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"Time Warp" and "Sweet Transvestite from Transylvania": Back to Back and Fun

posted 3 years ago by ecarle (14979)
4 replies | jump to latest

Perhaps its heyday as a "midnight movie for co-splay and crowd participation" is over, and it looks like the reviews were bad but -- hey:

I think the two back-to-back musical numbers near the beginning of the film do a lot to make the movie memorable today. Most of the players get to show off their singing and dancing chops and Tim Curry certainly made HIS mark:

First up: "Time Warp" or "Let's Do the Time Warp Again." A fast song, a sing-along, a chance for the bald guy to scream-sing and Little Nell to tap dance all with quick cuts to the stodgy Narrator(a former James Bond villain!) to jump in with direction: "Put your hands on your hips!"

Fast and fun.

And no sooner has this number ended -- with our "square couple" (Brian Bostwick's Brad and Susan Sarandan's Janet) unnerved(especially her) and Janet wanting out when...

...the elevator descends and we get our first look at Dr. Frank -N - Furter. Tim Curry in one of the earliest of the sexually ambiguous characters in film. Such a booming "manly" voice in song, such a disturbingly feminine lace and leather look to the lipsticked icon.

But its Curry's SINGING (and acting) that wins here.

Watch his face and enunciations on "So you got a flat, well...how 'bout THAT?" as he sings.

"Sweet Transvestite From Transylvania" is about as slow and slinky as "Time Warp" is fast and frolicking. Its fun to hear them back to back and then...

...they are over and its rather downhill from there, you ask me.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

You still get Meat Loaf and "Planet Schmanet Janet," though.

[–] tph890 (489) 3 years ago

I also think that Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite are awesome and probably the most memorable sequences from the movie, but I don’t think the film goes downhill from there. I think it basically stays the same in terms of how ridiculous and fun and campy it is. I love Meatloaf’s song, and also the Touch Me sequence, and the finale of Don’t Dream It, Be It. Also I really enjoy There’s A Light On at the beginning, and Dammit Janet. Oh, and the opening credits song, Science Fiction Double Feature.
Basically, I agree with your post. But also I just really fuckin love this strange ridiculous rock’n’roll farce of a musical from beginning to end.

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

I also think that Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite are awesome and probably the most memorable sequences from the movie, but I don’t think the film goes downhill from there.

--

I was perhaps too harsh in saying "downhill from there." For me, none of the songs later in the film quite have the "punch" of those two early ones, but the main thing is ...they are BACK TO BACK. No sooner are you grinning at what just happened with "Time Warp" that Frank 'n Furter arrives with HIS number and its like a one-two punch.

So...I still feel that way, but I think the rest of the movie has a lot going on, too.

And...I post this just a couple of days after the death of Meat Loaf at age 74, evidently from COVID. RIP

[–] tph890 (489) 3 years ago

RIP Meatloaf. (His name was Robert Paulson)