MovieChat Forums > The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again (2016) Discussion > Millenials and Gen Y... this was not you...

Millenials and Gen Y... this was not your parents' Rocky Horror

posted 8 years ago by laplante-co-672-297856
22 replies | jump to latest

This was... not good.

As a concept/experience this re-make came off as dated. Back the 70s this play/movie was a novelty with its take on fluid sexuality, cross-dressing, etc. Coming out of the sexual revolution of the 60s, these were concepts that weren't yet mainstream. Today, they are firmly embedded in our culture -- if not accepted by all -- and they aren't really shocking or titillating.

I was distracted by the setup where we watch the 'faux audience' watching the movie. The faux audience does all the things that we used to do back in the 70s, watching the movie in the dark at theatres -- rice, water, TP (but I didn't hear the cries of "SLUT!') -- in an attempt to re-create the experience. For the benefit of millenials, I guess, who didn't live through the original times. Did it work for them or leave them wondering what the deal was?

Commercials! They really took me out of the experience and worse, they seemed to be stuck in there at random times rather than during a natural break in the story. One set of commercials literally cut off a conversation. The producers might have been better to somehow acknowledge and incorporate these into the production.

Direction/choreography. Awful. The actors lurch about acting all 'zany', often looking awkward and uncomfortable trying to force an energy that wasn't there. The camera never seemed to know where to focus attention. Even the few clips I saw of Glee seemed to be better than this.

Cheesy CGI, e.g. that collapsing castle at the end. They would have been better to go old school on the special effects in keeping with the lo-fi spirit of the original.

Tim Curry. Maybe it was a symptom of his post-stroke recovery, but it was hard to watch this formerly high-energy actor reduced to a mumbling minor role in a bit of stunt casting.

Casting. Laverne Cox was okay, a mix of the original Frank-N-Furter and a bit of Tina Turner at the end. Adam Lambert... wasted. Brad and Janet characters... forgettable... give me Barry and Susan back. I did like the character of Riff Raff (Reeve Carney) who didn't seemed to be so self-conscious of his role.

This will probably become some sort of Halloween standard a la It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Unfortunately, the original was very much a product of its times and can't be re-created.

Disagree? Agree? Did you see the original way back when?

[–] CookieNCreams 8 years ago

For the record, Gen Ys are the millennials. The current generation after my bracket are the Gen Zs (or the unofficial post-millennials/iGeneration).

I was distracted by the setup where we watch the 'faux audience' watching the movie. The faux audience does all the things that we used to do back in the 70s, watching the movie in the dark at theatres -- rice, water, TP (but I didn't hear the cries of "SLUT!') -- in an attempt to re-create the experience. For the benefit of millenials, I guess, who didn't live through the original times. Did it work for them or leave them wondering what the deal was?

Commercials! They really took me out of the experience and worse, they seemed to be stuck in there at random times rather than during a natural break in the story. One set of commercials literally cut off a conversation. The producers might have been better to somehow acknowledge and incorporate these into the production.

Those are the two paragraphs that I could agree with you on the most. I found the interactive moviegoers distracting for a while, which took me out of the show a few times. Those scenes would’ve served alright as part of the opening and closing scenes of the show, but the oscillation between the two scenes quickly turned it into a pointless distraction.

The commercial breaks were also the worst part about this show. Some breaks would take place during the middle of a music number or scene. And conversations would get cut off as you’ve mentioned. Why the programmers didn’t at least waited for the entire sequence to wrap up first, I may never know.

Other than those two moments I thought it was an okay show, if not the best. Not truly the worst show either like it was made out to be. I probably wouldn’t end up watching it again in repeat. Some casting choices are fine, others could’ve been better, Adam Lambert was good but wasted, the production values for the most part seem topnotch (like the set), and some costumes were fine while others seem a little too ‘flashy’ for its theme.

🍭🎃👻🍬

[–] joisepeterson 8 years ago

I'm Gen Y (born 1984) and I knew about Rocky Horror when I was 19 after someone lent a VHS copy to me to watch when I was going through a tragic event. For nearly 1 hour and 41 minutes I was taken away into a world of homages to Sci-Fi/Horror and the world of exploring sexuality.

I feel in love with the music, the lyrics, quotes, sets and costumes and of course the actors.

The original got me through a rough period. I tried to be optimistic as I have seen two professional stage productions and even a high school production and the Glee tribute and gave benefit of the doubt about this hyped remake but in the end after seeing it the expectations fell flat.

Fox *beep* it up.

[–] Saucy_Jacky 8 years ago

We know. Everybody is familiar with the original Rocky Horror.

Catch me when you can, Mishter Lusk.

[–] darogr 8 years ago

I agree with most. I don't however believe this version will ever become a Halloween standard. I think even millenials and GenY know this was a botched version of something unique and weirdly wonderful, and will discover the original via this mess.

I also disagree with transvestism being mainstream in 2016, maybe being transsexual is accepted and mainstream among most educated or somewhat sophisticated people, but the idea of a bisexual male transvestite who will seduce both the bride to be and the groom to be still makes most people very uncomfortable in 2016. I think that's why they went with Cox in the lead instead of Lambert, so seems to have been born to play it.

As for Tim Curry, I think what you see there is an actor who wants to work and who will roll himself onstage in a wheelchair to do it, a real trouper, and I say Bravo to that!

I agree also the faux audience was just stupid and not really reminiscent of the 70's experience. Funny/Sad note...When I saw the film in the 70's in a theater in Texas where the audience not only yelled "S**t", but "F*g" when Frank-N-Furter made his entrance. I only went a few times myself, less than 10 probably all together.

[–] dedoc1967 8 years ago

As for Tim Curry, I think what you see there is an actor who wants to work and who will roll himself onstage in a wheelchair to do it, a real trouper, and I say Bravo to that!

Gotta love Curry, he's forever brilliant. 

[–] rdpepper210 8 years ago

OP well written. I am the generation that went to the theater, got pelted with rice, water, toilet paper, and the occasional piece of toast, came home soaked and left rice on the bathroom floor. If you never went to the theater, you missed half the experience.

The remake was like they neutered the original. I love Laverne Cox in OITNB, but she reminded me of a drag queen. Tim Curry was more subtle but soldered underneath. He managed to still be masculine even with the makeup. The scene with Frank and Brad was more of a wrestling match than a seduction. It was way too homogenized. And don't get me started on the droopy boxers Rocky is wearing. This will be deleted.

[–] Gourry Gabriev 8 years ago

This was an awful remake of a cult classic. I like the previous poster am a veteran of the theatre experience. I have been following part of the same "Theatre Cast" for almost 30 years. I agree that this production was a neutered PC shadow of the original. It was great to see Tim Curry not letting the effects of his stroke keep him from getting back in front of the cameras. The Time Warp was a unorganized mess, Hot Patotie was ok, Meatloaf was better but Adam Lambert was ok. They butchered the floor show. The production was as bad as I feared it was going to be. One positive I could say is that Victoria Justice was great as Janet, she was the only one who seemed comfortable acting, singing and dancing.

I implore all readers at least once seek out your local RHPS cast and see it in the theatre. You won't regret it.

[–] adamgenesiseden 8 years ago

I gave this a great deal of thought while I was shaving my balls this morning ...

the so-called "tribute" sucked!