Rocky Horror Picture Show blu-ray

[jdmack]

I found the blu-ray of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at Target for $7.00. Since I did not already own this movie in any format, and since it has a 7.1 soundtrack, I figured this would be a good buy. And by golly, much of the music is mixed in fairly discreet surround sound! But some of the balances are odd. The backing vocals on "There's A Light" have one of the three parts much louder than the other two (and louder than the lead vocals for that matter). Is this just a function of the 7.1 soundtrack being scaled down to 5.1 on my system? Or does anyone else hear it this way?

 

[admsh]

I'm surprised there's not more about this on the forum. I just picked up a copy of the 35th anniversary edition and played it all the way through. It's magnificent!!! On all fronts, pun intended. The mix is super discrete (strings coming from the back, vocals from the front, effects all around like a Queen mix!), quality is great, fidelity (considering what this is and how it was made) is also great. Playing this movie is like playing the album. An amazing release. It deserves a poll!

I'm not experiencing the issues jdmack was having though the rears are very strong. They can probably be lowered a bit (I love it just the way it is but it does seem like someone was a tad too generous with the volume). At any rate, SO MUCH FUN!!!

 

[salsdali]

love "Timewarp"

 

[Scott65]

I haven't played it for a few years but I might have to give it a spin on the weekend. I don't recall having any issues with the mix.

 

[GOS]

I've never even seen this movie......something tells me I would not find it amusing......I do have an isolated sense of humor...or maybe this isn't a comedy??

 

[Scott65]

It's hard to explain. Not a movie to be taken seriously. Brilliant music. I bought the soundtrack album in 1982 and did not see the movie until 2001 when I bought the DVD.

 

[Circular Vibes]

I would say it is more of a musical with an "enlightening" bent, rather than a pure comedy. It was certainly ahead of its time with modern ideas.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I've never even seen this movie......something tells me I would not find it amusing......I do have an isolated sense of humor...or maybe this isn't a comedy??

Well you need to see it. Don't buy a blue ray or anything. Go see it for real. Wait till around Halloween time. Look for where its being shown in your area (Chicago probably has more than a handful of showings), and go to a movie theatre to see it.

It has the unique distinction of being the longest running film release in history. It had never been pulled from theatre circulation in the 45 years it has existed. I have probably seen it more than a dozen times in my lifetime. Always in a theatre.

How can you not find it amusing to watch Tim Curry in drag, running around chasing (the then unknown) Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick in their tidy whitey underwear? There is even a rare performance and song by Meatloaf.

Its just a jump to the left....

 

[admsh]

Well you need to see it. Don't buy a blue ray or anything. Go see it for real. Wait till around Halloween time. Look for where its being shown in your area (Chicago probably has more than a handful of showings), and go to a movie theatre to see it.

It has the unique distinction of being the longest running film release in history. It had never been pulled from theatre circulation in the 45 years it has existed. I have probably seen it more than a dozen times in my lifetime. Always in a theatre.

How can you not find it amusing to watch Tim Curry in drag, running around chasing (the then unknown) Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick in their tidy whitey underwear? There is even a rare performance and song by Meatloaf.

Its just a jump to the left....

The movie is certainly a phenomenon, and a lot of fun. I've seen it in theatres a few times (once in an outside theatre with a couple thousand participants), and it's really a unique experience. To me the main draw has always been the music though - it's just brilliant. I always felt it's kind of a sequel to Ziggy. The musical stage production opened in 73 in London, a year after Ziggy came out, and the whole concept is very much influenced by it, and the music as well is very much in Bowie's style of that time. Also recommend the original cast soundtrack from the stage show to anyone interested - it's different and better in some ways, and there is more great music that never made it to the movie soundtrack.

 

[Lute]

Don't dream it. Beeeee-e it!

 

[privateuniverse]

Ooooh! This is a nice little surprise. Just ordered the blu-ray from Bull Moose. Looking forward to hearing the surround mix.

The movie is truly a unique experience. For those who have never seen it, to get the full experience you really need to see it in a theater with a full audience. There is typically a lot of audience participation that goes along with the film that is a major part of the experience. (In the 80's, there was even a soundtrack album released that included all of the audience responses that was recorded with a New York crowd.) When I was in high school in the early 80's, this was a regular weekend ritual for me and my friends. There was a theater in Manchester, CT that showed it every Friday & Saturday night at midnight. We came armed with hot dogs, toilet paper, squirt guns and rice.

When Tim Curry was trying to launch a music career in the late 70's, a lot of the theaters that were showing Rocky Horror would show his music videos before the film. This one was popular.

 

[Circular Vibes]

In Ottawa, it plays at the Mayfair Theatre. This is an old theatre that is run and maintained by a movie buff that only plays older movies, no first run, no cineplex just one big screen and a stage. There is also a cast of locals to re-enact the film live at the same time with all the camp you can handle and more. You can also buy a theatre safe version of a goodie bag for 5 bux. You can't have more fun for 14 bux in my opinion. I went for my first time a couple years ago and got to be in virgins row. You get spanked by the cast as you cross the stage to be initiated into the ritual of watching Rocky live by kissing a large rubber object. You can guess what it was.....

 

[kap'n krunch]

well, it depends if you WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE or to EXPERIENCE the cult experience.. I personally held back at least 20 years to see it on DVD cause .. well , I'm weird that way...

 

[JediJoker]

Also recommend the original cast soundtrack from the stage show to anyone interested - it's different and better in some ways, and there is more great music that never made it to the movie soundtrack.

I haven't heard the '73 London cast recording, but I'm quite fond of the '74 Los Angeles cast recording (the premiere American production). I heard that version many years before seeing the film (at a midnight screening, in drag, the proper way), and was surprised how different the "Time Warp" was in the film.

 

[privateuniverse]

My copy came in the mail yesterday. I only had a chance to sample the first 10 minutes before running off to work this afternoon, but the first two songs in the film ("Science Fiction Double Feature" and "Dammit Janet") certainly had some nice discreet stuff going on in the mix. Can't wait to sit down and watch the whole thing. The only thing that concerns me is who is going to pick up all the rice, hot dogs, and toilet paper from my living room floor? LOL.

 

[Circular Vibes]

My copy came in the mail yesterday. I only had a chance to sample the first 10 minutes before running off to work this afternoon, but the first two songs in the film ("Science Fiction Double Feature" and "Dammit Janet") certainly had some nice discreet stuff going on in the mix. Can't wait to sit down and watch the whole thing. The only thing that concerns me is who is going to pick up all the rice, hot dogs, and toilet paper from my living room floor? LOL.

Just as long as no one brings the toaster. The first theatre in Ottawa to join the ritual of Rocky cancelled it immediately after the toaster was thrown through the screen. Some people get carried away in a wrong way. What were thay thinking anyways, they forgot the extension cord so they couldn't sell any toast!

 

[drphibes]

Just as long as no one brings the toaster. The first theatre in Ottawa to join the ritual of Rocky cancelled it immediately after the toaster was thrown through the screen.

I have been laughing at this for the last five minutes. Oh man. The toaster. I'm accustomed to toast and rice and shaving cream, and the callbacks, but...a toaster!

 

[key_wiz]

I have been laughing at this for the last five minutes. Oh man. The toaster. I'm accustomed to toast and rice and shaving cream, and the callbacks, but...a toaster!

And lots of toilet paper. “great Scott!”

I saw the movie probably 50 times in the theater when I was not-much-more than a kid in the very early 80s. It was an almost-every-Saturday midnight ritual for a couple of years.

It’s a fun movie on its own as a parody of 50s sci-fi/horror films with a great soundtrack. Seeing it in the theater is a whole ‘nother experience. Although I do feel you had to kinda be there in the late 70s/early 80s.