MovieChat Forums > The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again (2016) Discussion > Question about the first five minute int...

Question about the first five minute introduction.

posted 8 years ago by Film_o_philiac
12 replies | jump to latest

Is the overhaul really necessary???

Seriously, though - what an insipid idea.

Different directors have directed different stage shows and done their own thing - brought different ideas; but you would think that they would at least try to keep some of the original's class in.

The beauty of the original intro is it' simplicity - an iconic and truly original concept.

The new intro however, just smacks of Amateur Theatre... It really does.

Anyhow - I have a feeling that this will be panned by people who actually love the originals, and lauded by the younger generation of fans.

What an utter contemporary balls-up this looks to be.

[–] SerDarioTaranFulci 8 years ago

I know.... the references to the movies in the song were so heavy handed too. LOOK AT THE GIANT POSTERs ONE BY ONE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It was just uninspired directing and choreography, her voice sounds great, but not for this song or this show. I am glad there are still level headed Rocky fans fighting the good fight against this abomination.

[–] wanderingson1984 8 years ago

The big problem here is that, even on a nerdy scale, RHS is dated. The references were nerdy when it was written, but at least those movies were kinda cult hits then.

Today most younger people will only hear names and be left wondering what the hell it has to do with the rest.
And that's not because they are stupid, but because the backlog of classic movies has gotten so huge.

Though I'd have preferred reenactments over posters.

[–] smcarter1966 8 years ago

The usherette has always been part of the stage show, with her coming out on stage to sing Science Fiction Double Feature. I wonder how many people who were acquainted with the stage show, after seeing RHPS for the first time, said "There's a pair of freaking lips on the screen! What happened to the Usherette? This is not faithful to the stage show at all!!!!!"

I did see the footage of Science Fiction Double Feature from the remake and I enjoyed it and I approve. Unlike The Time Warp footage I saw, if it was any worse, I would have started crying.

Criminals:
The stupid ones get arrested,
The smart ones get re-elected.

[–] zinjo00-587-975183 8 years ago

To do a better rendition of this film / stage show would be to put it on HBO / Showtime/ etc... where the full measure of the show could be explored. Not this attempt at mainstreaming a subversive cult classic.

[–] kristinaknight 8 years ago

That Time Warp was a disgrace. Especially Riff Raff. He looked so perfect, but his singing was too aggressive, even right out of the gate. When Richard sings his part in Science Fiction, its so plaintive, so gentle, until the last "into my llliiifffeee". It is jarring coming from someone that looks like that, and I think that's what makes you intrigued by the character.

This guy just came out like an American Idol singer, throwing extra notes in there just to showcase his vocal ability. And his movements were positively spasmodic. I thought during Time Warp he was going to fall to the floor and start foaming at the mouth.

[–] neatnik333 8 years ago

Especially the bad lip-synching.

[–] garrett-565-10267 8 years ago

I thought Ivy Levin as the usherette was one of the best things about this remake

[–] Chefeetaboopers 8 years ago

But, the only issue is, there is always a scene like this on the stage show and in the live shadow casting of the movie in theaters. It may seem annoying, but it is always there.

This version was definitely ridiculous, but I get what they were trying to do.

At least with the live shadowcast, you get this and then you get the beautiful lip intro as well. I, unfortunately, had to watch my cousin-in-law in stripper clothing acting that part and stripping during my first live shadowcast... it was awkward..

[–] noway234-1 8 years ago

See I get what they were going for, they were taking the usherette from the stage show and bringing it to the screen, they were introducing their set and trying to make it different. While the lips are iconic, I don't think anyone wanted them to just redo that shot for shot for the entire song. They either had to cut that opening song down (Which'd be a bad choice) Or try something different... different is at least interesting.

[–] BillyBobLaughsAtTheClowns 8 years ago

Anyhow - I have a feeling that this will be panned by people who actually love the originals, and lauded by the younger generation of fans.

My first Rocky Horror was in 1978. If you feel the usherette was "Amateur Theatre" consider the amount of time/energy put into the theaters by all of those amateurs during all of those midnight showings over the past 40 years ... now think of it as homage to all those fans.

If you don't want to go there, remember RHPS is campy. It was campy when it was made. It was, and is, full of over-the-top stereotypes.

Just a thought.

BTW, I thought the usherette was one of the two high points of the whole thing. The other was when Janet "turned on" sexually she actually looked like (a) she was turned on (b) liked the idea and (c) it was new to her. With Susan Sarandon I always thought "Who cares, sine she'll just go back to being a shrew-in-denial when the sun comes up?"

[–] Cobram 8 years ago

You have the perfect two word description for this in your post "Amateur Theatre."

Community theatre comes to mind too on some of the casting disasters in this thing.

"Man without relatives is man without troubles." Charlie Chan

[–] VinnieRattolle 8 years ago

I may be talking out of my ass by going off of memory, but I believe the opening sequence of the 1975 version (which utilized the same script) was supposed to have been a montage of clips from the films referenced in the song, but they couldn't get the rights to some of the movies and that's how the lips came about. If I'm wrong, someone can call me out on it, but I don't think I am.

Personally, I thought the new opening was one of the big highlights of the remake. It was nice to see the previously deleted usherette character and it was one of the only moments in the remake that was truly unique to this film (since the majority of the movie was like a pallid clone from an evil Disney dimension). Unfortunately, they didn't effectively follow-up with the theater concept. People were going into the castle to watch the movie in the theater where the floor show is held, but they're watching it on a silver screen... DURING the floor show but BEFORE the castle was condemned? Meta devolves into nonsensical stupidity if you try to analyze that movie-within-a-movie aspect.