Remake of the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” just in time for Halloween

By Alyssa Garcia, ‘16

Get transported back to the very beloved extraneous castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter where a group of eclectic resident aliens led by the transvestite from Transylvania receive two visitors. Brought back to life by FOX, a modern rendition of the cult classic 70’s musical “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” features many familiar faces to do the film justice creatively and with a fabulous flare.

Tim Curry the original Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an extraterrestrial transsexual from Transylvania makes a comeback as the narrator of the film as the criminologist expert Charles Gray. The cookie-cutter newly engaged couple Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, originally Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, are now played by Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan respectively. Contributing to the new cast are Christina Milian as Magenta and Adam Lambert as Eddie. Finally, Laverne Cox takes center stage as Dr. Frank-N-Furter producing Staz Nair, the Rocky Horror creation.

The performances of the assembled cast did justice to represent a diversity of characters with spunk, however they were done with obvious lip synching. While the actors stayed true to their character’s legacy, the modern flare gave each song a heightened musical showcase complete with microphones and stages. Although the film is known for the unnatural and supernatural there was a flow to the film that made it seem as though you were really involved in the storyline. FOX and director Kenny Ortega seemed to play up the production by overdoing the aspect that it was indeed a production, demoting the emotional appeal the musical phenomenon had to offer. Costumes were impeccable beginning to end and displayed the eccentricity of the aliens from Transylvania.

All in all, the stars did an excellent job of embodying the controversial and crowd favorite that is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” It is comforting to know the musical that rocked the nation in a very trying time can come back to the screen and be welcomed even more so in our day and age to keep us rocking to timeless songs. It’s just a step to the left and a jump to the right to relive the magic.