The Rocky Horror Picture Show

"A different set of jaws."

1975 1h 40m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 3,267

ComedyScience FictionHorror

Synopsis

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After getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, newly engaged couple Brad and Janet encounter the eerie mansion of the flamboyant, seductive Dr Frank-N-Furter and a variety of eccentric characters. Through elaborate dance and rock music, the mad scientist unveils his latest creation: a perfect, muscular man.

“A different set of jaws.”

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Cast

Tim Curry
Dr. Frank-N-Furter
Susan Sarandon
Janet Weiss
Barry Bostwick
Brad Majors
Richard O'Brien
Riff Raff
Patricia Quinn
Magenta
Nell Campbell
Columbia
Jonathan Adams
Dr. Everett V. Scott
Peter Hinwood
Rocky Horror

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim Sharman
Writers: Jim Sharman, Richard O'Brien
Languages: English, German
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands Antilles

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $171M — a 122.3× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands Antilles.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Rocky Horror Picture Show Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim Sharman, shot by Peter Suschitzky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Hartley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim Sharman directs. Peter Suschitzky behind the camera. Richard Hartley scores. Graeme Clifford cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands Antilles. Dialogue in English, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $171M — a 122.3× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
351 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.
5International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands Antilles.
6Part of the "The Rocky Horror Picture Show Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
7Directed by Jim Sharman, shot by Peter Suschitzky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Original score by Richard Hartley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
9Editor Graeme Clifford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
10Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick carry the top of the cast.
11Marketing tagline: "A different set of jaws.".
12IMDB entry: tt0073629 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
13Classified under 26 themes, including "sexual identity", "rock 'n' roll", "transvestism", "time warp".

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky
Original score: Richard Hartley
Editing: Graeme Clifford
Production design: Brian Thomson
Costume design: Sue Blane
Makeup / hair: Ramon Gow
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,400,000
Box office: $171,181,400
Return: 12227% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Part of

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Collection

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy horror film directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also a member of the cast. The production is a parody tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s. Along with O'Brien, the film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick and is narrated by Charles Gray. Shock Treatment is a 1981 follow-up to the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show also directed by Jim Sharman, and co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. While not an outright sequel, the film does feature several characters from the previous film, most portrayed by different actors, as well as several Rocky Horror actors in new roles. The film stars Jessica Harper as Janet and Cliff De Young in a dual role as Brad and the film's main antagonist Farley Flavors, with O'Brien and Patricia Quinn playing sibling character actors.

Also by

Jim Sharman

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

tricksy2015-06-10
Moving on from the riotous cult stage show which was born in a small studio theatre in the early 70s, this movie version is a well-cast, outrageous romp showcasing the absurdity and sci-fi obsession of Richard O'Brien's inventive musical. The small cast - the wonderful Tim Curry as Frank 'n Furter (the sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania'); Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as the odd science students Brad and Janet; Patricia Quinn as Magenta ('a domestic'); Little Nell as Columbia ('a groupie'), Jonathan Adams as Dr Scott; Meat Loaf as Eddie; Richard O'Brien himself as the handyman Riff Raff; Peter Hinwood as the muscle man Rocky, created by Frank in a spoof on Frankenstein; and Charles Gray having a great time as the Criminologist - are all really good, and the songs are terrific, from the madness of 'The Timewarp' and 'Sweet Transvestite', to the ethereal 'There's a Light' and 'I'm Going Home', by way of the rocky 'Whatever Happened To Saturday Night?' and the film-reference heavy 'Science Fiction Double Feature'. Great, great fun and the floor show sequence in particular, showcasing Frank's obsession with Fay Wray and the RKO cheapies, is exceptional, with its statues in basques and its huge swimming pool. Trash, yes, but classy trash, and most enjoyable.
Peter89Spencer2021-06-03
★ 8/10
A time(warp)less classic!
Filipe Manuel Neto2024-03-05
★ 7/10
As a film, it could be better, but it's funny and bizarre enough for us to see it at least once in our lives. This is one of those films that everyone should see at least once in their life. It's a pretty good comedy musical where satire meets nonsense intensely, in a film adaptation of an English play that had been successful at the time. I don't know much about the stage version, I don't even know if there are any concrete differences, but I can say that the film gives us exactly what it promises. The story told is probably the film's biggest weakness: anyone who likes logic and a story with some consistent structure will be disappointed with this purposefully disjointed, sloppy and surrealistic script, where an innocent and foolish engaged couple ends up lost in a storm and ends up in a gothic mansion. There lives the bizarre Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a kind of mad scientist who is proudly gay, transvestite and from “Transsexual Transylvania”, presumably another planet or dimension. He has just created a man for his sexual pleasure and is celebrating this effusively with other strange characters, such as his enslaved servants. From the moment the couple enters the mansion and meets its owner and his guests, the film stops and starts to hiccup a lot: the director had no good ideas to present from then on and limited himself to recreating the play in a cinematic environment. Obviously, the film has an intense sexual energy that challenges us to awaken our sexuality, to explore our bodies, pleasure and sexual identity. Sexual maturity, sexual identity and homosexuality are strong themes that underlie the script and fit well into the era in which the film appeared (remember, the Sexual Revolution was still leaving its marks at this time). Furthermore, the Counterculture was experiencing an intense moment at the time and made its aesthetic and visual contribution, which was very noticeable in the sets and costumes. The film has some anthology-worthy scenes, such as Frank-N-Furter's personal introduction at the beginning of the film, and a very strong cast dominated by actors with unquestionable talent. Tim Curry, in his film debut, is gigantic in the lead role and absolutely dominates every scene. He's sexy, he's provocative, he's malevolent, intense and sometimes cruel. The actor gives himself completely to his work, without fear, and offers us work of absolute value. Susan Sarandon, still exuding youth, is perfect as a modest, sexually repressed and docile young woman, and Barry Bostwick seems an excellent choice for her romantic partner. Richard O’Brien and Charles Gray also do a good job, while Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell work very well on the songs, but have little to add when the music stops. On the negative side... Jonathan Addams added very little to the film, Meat Loaf makes only one unnecessary appearance and Peter Hinwood, whose character could have been more central, is quickly discarded. On a technical level, the film has several quality aspects that deserve our analysis and a positive comment, starting with the colorful, clear and impactful cinematography, and the elaborate and bizarre sets. The makeup and costumes are impressive, with a strong “punk” inspiration, but they look cheap. The castle where much of the film was made is beautiful and fits well into the story. Being a musical, the soundtrack is crucial and works very well. Even the less interesting songs work well from a narrative point of view, moving the film forward, with sung dialogue and the action advancing to the rhythm of the music. The opening credits song is iconic, as is “Sweet Trasvestite” which introduces us to the main character, but I confess that I especially liked “There’s a Light”. It's a very beautiful song and full of hope.