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We’re all on a strange journey through life. Admittedly, some are stranger than others, but who are we to judge? But here we all are, heading through life.
The one thing we all have in common here is that we love movies. Now and then, what’s even better is a documentary about how movies are made. That’s what Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror.
We had the trailer a little while ago, and even though The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t one of my most favourite movies, I was happy to watch a documentary about how it was made.
The Cast
If you didn’t know, the cast of this documentary are the cast of the original movie. The focus is on Richard O’Brien, the original creator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We start with O’Brien, visiting his hometown.
They have put up a statue in his honour. At first, I thought that was a little over the top; however, as the documentary goes on, I didn’t know how big Rocky Horror actually is.
There are interviews with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Peter Hinwood, plus the crew, like Jim Sharman, the director of the movie. The entire documentary is directed by Linus O’Brien, Richard’s son, who does an excellent job.
Strange Indeed
Before the days of Rocky Horror, before 1975, most musicals were about Singin’ in the Rain, or the corn fields of Oklahoma. They were all pretty ‘nice’, safe, and family-friendly. Something like Rocky Horror was, well, different.
The opening song has Dr Frank-N-Furter throw off a cape and reveal himself in stockings and a corset. It was quite the start to something that would cause a cultural phenomenon that is still big today.
I didn’t know this, but the theatrical show is still going around the world. There are also cinemas that show the movie at midnight every night.
All of the screenings and shows are packed to the rafters with fans, dressed as the cast and singing along to every song. As I said, I had no idea it was still so big, but it meant a lot to a lot of people.
Strange Help
Again, as I said, The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t big on my radar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great musical, but just not my thing. However, to some people, it was a gateway into another world.
A lot of people had lived sheltered lives, living in a closet, if you will, but Rocky Horror helped them be their true selves. When Frank throws off that cape and sings about being a Sweet Transvestite, it opens up something in them.
If a movie can sing about being a transvestite, they can come out of the closet and be their true selves. As I said, it’s not my thing, but it’s good to see the movie helped a lot of people.
Overall
Even though Rocky Horror isn’t my thing, the documentary is fascinating. From its humble beginnings and incarnation, to becoming a worldwide phenomenon. You can’t deny that Rocky Horror changes, in movies, and for a lot of people.
There isn’t much else to say about Strange Journey, to be honest. It’s a very well-produced documentary about a movie that is still popular today.
I loved how they created the stage show and then the movie. Sharman gave brilliant insights, like how he asked the special effects guys to make the movie effects worse. He knew they had to lean into the campiness of the movie and wanted a B-movie style.
If you like a good making of a movie documentary, you’ll like Strange Journey. I know it’s not everyone’s cuppa, but it was a great watch.
Strange Journey: The Rocky Horror Story is on streaming.
The post Docu Review: STRANGE JOURNEY – The Story of Rocky Horror appeared first on Last Movie Outpost.
