The Washington Post published a nice piece yesterday celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I enjoyed the film and appreciate its tone and attitude. The film is incredibly well-cast, giving career boosts to Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Meatloaf.
I consider myself fortunate that I lost my Rocky virginity in the privacy of my dorm room. My roommate, John Wolham, ran a free film program, and each week, all the rented films were from different organizations were kept in one room. So, a few times a week, John would bring a 16mm projector and cans of film to the dorm. We’d do our homework and then order a Domino’s pizza (the cheapest choice around, and they delivered) and project onto a blank wall.
This way, I got to see it in peace, able to follow the crazy story and actually listen to the lyrics. I’ve seen it a few times since, but never with the interactive component. Honestly, the closest I came to that was when I watched Fame a few months later.
Growing up, thanks to my father, I was exposed to much of the Golden Age of Hollywood, appreciating the stars from radio, movies, and early television. As I entered my teens, one by one, those stars aged and died, and I mourned along with the older generation. Now, I find that many performers who got started in my youth are taking their final bows. I’ve come to look forward to the In Memoriam segments of awards shows to pay one final salute to those who entertained me for so long.
I was thinking of that in light of the ailments that robbed us of Tim Cutty’s work. He is a versatile performer who took Dr. Frank-N-Furter and used it as a launching pad to perform on stage and screen, chewing the scenery at every turn.
What We’re Watching
Given my schedule, I remain perpetually behind on the shows I watch on my own. As a result, I haven’t seen this week’s much-discussed Peacemaker, but I have been enjoying it and join the chorus singing about Jennifer Holland’s performance. I also began the second season of Gen V and see it’s back to its delightful over-the-top way. Wednesday continues to be fun, nicely expanding the role for the rest of her family.
We completed season one of Bad Sisters, which nicely built up its mystery with us figuring out who dunnit just before the reveal. High Potential is off to a good start as they resolved the Game Maker plot (although we all know he’ll be back), and we’re really liking Bosch: Legacy.
What I’m Reading
I completed Julia, the retelling of 1984 from Julia’s point of view, and found it an interesting expansion on characterization and the world. George Orwell was caught up in telling his cautionary tale, which is filled with ideas but lacks great characterization. I found this a far more successful expansion than James.
I’m listening to my first Jules Verne novel (what took so long, I don’t know), From the Earth to the Moon. For a 1865 novel, I find the ideas and science fascinating (so much of it is accurate)and just wish the characters were more complex.
I also liked Star Trek III: The Making of the Classic Film. I was interviewed for this, but my quotes wound up on the cutting room floor. I question if this movie is really a classic, but the authors do a nice job taking readers from idea to release.
#Tags: 1984, Bad Sisters, Bosch: Legacy, Fame, From the Earth to the Moon, Gen V, High Potential, Jennifer Holland, Jules Verne, Julia, Meatloaf, Peacemaker, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Star Trek III: The Making of the Classic Film, Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry, Wednesday