#richard o brien

[sarnie-for-varney]

I just noticed something about some of the actors in Granada Holmes.

A few of the actors (I've only noticed two so far) starred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

Charles Gray, who plays Mycroft Holmes (and was first introduced in the The Greek Interpreter episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), also played The Criminologist in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

While watching the The Norwood Builder episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I noticed that Jonathan Adams portrays Jonah Oldacre. Jonathan Adams plays the role of Dr. Everett Scott in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[j-tillow]

[bradassholemajors]

Wtf Is Shock Treatment’s Deal? (Or, Local Critic Discovers Escapism and Having Fun In The Midst of Late Stage Capitalistic Dread)

Watched Shock Treatment for the first time this week, and I am a changed man lol. Here are some disorganized thoughts:

I think something that makes Rocky Horror so special is that it can be as deep or not-deep as you want it to be. Like, if you want to think about the cultural implications of the themes portrayed (hedonism, gay & trans liberation, gender roles, the Invasion-of-the-Body-snatchers style infiltration of outside queer forces, the downfall of the safety contained within a collective identity), you can absolutely do that! There’s so much to be interpreted there!! But if you are just here to see Tim Curry looking incredibly sexy and violently thrust along to the Time Warp at a midnight showing with a bunch of cool strangers, that is absolutely awesome, too. Slay!! Take what you want.

BUT SHOCK TREATMENT MANNNN??? Shock Treatment is a whole different ballgame lol. Like, it is also a thematically rich goldmine, if you’re willing to squint a little— in terms of content included, not necessarily how it’s portrayed within the narrative. In the words of Barry Bostwick here, “it was a statement about the future that we weren't quite ready to explore. We didn't really even have the mental emotional vocabulary to understand what Richard [O’Brien, the creator] was trying to say.” I think this is spot-fucking-on!!! It’s absolutely frighteningly prescient, especially today in terms of the commodification of mental health. Like, woah. Janet being crowned “Miss Mental Health” felt like such a Gwyneth Paltrow moment. Cultural prophet Richard O’Brien saw the dark cloud of Betterhelp and wellness culture galloping over in the horizon in the distance of the American landscape, and he set out to warn us.

I still don’t quite understand what happened in the movie. I still don’t know what my takeaway was supposed to be. And I guess if you’re a little insane and love having fun doing thematic analysis with weird media (like me), taking Shock Treatment seriously may be right for you, lol. But thematically overall I think it’s safe to say: it’s a lot less coherent than its predecessor. It’s messy. It’s not interested in being flawless. It’s not interested in appealing to an audience. It’s barely interested in being a sequel. Shock Treatment is lowkey pointing and laughing in the face of those who showed up expecting a masterpiece— which admittedly was me, because I take Rocky Horror pretty seriously. (I put off watching Shock Treatment for a while bc I wasn’t sure about how it would affect the Rocky Horror Universe I had in my head.) If not for the internet reviews prepping me, I would have walked in completely expecting another nuanced perfect symphony of a movie to measure up to Rocky Horror’s magic.

But the thing was? Watching Shock Treatment, it ended up I did not really care!!!!! I was having the time of my life!!!!!

(more under the cut whoops)

Wtf was going on!!!!!!!!!!! Who knows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still don’t quite know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I loved it!!!

This reaction of such joy, just letting myself vibe out made me think because when did I start getting surprised when watching a movie is more pleasurable than not??? Isn’t that the entire point of media??

I think with the modern commodification of media analysis and examining pop culture up close, I’d argue that Fun Media without a message is actually pretty hard to come by— at least in mainstream culture. Even stuff as sanitized as Disney movies are now digging into like generational trauma, appealing to what seems to be a collective search for depth (or at least the appearance of depth.) Modern neo-nazi brands of fascism wields power like never before, horrific images of violence follow everyone left and right. Sometimes it seems like this open secret, that everyone knows there’s this looming darkness at the forefront of our minds at all times.

So this transition from Rocky Horror to Shock Treatment felt actually sort of powerful to me. Rocky Horror’s generation-long reverberations of shamelessly depicting sensual revelry are so powerful; it’s bold even for today! (Of course, we all know transvestite isn’t a term commonly used today, but looking at it through the lens of its time, it becomes clear what a miracle the movie is. Knowing what it must have meant to queer people at the time it became a phenomenon— giving them a real space to be themselves in a hostile world criminalizing who they were, in a time of oppressive pressure to stay silent — that is the type of brave blatant acceptance hard to come by in any era.) Rocky Horror is something I don’t know if will ever happen again, and its sequel seems to concur.

Shock Treatment has been called a cash grab but I beg to differ. If you’ve seen it, no offense: but does this seem marketable to you??? It seems like it’s a Richard O’Brien project (already wacky) that went through several levels of development hell and heavy modifications through the creative process. Said with the utmost respect… it may have got away from them a bit. Put lovingly, Shock Treatment lowkey kinda sucks a little at times. It’s silly, it’s got a huge cast and musical fun galore. It’s serving B-movie realness. I don’t say this to bash on it, I say this with a bemused respect— I think the existence of Shock Treatment is as much a miracle as Rocky Horror (aren’t all creations???)

So in the first iteration, we have advocacy and fighting for freedom for those long silenced… but also, Shock Treatment seems to allow the creators to just let themselves have fun. Aren’t they both revolutions in their own right? Does everything have to be lasting cultural milestones or does our enjoyment matter in the moment? I’d argue we need both as human beings to thrive. It comes back to that Rocky-Horror-experience philosophy I covered where you’re taking what you feel you need most from the media you consume: a message or a celebration of just being here.

In conclusion, sometimes shit doesn’t have to be that deep. More movies should just say “fuck it, we ball” and give you the most absolutely incoherent fun time of your life. I love not taking things seriously, and I love creators willing to not take their work seriously. Perhaps Richard O’Brien also had a premonition with Shock Treatment in the sense of how he just had fun with it! Maybe we need less attempts at masterpieces and more attempts at just creation for the joy of it— or both, because joyful creation makes masterpieces!!! I’d love to see more creators of every skill level and every background, known and not known, say fuck you to capitalism and expectation and marketability and just say, we’re gonna do it anyhow, anyhow!!!

[miksweety]

Super Heroes - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, intimate piano / vocal cover 👄

[ninbinary]

sillydark rabbit...

[cherry-flavored-sigh]

y'all know he's said some really shitty things about trans women, right

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1318 – Richard de Clare, Lord of Thomond, a descendant of Strongbow, is killed while commanding his forces at the Battle of Dysert O’Dea.

The Normans were very unsuccessful in trying to establish themselves in Clare. They had but one small section in Bunratty guarded by a strong Castle of the same name. In 1318 Richard DeClare occupied the Castle of Bunratty. In May of that year he was joined by some Irish traitors and they proceeded with a very strong Army of English and Irish to attack Conor O’Dea of Dysert O’Dea and establish…

[streamondemand]

Leaving soon: 'Fantastic Voyage' on HBO Max

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) took the world on a mind bending trip to outer space, but Fantastic Voyage (1966) is the original psychedelic inner-space adventure. When a brilliant scientist falls into a coma with an inoperable blood clot in the brain, a surgical team embarks on a top secret journey to the center of the mind in a high tech military submarine shrunk to microbial dimensions. But…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 675: The best alibi you can have in this town

In #128, wisecracking waitress Maggie Evans opened a conversation in the diner at the Collinsport Inn with that old familiar ice-breaker, “Whaddaya hear from the morgue?” The show took us all the way to Phoenix, Arizona for a trip to that city’s morgue in #174, but it is only today we see the inside of Collinsport’s own morgue for the first time. Sheriff George Patterson brings heiress Carolyn…

[cultfaction]

Preview- Elvira's Haunted Hills (Bluray)

Elvira’s back and she’s fabulous! With her voluptuous figure, voluminous black hair and hilarious one-liners, the essence of camp oozes from her pores. Elvira’s Haunted Hills culls its outrageousness from the classic Vincent Price / Edgar Allan Poe / Roger Corman films of the early ’60s, along with a little Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fearless Vampire Killers. The tale begins in 1851, when…

[raynbowclown]

The Admiral Was a Lady

In The Admiral Was a Lady, a post-World War II comedy, Wanda Hendrix (Prince of Foxes) stars as Jean Madison, a former WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) ensign taken under the wings of a rowdy group of former airmen, who affectionately dub her the “Admiral.” Handily directed by veteran filmmaker Albert S. Rogell (Li’l Abner), the film is bolstered by the crackling chemistry…

[saxafimedianetwork]

Liverpool City Council Re-Recognizes Somaliland: A Historic Moment

Historic moment! #Liverpool @lpoolcouncil unanimously passes motion re-recognizing #Somaliland as independent nation. Calls on @GOVUK to follow suit, acknowledging SL's democratic progress & contributions to the city. Thanks to @CllrLHarvey & @triciaobrien24

Continue reading Liverpool City Council Re-Recognizes Somaliland: A Historic Moment

[ronnydeschepper]

Veertig jaar geleden: "The Rocky Horror Show" (Theater Arena)

Het is vandaag al veertig jaar geleden dat ik in het Gentse Arenatheater de première meemaakte van “The Rocky Horror Show”. (Bovenstaande affiche is wel van de film uit 1975, van de Arena-productie heb ik geen foto in de breedte.) Continue reading Untitled

[sanguinaryrot]

um. my mood plummeted really hard. so I guess I will watch Rocky Horror to cheer me up

[manicpixieyandere]

The Leader of a Queer Generation; The Rocky Horror Picture Show

(This is another college essay we are posting for funzies lmao, enjoy!). (Also had to censor it, sorry!).

With the fall of the Hays Code, the queer demographic was finally able to have their own cult classics and media culture. Most prominently was The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Richard O’ Brien) in 1975. For a bit of history. The Hays Code was in effect from 1934-1968. The Hays Code was a rigid set of rules for television and film that stated all delinquent behavior must be punished on screen. If a character did something immoral, they must suffer the consequences, the consequence usually being death. The Hays Code itself outlined what it deemed to be immoral behavior. Among that list was anything remotely queer. This is where many tropes and writing tools were developed such as the “Burry Your Gays” trope or queer coding. The Hays Code was lifted in 1968 and replaced with something similar to our rating system today. So, what did that mean for queer audiences? It meant it was time for them to be the stars!

​For the first time in decades showrunners and movie makers could show queer activity on the small or even big screen! The most notable product of this time period was The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Originally a musical performed onstage in the early 70s that was adapted into a film in 1975. The original musical and movie shared a similar cast, most notably Tim Curry as the main antagonist Frank-N-Furter. Frank was a self described “Sweet Transvestite from Transexual Transylvania” (O’ Brien 1975). The word transvestite was very different than what it means today. In 1975 it was equivalent to Frank telling the characters Brad and Janet (but also the audience) that he was transexual or transgender (as those terms were not in frequent use until much later).

Speaking of Brad and Janet, they are the audience’s “straight man”. To quote David J Getsy “One cannot be queer alone” (Getsy, 2017, para. 2). This is to use the original meaning of the word “queer” as in weird. You cannot be weird if there is no normal, so Brad and Janet are the stand ins for an average American straight couple. Throughout the movie though we see Brad and Janet start to learn things about themselves at Frank’s castle. After Frank has s*x with each of them separately they start to see things differently. Janet becomes more open and lustful with her sexuality making many advances towards titular character Rocky. Janet is also seen making out with another girl, Columbia. Brad while less confident, still learns some preferences he did not know he had that can be considered “out of the norm”. Another popular reading being he was a closeted gay man as well. Brad and Janet learn with the audience that it is ok to explore one’s sexuality and gender identity. While Frank-N-Furter does in fact die, the Hays Code still has no effect here as Brand and Janet get to live out their lives after their newfound discoveries.

Brad and Janet aren’t the only ones who have a good time in the castle. In the “Time Warp” the audience along with Brad and Janet are introduced to Riff Raff and Magenta, a quirky sibling duo. Later in the song the character Columbia introduces herself. She tells the story of how she met Frank-N-Furter and how he changed her life. Later in the movie we are also introduced to Eddie and Rocky. Eddie being a former lover of Frank and Columbia’s. Rocky is the man Frank-N-Furter makes, very Frankenstein esq. In the song “Rose Tint My World” each character performs in a floor show expressing how Frank’s lust and freedom has rubbed off on them. Some like Brad and Columbia have their reservations but choose to wear those rose tinted glasses, while Rocky and Janet are completely accepting of this new found life. Eventually the evening is cut short when Riff Raff kills Frank as well as Rocky and Columbia. Riff Raff does this as he proclaims Frank-N-Furter’s lifestyle was just “too extreme (O’ Brien, 1975).

Just like Brad, Janet, and everyone else in the castle, the real world also has a tradition inspired by Frank-N-Furter (and The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Performance groups acting along side showings of the movie become vastly popular. As did a script of “counterpoint dialogue” the audience would shout during the movie. It was also tradition to throw toilet paper at the screen during certain scenes in the movie (although this one has fallen out of fashion at some theaters, being deemed “rude”). For these events the audience can dress however they want! The idea was to be comfortable and be yourself. This means many people show up in similar fashion to the movie. Gothic, gram rock, corsets, you name it! It is a night of community and fun.

​In 2016 The Rocky Horror Picture Show was remade as a filmed stage musical titled The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again (Kenny Ortega, 2016). In this production, actress Laverne Cox was casted as Frank-N-Furter. Cox is a transwoman, marking the first official time Frank-N-Furter was played by an actual transwoman. Laverne Cox is also African American and finally sheds some light on black queers in this production, something sorely lacking in the original production. There are stark differences in the interpretations of the character Curry and Cox portrayed. The outfitting of Tim Curry’s Frank-N-Furter implies shock value by using feminine clothing to show off a masculine body, while Laverne Cox’s costuming is more feminine in nature. Cox’s Frank-N-Furter is still compared to the “straight men” of Brad and Janet but not in an oppositional nature.

​The influence of The Rocky Horror Picture Show still goes on today. There are still many notable screenings of the movie with live actors and scripted audience responses. The 2016 remake was just one production of many put on through the years. Popular media nowadays even references The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Even in places you wouldn’t expect such as kids shows like Phineas and Ferb (Dan Povenmire and Jeff Marsh, 2007). The Rocky Horror Picture Show introduced an audience to queer culture and continues to be a part of said culture many decades later. The way in which this movie carried itself into queer culture signifies its strong se of rhetorical devices such as; ethos, logos, and pathos. The ethos present in the film is that of Frank (who has experience) showing the characters AND the audience how happy they’d be to give into desire and to simply be themselves. This ties into the logos being that these characters do in fact end up happy in their newfound situation, especially Janet. The pathos plays on the fact that all humans have some sort of desire they push down. The Rocky Horror Picture Show uses these literary devices to tell its queer audience for generations to be themselves and have fun!

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1848 – A gunfight takes place between Young Ireland Rebels and police at Widow McCormack’s house in Ballingarry, Co Tipperary.

The Young Irelander Rebellion was a failed Irish nationalist uprising led by the Young Ireland movement, part of the wider Revolutions of 1848 that affected most of Europe. It took place on 29 July 1848 in the village of Ballingarry, South Tipperary. After being chased by a force of Young Irelanders and their supporters, an Irish Constabulary unit raided a house and took those inside as hostages.…