| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this movie is based upon complex adult themes of sexuality and personal freedoms/lifestyles. Dr. Frank N. Furter is played up as an outlandish, sexually open character. There is a very suggestive scene of Frank N. Furter seducing the couple and another sex scene between Janet and the beefcake Rocky. While there is no direct nudity, the film is very provocative, right down to the song lyrics. Teenagers who possess a more mature grasp of sexuality and individuality might understand and enjoy the film. Due to its strong sexual nature, parents should be very cautious about allowing their children to view this film.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW opens with conservative young couple (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon), experiencing a flat tire on a rainy night. They find shelter in the menacing-looking castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), a cross-dressing mad scientist. The film follows Brad and Janet's descent into the world of Dr. Frank N. Furter and his minions. He is building the perfect love god -- a muscle bound blond named Rocky. As Brad and Janet rediscover their own sexualities and Rocky desperately wants to discover his own, the film grows more surreal, ending in the massive revelation that Dr. Frank N. Furter's glammed out, androgynous self is more than just different, it is out of this world. Hunchback Riffraff deems the Doctor's lifestyle "too extreme" and subtly takes over in a very obvious reference to the powers of conformity quashing the wildly different when it gets in the way of the greater plan.
The definition of kitsch, Rocky Horror is a campy, musical spoof on the haunted-castle horror movie, encompassing a '70s glam-rock world of androgyny with characters that are more than offbeat. Adults have been gathering at ritualistic midnight viewings of Rocky Horror across the country since its 1975 debut, contributing to its cult classic title.
The movie has a built in audience: lovers of glam rock and the world it sings along to. For this audience, it's like watching their favorite 1970's glam rock concert come to life in film form. Rocky Horror is one of the best, if not the best executed examples of a film that celebrates the odd, the rejected, the rock n' roll misfits who live by the beat of their own wayward drum. It's just not for kids.
Families can talk about this movie's themes of personal and sexual individuality and the concept of "fitting in." Beyond the campy elements, there are lessons to be learned about staying true to yourself.
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | Jim Sharman |
| Cast: | Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry |
| Genre: | Musical |
| Run time: | 106 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 26, 1975 |
| DVD release date: | October 3, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | content |