In the vast sea of films from 1895 to the present, there is such a film. Its bizarre image style is mixed with strong visual impact, and the absurd, bloody and violent plots ruthlessly dissect the essence of human nature and the back of the world. It is exaggerated and it is It subverts the minority; it is deviant, it criticizes and reflects; it deconstructs traditional values in blackness, and releases wild imagination in eroticism. It's a cult movie.
Cult movies are what we usually call "cult movies". "Cinema" magazine has selected one hundred classic cult movies, and our well-known "Fight Club", "Pulp Fiction" and "Born to Kill" are among them. In addition, from the film master Pasolini's "The One Hundred and Twenty Days of Sodom", Jodorowsky's "Holy Blood", to the Japanese famous director Terayama Shuji's "The Pastoral Ritual of the Dead", Sonoko Wen's "Why Hell is Bad" and other high-profile and unpopular masterpieces are all cult masterpieces full of alienation and grotesqueness.
Today, what Xiaobai wants to talk to you about is "Rocky Horror Show", which has been fanatically admired by niche fans for more than 40 years and is known as the originator of "cult movies".
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The film from 1975 is known as the "first" cult film. In fact, before the "Rocky Horror Show", there were also many classics full of cult atmosphere, such as the master Hitchcock's classic "Psycho", the German Murnau expressionist work "Nosferatu", and the history of surreal horror films. The story "The Bride of Frankenstein" and so on.
Psycho posters Nosferatu posters Frankstein posters
As mentioned above, these are movies with cult temperament or cult elements, and "Rocky Horror Show" is a true and complete "cult" movie, which is why it is called "the originator" .
In 1975, the discerning Jim Sharman adapted the bizarre and wild stage play "Rocky Horror Show" into a film of the same name, the story tells the story of two young lovers Brad and Jenny who are not fuel-efficient lamps , Entering Dr. Frank's gothic castle on a stormy night, they witnessed everything in the castle, cross-dressing, transgender, motorcycles, glam rock, sex and violence, androids, individualistic carnivals... Various counter-trend cultures impact young souls. After experiencing a series of absurd and bizarre events that refreshed the three views, Brad and Jenny completed the liberation of human nature, and Dr. Frank, who changed them, was also in a dirge-like midnight. Left this world after the show...
When it first came out, The Rocky Horror Show was a snub because it touched on too many morally sensitive topics and was too edgy. However, the nightly re-screenings have brought it back to life, and more and more audiences are fascinated by its grotesqueness, flocking to the cinema at midnight, shouting "jerk" when the male protagonist appears, and shouting to the female protagonist "" Bitch", and with the crazy dancing, singing and laughing of the characters in the film, the unrecognized passion and personality of the younger generation are released here, and they find their sustenance in this anti-traditional value film.
The audience who let go of themselves
The audience, dressed in cross-dressing, jumps to the screen to sing and dance with the characters
At the beginning of the film, gorgeous and weird red lips occupy the center of the black screen, and a song "Science Fiction/Double Feature" is sung acapella by the voice of the red lips. The strong black and red contrast has great visual impact, and what is even more impressive is , this song is full of tributes to the B-grade films of the old era, from Flying Gordon to Dr. X, from Anne Francis to RKO Films, all of which are cultural symbols of B-grade films.
The movies mentioned in the song appear shoddy due to their age, but they cannot hide their "anti-genre" edge. No matter horror, sci-fi, eroticism, or action, they will subvert your perception of the genre. Xiaobai has sorted it out for everyone here. If you are interested, you can go and have a look:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Gordon (1936), The Invisible Man (1933), King Kong (1933), The Space Visitor (1953), Dr. X (1932), Forbidden Planet (1956), Tarantula (1955) ), The Age of the Three Pointed Trees (1962), Night of the Demons (1957), When the World Will Fall (1951)
"The Day the Earth Stood Still"
"When the World Falls"
Beginning with the opening song "ScienceFiction/DoubleFeature", the sixteen glam rock songs of the entire film have been sung so far, which is also the charm of this film. Exaggerated figures sing these songs and dance frantically, showing an artistic sense derived from stage musicals and higher than musicals.
The metaphors and jokes of The Rocky Horror Show are not just in the song, but in the details. For example, Dr. Frank's surgical gown, the red inverted triangle symbol on it is actually a symbol of the Nazis against gay men during World War II.
In the second half of the film, Dr. Frank dressed in women's clothes and sang freely falling into the pool. The painting at the bottom of the pool was "Genesis", which also metaphorically created Frank's creation of Loki, and even paid tribute to the "creation" in Frankenstein. metaphor.
In this hodgepodge of grotesque, sci-fi, singing and dancing, the most absurd and lovely group portraits in film history have been portrayed. Their deep impression is not only in their exaggerated and eerie shapes, but almost every character has an extremely strong image. Their very different souls each symbolize different ideological values and groups.
Tim Kerry is a rock star himself. Needless to say about his singing skills, the most eye-catching is his outfit that refreshes the aesthetics of ordinary people. The style of glam rock elevates the bewitching and romance to the extreme, a complete transcendence. The beauty of gender boundaries is revealed by him. Dr. Frank, the soul character he plays, exudes an anti-traditional trend in every move. To a certain extent, his cross-dressing is a metaphor for the alienation of post-modern patriarchal society, but his creation of Loki and his naked expression of his fanatical pursuit of muscle and strength is also a manifestation of male worship . Dr. Frank is such a contradictory, diverse and fickle person, perhaps this is also his greatest charm.
Janet is played by the well-known Aunt Susan. When it comes to Susan Sarandon, I believe everyone will be familiar with her. She is the Oscar-winning "Doomsday Flower", "Dead Man's Walk" and the recent popular American drama "The Enemy". well-known works. The performance of this year's "American Sweetheart" is easily reminiscent of the young generation of that year, innocent, fanatical, susceptible to infection and incitement, and blessed with natural curiosity and goodwill for new things that go against the trend. Her most exciting scene is the part where she turns her head to seduce the android Loki after learning of her fiance's betrayal. She concentrates innocence and desire, rules and rebellion, shyness and longing in just a few minutes, thus completing the release of freedom And evolution, really amazing.
In addition to this, there is a small character who appears for no more than five minutes and makes people's eyes shine, which is the motorcycle rider Eddie.
The short-lived Eddie came out brightly, taking all the characters and the audience's attention away from Frank and Loki. In a short song, Eddie dedicates all his romance, fearlessness, and freedom. He is an idealized youth image, pure romanticism. With the "love" and "hate" of "Night of the Hunter" tattooed in his hand, he is a pure soul without social norms and moral disciplines. It is precisely because he is too wild and ideal that he will die quickly. Dr. Frank sneered at him as an "innocent wreck" and "unfortunately without muscles," alluding to the realism he lacked.
Now, more than 40 years have passed, but the classics are often seen and new. The boldness and avant-garde of "Rocky Horror Show" also have a shocking effect on the heart. It is a liberal carnival, a spiritual declaration from the underground, a victory for the minority, wild and romantic, rebellion and Personality, rock and carnival are all condensed in this eternal night scene. And those creatures called "people" will eventually "disappear in each other's time and space" in an elegy-like carnival. After all, there is no immortal life, only immortal spirit.
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Text | Xiaobai
Review | Xiao F Editor | Ru Guo
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