.
The nod to the cult of audience participation at theatrical showings of the film fell very flat also - the audience seemed to be a TV exec's idea of what edgy, weird, non-mainstream people looked like in the 1980s (TV punks) and 1990s (TV grunge).
The saddest crime of all was the rolling in of stroke-victim Tim Curry in a pathetic attempt to give credence and validation to this travesty - the only moments of any emotion in the film were when he appeared on screen and my heart filled with sadness at what they had persuaded him to do, and to watch him valiantly attempt his line-readings.
I am not looking forward to an anemic version of Cronenberg's / Burroughs' "Naked Lunch".
This new version of this classic film made sure to disembowel the original, reach up and pull out its heart, and to then airbrush the empty husk that remained.
One of the major downfalls is the absolutely lifeless soundtrack recordings of the songs: they sound as if they have been compressed and muted of life to ensure that nobody's heart rises above sixty beats per minutes. Over this limp soundtrack the characters mime their songs, mostly badly, some not even making a huge effort to even sync up at times (particularly guilty of this is Columbia).
As to the casting, gone are the individual characteristics and introduced are a parade of generically handsome and pretty boys and gals with all the individuality of a Toys R Us dolls aisle. The original worked because it was played mainly straight; the new version gives us hammy overacting with too much self-awareness which obviously does nothing to draw an audience in; it's as if the new production had either never watched the original film or had so grossly misread it as to be almost imbecilic. Talking of Frankestein, we are treated to an on-the-nose depiction of Mary Shelley's gravestone, despite the fact she died in London, England; anything to ram down our throats the Frankenstein connection! In the original film Rocky was slightly neanderthal in appearance - blankish expression that reminded us of Frankenstein's monster (after all that's what he represents) with a hard muscular body, with tight buns showing through tight gold undies; the new Rocky looks like a gym-bro with dipped highlights who may or may not be slightly constipated: he is more Brut than brute.
Dr Frank-N-Furter, crucially, is a transvestite not a transsexual - Transsexual is the name of the planet. The stunt casting of Laverne Cox is badly done: whereas the original had a skinny flat-chested Tim Curry working brilliantly as a transvestite, Laverne Cox is a female Dr Frank-N-Furter and, as the transvestite she sings about being, should be dressed in a male attire: this casting was ill-thought-out. I enjoyed Laverne in Orange in the New Black but her attempts to channel Tim Curry's origination of Frank-N-Furter is embarrassing: the British accent is all over the place, often with an American twang at the end of phrases, and often sounded like it's being strangled out of her. Her rendition of 'I'm Going Home' at the climax should have been emotional and stirring, as in the original, but it was in fact as empty as the preceding hour and a half had been. Speaking of the climax, Riff-Raff and Magenta strongly resembled a pair of Red Dwarf villains in their silver get-up, and the castle crumbling brought to mind the old British children's show Knightmare.
The film also suffered from an almost total lack of character delineation - far more-so than even the original which, as I said before, certain had its sloppy moments of confusion. Magenta and Columbia were more marginal than in the original and Eddie's cameo was almost completely pointless if not for the fact that he is used as a postmortem device later on in the film.
The film also suffered from a real lack of chemistry, not only between the viewer and the cast but also between cast members; Rocky and Janet's bedroom scene lacked any sexuality or tension whatsoever: Hank drinking Manny's corpse-water in Swiss Army Man was more romantic and sexual than this white-bread colourless scene; not to mention the bed-hopping hilarity of the original was almost entirely airbrushed to be as inoffensive as possible.
The nod to the cult of audience participation at theatrical showings of the film fell very flat also - the audience seemed to be a TV exec's idea of what edgy, weird, non-mainstream people looked like in the 1980s (TV punks) and 1990s (TV grunge).
The saddest crime of all was the rolling in of stroke-victim Tim Curry in a pathetic attempt to give credence and validation to this travesty - the only moments of any emotion in the film were when he appeared on screen and my heart filled with sadness at what they had persuaded him to do, and to watch him valiantly attempt his line-readings.
I am not looking forward to an anemic version of Cronenberg's / Burroughs' "Naked Lunch".
- marloweisdead
- Oct 21, 2016
- Permalink
'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
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
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 29, 2016
- Permalink
This remake attempts to stay true to the original. While the story line modifications are fitting the performances are lacking the emotion of the original.
The musical performances also stay true to the original, which I enjoyed but it was very difficult to get over the overproduction of the vocal performances as it clearly highlights the lip syncing. I feel that if the vocal performances were recorded during filming that it would be much better.
The acting lacks any emotion. It's like watching the cast going through the motions and running lines to an empty audience.
I want to give a better rating, but this is not how we should be honouring a classic.
The musical performances also stay true to the original, which I enjoyed but it was very difficult to get over the overproduction of the vocal performances as it clearly highlights the lip syncing. I feel that if the vocal performances were recorded during filming that it would be much better.
The acting lacks any emotion. It's like watching the cast going through the motions and running lines to an empty audience.
I want to give a better rating, but this is not how we should be honouring a classic.
- tyler_dean_smith
- Oct 19, 2016
- Permalink
I cannot believe Tim Curry actually agreed to be a part of this. They have taken a cult classic and ruined it. The dialog is horrible and over dramatized making these actors and actresses seem like middle school kids doing their first play. Truly sad that some talented people had to be a part of this production. The changes to the musical numbers further ruin this version. The only thing that they seem to have gotten correct are the character names and the general plot. i would classify this as either a very bad tribute to the original or a total mockery of the original and the cast. If this is you first introduction to Rocky Horror please, please watch the original instead of this.
- jeffreydemerly
- Oct 19, 2016
- Permalink
- skipper_mso
- Oct 19, 2016
- Permalink
I'm not sure where to begin. I have no idea what they were going for but boy, did they miss in every aspect. We had to stop watching. It didn't capture the essence, it was not a good homage and it was just plain bad. We just can't imagine who would come up with such an awful idea like remaking such a perfect classic. I use the term "remake" ever so loosely. Our expectations were low, considering how good the original was and we were expecting some new voices honoring some old songs and music, but again...it didn't happen.
If you are even slightly, the tiniest fan of the original, this rendition will make you nauseous. It is that bad.
If you are even slightly, the tiniest fan of the original, this rendition will make you nauseous. It is that bad.
I wasn't planning on writing a review for this movie but after seeing all the hate it is getting, I had to try and balance the scale in the review section. The rating is a real poor representation of the quality that the show provided. I usually only see this kind of hate on the comic book movie pages, but at least there is a good amount of 10's and 1's to even out the score. The problem here is that the majority of people who wanted to watch it were fans of the original, and from what I hear most seem to hate on it. So don't believe in the rating as the show was no where near that bad.
Of course I was skeptical at first when the announcement came. As soon as the music started playing and we see the usherette; I was assured that this will not be awful. Most of the scenes were faithful to the movie with the best moments coming from the "Touch Me" song between Victoria Justice and Staz Nair. To some of the cringe worthy attempts namely the entrance of Laverne Cox (she did get better as the movie progressed though). For the movie as a whole I rather enjoyed it. I believe the problem with most is that they compared it to the original. The film is such an iconic piece of cinema that of course a TV movie on Fox will fail in comparison (they are limited as to what they can and can't show). I rarely say this but this TV MOVIE is worth checking out. If you enjoyed the film but don't think of it as some holy scripture that can't be touched then definitely give this a try as you will be surprised at the fact they captured some of the scenes very well.
I enjoyed most of the characters in the show and would rank them as such:
1.)Ryan McCartan as Brad 2.)Adam Lambert as Eddy 3.)Ivy Levan as Usherette 4.)Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia 5.)Victoria Justice as Janet(she grew on me/ didn't start well) 6.)Laverne Cox as Dr.Frank-N-Furter 7.)Tim Curry as the Criminologist8.)Ben Vereen as Everett Scott 9.)Staz Nair as Rocky 10.)Reeve Carney as Riff Raff 11.)Christina Milian as Magenta...or whatever that was
Of course I was skeptical at first when the announcement came. As soon as the music started playing and we see the usherette; I was assured that this will not be awful. Most of the scenes were faithful to the movie with the best moments coming from the "Touch Me" song between Victoria Justice and Staz Nair. To some of the cringe worthy attempts namely the entrance of Laverne Cox (she did get better as the movie progressed though). For the movie as a whole I rather enjoyed it. I believe the problem with most is that they compared it to the original. The film is such an iconic piece of cinema that of course a TV movie on Fox will fail in comparison (they are limited as to what they can and can't show). I rarely say this but this TV MOVIE is worth checking out. If you enjoyed the film but don't think of it as some holy scripture that can't be touched then definitely give this a try as you will be surprised at the fact they captured some of the scenes very well.
I enjoyed most of the characters in the show and would rank them as such:
1.)Ryan McCartan as Brad 2.)Adam Lambert as Eddy 3.)Ivy Levan as Usherette 4.)Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia 5.)Victoria Justice as Janet(she grew on me/ didn't start well) 6.)Laverne Cox as Dr.Frank-N-Furter 7.)Tim Curry as the Criminologist8.)Ben Vereen as Everett Scott 9.)Staz Nair as Rocky 10.)Reeve Carney as Riff Raff 11.)Christina Milian as Magenta...or whatever that was
- NDbportmanfan
- Oct 20, 2016
- Permalink
I expected I'd hate it. I loved it.
I've seen the original film many times and had all the soundtracks. Went to midnight shows a few times and knew every moment of it, since it first came out. I loved this re-imagining.
The sound quality is far better then the original and some of singing is better and the mix is thicker than the original. I was so surprised how good it is. Of course our new narrator is hilarious.
Getting use to the new Frankenfurter is hard of course, but again I was surprised. It was fantastic performance, although her lead vocals should have louder in the mix at times. What a role challenge!
From a purely cinematic viewpoint, this one is superior. In the original film there are some poor sound recording here and there with a hollow cheap sound at times.
I'm sad to see these bad reviews, that must sting these performers. It was terrific and should get awards. To those disappointed, watch it again. 10+
EXCELLENT! BRAVO!
I've seen the original film many times and had all the soundtracks. Went to midnight shows a few times and knew every moment of it, since it first came out. I loved this re-imagining.
The sound quality is far better then the original and some of singing is better and the mix is thicker than the original. I was so surprised how good it is. Of course our new narrator is hilarious.
Getting use to the new Frankenfurter is hard of course, but again I was surprised. It was fantastic performance, although her lead vocals should have louder in the mix at times. What a role challenge!
From a purely cinematic viewpoint, this one is superior. In the original film there are some poor sound recording here and there with a hollow cheap sound at times.
I'm sad to see these bad reviews, that must sting these performers. It was terrific and should get awards. To those disappointed, watch it again. 10+
EXCELLENT! BRAVO!
No one can ever replace Tim Curry but I will say that the theatrics and costumes and acting was decent. I loved the audience participation!
I saw this in the beginning when I was 16 years old. I'm now in my 60s. Fun memories about from every time I ever saw it and the fun we had.
So ... this was okay, but I'm still basing everything on the feel-good from seeing the original with friends way back in the day!
I saw this in the beginning when I was 16 years old. I'm now in my 60s. Fun memories about from every time I ever saw it and the fun we had.
So ... this was okay, but I'm still basing everything on the feel-good from seeing the original with friends way back in the day!
I grew up going to RHPS, this didn't even come close to what it was all about! Not even worth a review....
I was so looking forward to seeing this :(, its kind of like when you were a kid and you thought Santa was going to bring you what you wanted and when you opened your present you Found an ugly sweater and socks. I really wish they would stop trying to improve the classics and just stick to the story, there is nothing wrong with redoing a classic just don't try to put your spin on it, if its made it this far then there had to be something about it.They will not post this review with out it being 10 lines so I guess I will just keep typing like this. :(
- p-caldwell-87-952886
- Oct 19, 2016
- Permalink
I've been a fan of Rocky Horror for as long as I can remember and I've seen it live on stage a couple f times and love seeing different ideas and approaches to it but unfortunately this falls pretty flat. A small few of the cast were good, the guy playing Riff-Raff did quite well and I enjoyed watching him, and I did find seeing Tim Curry as the narrator with some odd Rosa Klebb type quite funny. But the woman playing Magenta just annoyed me as I've always loved Magenta and near enough all the people I've a seen playing her, obviously Pat Quinn as the original is my favourite because she is just fabulous, but the woman in this version just wasted the character, she gave off the impression she just thought "oh it's a small part so I'm not going to bother" and just turned up and did whatever. Janet was pretty good but Brad was more annoying than anything. And the biggie, Frank. Well though the character had some amazing costumes it was not Frank. Frank is a man in women's lingerie (hence the sweet transvestite) not a woman in lingerie. It does not work. It just contradicts itself. It was more like watching Grace Jones.
The visuals left much to be desired. It felt empty all the away through, like they just could not really be bothered so it lacked real life. Same goes for the music, it just lacked life and soul. The choreography was shabby and not done well really.
Over all really it just seemed drab, lifeless, and half arsed. Just watch the original or go watch it live, you will enjoy it more.
The visuals left much to be desired. It felt empty all the away through, like they just could not really be bothered so it lacked real life. Same goes for the music, it just lacked life and soul. The choreography was shabby and not done well really.
Over all really it just seemed drab, lifeless, and half arsed. Just watch the original or go watch it live, you will enjoy it more.
- L_Lawliett
- Apr 25, 2017
- Permalink
- leavymusic-2
- Sep 25, 2019
- Permalink
I knew before I watched this movie that I would not be pleased, but I never thought that I would be so disappointed. If the producers of this mistake wanted to be true to the original, they would never have been able to run it on network television. It almost felt as if the movie tried to take itself too seriously...and that was never the intention of the original.
There are just two things that I can compliment this film on...the vocal talents of the cast, which were overall better than the original, and the inclusion of the audience. It was also good to see Tim Curry, but I wonder what he really feels about the completed film.
Laverne Cox, while extremely talented, was totally wrong for Frankenfurter. The whole point here is that Frankenfurter is a transvestite...NOT a transsexual. The costuming was PG13 and way to glitzy and glamorous.
If I had never seen the original, I might have thought this was a bizarre TV movie, but would most likely have not watched it more than once. The original...is true camp...it is an even to watch.
This is a film that should never have been made...the original did not need a remake.
There are just two things that I can compliment this film on...the vocal talents of the cast, which were overall better than the original, and the inclusion of the audience. It was also good to see Tim Curry, but I wonder what he really feels about the completed film.
Laverne Cox, while extremely talented, was totally wrong for Frankenfurter. The whole point here is that Frankenfurter is a transvestite...NOT a transsexual. The costuming was PG13 and way to glitzy and glamorous.
If I had never seen the original, I might have thought this was a bizarre TV movie, but would most likely have not watched it more than once. The original...is true camp...it is an even to watch.
This is a film that should never have been made...the original did not need a remake.
- lorielles_1960
- Oct 20, 2016
- Permalink
It starts promisingly enough with Ivy Levan (who I'd never heard of prior to this) giving a splendid performance of Science Fiction.
Sadly it's the only positive I can muster.
I absolutely hated the interpretation of Frank by Laverne Cox who was all over the place with her accent sounding Australian at one time, English and American at others.
The rearrangement of the songs was awful also and totally ruined some absolute classic songs.
Then you have the fact it felt like a PG version of the original and it just didn't have the underlining sense of danger like the original or the perverse sexuality bubbling underneath.
Google the performance of Ivy Levan but give the rest a miss and just watch the original or give this a try:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5061126/
Sadly it's the only positive I can muster.
I absolutely hated the interpretation of Frank by Laverne Cox who was all over the place with her accent sounding Australian at one time, English and American at others.
The rearrangement of the songs was awful also and totally ruined some absolute classic songs.
Then you have the fact it felt like a PG version of the original and it just didn't have the underlining sense of danger like the original or the perverse sexuality bubbling underneath.
Google the performance of Ivy Levan but give the rest a miss and just watch the original or give this a try:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5061126/
- andrewbechaz
- Apr 14, 2017
- Permalink
By all that is unholy, why? Why remake the 1975 classic? It just made no sense in any way. But yet I took the time to sit down and watch the 2016 remake titled "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again" when I got the chance. Curiosity is a strange thing, isn't it? I will be the first to admit that I was already wearing a negative collar before the movie had even started, because director Kenny Ortega was messing with a masterpiece in the musical genre.
The songs will take some time getting used to, because I have grown accustomed to the original versions and hold them up against the original. And from the very first song, it was sort of running coldly down the back of my neck, because it just sounded wrong and it felt like I was committing a sin in watching this. The songs had undergone a bit of change. For the better? Well, that depends on who you ask. But me, as a long-time fan of the original, then it didn't sit well with me that the songs were retouched and modified in this way. But fair is fair, the songs themselves are not bad, they are just not the originals. For for a new audience the songs would be great.
It should be said that they had an impressive production value to this remake. But again, so overly unnecessary to remake what was already perfect and timeless. So why do the Timewarp again?
It was nice to see Tim Curry make an appearance in this 2016 remake, despite not reprising the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. So at least the remake does pay some respect and homage to the original and also gives a nod in the direction of us long-time fans of the original musical.
As for the cast, well they had some good enough talents on the cast list, though I can't really claim to be overly familiar with the people there. But they were doing good jobs with their given roles and characters.
I am feeling somewhat ambivalent about the characters, because there are distinct similarities, but also deviations from the original ones. Reeve Carney was doing an almost a frame-by-frame copy of Richard O'Brien in the role of Riff Raff. Sure, I can acknowledge and understand the choice of Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter given the transsexual thing, but she was no Tim Curry as the original Frank-N-Furter, not even reaching him to the knees. Actually, most of the character were a hard pill to swallow if you are a fan of the original 1975 version, but Reeve Carney and Laverne Cox were the two that proved the most bitter.
It was a bit odd and distracting to have the movie alternate between the events in the story and showcasing the audience participation in the theater. It just didn't had a natural flow to it.
Not being able to properly sing along was a major setback for the movie, especially when watched by us long-time fans of the original. Sure, we knew the exact words, but the timing and delivery was just freakishly distorted and warped.
Visually then "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again" was interesting and quite much in the essence and spirit of the 1975 version, though it was spruced up to a more contemporary time, for better or worse.
This musical is suitable for viewers whom like musicals and whom may for some unknown reason have eluded getting acquainted with the original 1975 masterpiece. And I can in all honesty say that I have now watched this 2016 remake once, but it will never be watched again, because it was frankly just so upsetting that they remade the original piece.
I am a big fan of the original 1975 version, as you clearly can see from my words here, but I can't claim to ever become a fan of the 2016 remake.
The songs will take some time getting used to, because I have grown accustomed to the original versions and hold them up against the original. And from the very first song, it was sort of running coldly down the back of my neck, because it just sounded wrong and it felt like I was committing a sin in watching this. The songs had undergone a bit of change. For the better? Well, that depends on who you ask. But me, as a long-time fan of the original, then it didn't sit well with me that the songs were retouched and modified in this way. But fair is fair, the songs themselves are not bad, they are just not the originals. For for a new audience the songs would be great.
It should be said that they had an impressive production value to this remake. But again, so overly unnecessary to remake what was already perfect and timeless. So why do the Timewarp again?
It was nice to see Tim Curry make an appearance in this 2016 remake, despite not reprising the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. So at least the remake does pay some respect and homage to the original and also gives a nod in the direction of us long-time fans of the original musical.
As for the cast, well they had some good enough talents on the cast list, though I can't really claim to be overly familiar with the people there. But they were doing good jobs with their given roles and characters.
I am feeling somewhat ambivalent about the characters, because there are distinct similarities, but also deviations from the original ones. Reeve Carney was doing an almost a frame-by-frame copy of Richard O'Brien in the role of Riff Raff. Sure, I can acknowledge and understand the choice of Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter given the transsexual thing, but she was no Tim Curry as the original Frank-N-Furter, not even reaching him to the knees. Actually, most of the character were a hard pill to swallow if you are a fan of the original 1975 version, but Reeve Carney and Laverne Cox were the two that proved the most bitter.
It was a bit odd and distracting to have the movie alternate between the events in the story and showcasing the audience participation in the theater. It just didn't had a natural flow to it.
Not being able to properly sing along was a major setback for the movie, especially when watched by us long-time fans of the original. Sure, we knew the exact words, but the timing and delivery was just freakishly distorted and warped.
Visually then "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again" was interesting and quite much in the essence and spirit of the 1975 version, though it was spruced up to a more contemporary time, for better or worse.
This musical is suitable for viewers whom like musicals and whom may for some unknown reason have eluded getting acquainted with the original 1975 masterpiece. And I can in all honesty say that I have now watched this 2016 remake once, but it will never be watched again, because it was frankly just so upsetting that they remade the original piece.
I am a big fan of the original 1975 version, as you clearly can see from my words here, but I can't claim to ever become a fan of the 2016 remake.
- paul_haakonsen
- Jun 27, 2017
- Permalink
If that one line had been in the minds of everyone involved the show may have been better. I found the changes to the show inappropriate. There was a specific formula within the show that allowed the character types to play off one another. Yet, that still would not have saved the show.
The actors did well at hitting their marks and saying their lines. It reminded me of myself when reading out loud in 4th grade. This is where don't dream it, be it comes it. If the actors embraced their characters and brought them to life, then the show could have been successful, but they didn't. Yes, they moved to their spot and barked out their words like good actors. Beyond that, there was nothing in their performance that made me want to believe they were the characters they were portraying.
If you want to see RHPS, go and watch the original at a theater that will allow people to act out the roles on stage.
The actors did well at hitting their marks and saying their lines. It reminded me of myself when reading out loud in 4th grade. This is where don't dream it, be it comes it. If the actors embraced their characters and brought them to life, then the show could have been successful, but they didn't. Yes, they moved to their spot and barked out their words like good actors. Beyond that, there was nothing in their performance that made me want to believe they were the characters they were portraying.
If you want to see RHPS, go and watch the original at a theater that will allow people to act out the roles on stage.
- keith-umsted
- Jan 26, 2017
- Permalink
I love the original Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I am a huge fan of Laverne Cox, so I was really excited to see how an updated version would turn out. But I am only disappointed. The best part of the movie was Tim Curry, I just wish he had more screen time. Again, while I am a huge fan of Laverne Cox, and she didn't butcher the role like the actor playing Columbia did, she really didn't do the role justice. I don't know if casting a male actor would have been better, or if it's just because no one could hold a candle to Tim Curry's performance, but this Dr. Frank-N-Furter really left me wanting more from the performance. Reeve Carney did an amazing job as Riff Raff, and the roles of Brad, Janet, and Rocky were wonderfully filled. Other than those four roles (and of course, Tim Curry), I feel the whole show was improperly cast. Especially Columbia, who just seemed to be reaching too far and falling too short every time she was on screen. Magenta wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. She was just there. Really, they just should have left a classic alone, because this was just a disappointment.
- distopian_dream
- Oct 20, 2016
- Permalink
- calvinzane
- Oct 21, 2016
- Permalink
Okay... OKAY?! I think we can do better than that!
Apparently they can't. It's okay. It's not as bad as the haters say nor as good as the supporters say. It does a lot well. The sets, costumes, props, Make-up, and choreography are great. Really the while visual direction is really stylish. It looks really good. The cast has it's ups and downs. The only one who was solid all the way through was Dr. Scott, who was a riot. Laverne Cox did okay as well, but her casting remains problematic, as the general consensus is that Transgender and Transvestite are not as interchangeable as they treat them. The music has some ups and downs as well. Some were great covers, some fell utterly flat.
If your curious, or a fan of the stage show, go ahead and watch it. If you keep an open mind, you may enjoy the spectacle. If you're hoping for something super loyal to the original, skip it. Just watch the original instead.
Apparently they can't. It's okay. It's not as bad as the haters say nor as good as the supporters say. It does a lot well. The sets, costumes, props, Make-up, and choreography are great. Really the while visual direction is really stylish. It looks really good. The cast has it's ups and downs. The only one who was solid all the way through was Dr. Scott, who was a riot. Laverne Cox did okay as well, but her casting remains problematic, as the general consensus is that Transgender and Transvestite are not as interchangeable as they treat them. The music has some ups and downs as well. Some were great covers, some fell utterly flat.
If your curious, or a fan of the stage show, go ahead and watch it. If you keep an open mind, you may enjoy the spectacle. If you're hoping for something super loyal to the original, skip it. Just watch the original instead.
- TheHarlequinHatter
- Oct 21, 2016
- Permalink
Butchered the movie, I've seen High school productions that were better! It is making me scream at the TV it sucks so much! This just breaks my heart. I wish I hadn't wasted my time. bad acting, bad interpretation, no energy, a must skip. parts like Mystery Science Theater 2000 but not done half as well. If you are going to have the audience then say all the lines folks scream during the movie not 4. Janet and Eddie were the only good characters. Columbia and Riff Raff blew chunks . Sad sad sad! Cox was muddled in her speech, and just was flat,she was either trying so hard it was hard to watch or it was phoned in and she seemed lost. The colors and hairdo's were so poorly done it made folks look washed out. I've seen and done the show for a long time and it wasn't even a shadow of the original.
- madamdoc69
- Oct 19, 2016
- Permalink