3 Reviews, Oh My
Yes, I have three quick movie reviews for you.
The first is Shock Treatment, the semi-sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This film was just recently released in a double DVD set along with RHPS. I had seen it only once but love the music from it. Mark and some friends of ours had never seen it. So after dinner out we all went to our place to watch it.
The reason it's sort of considered a sequel is because it has the characters of Brad and Janet in it (it also has Betty and Ralph Hapschatt who are in the opening scene of RHPS, too). The story revolves around a TV studio in Denton where Brad and Janet become 'contestants' on a marriage program. Brad ends up being committed (to another program, in fact) and Janet is wooed and coerced into becoming the next be star for the mogul who runs the studio.
The film did not succeed for several reasons. First, it was specifically made to be a cult film, following Rocky. What the creators didn't realize is you can't purposely make a cult film...the following has to form itself. It was also shown only at midnight showings (like RHPS is now) so no real public exposure.
Secondly, the script is hard to follow. It could have benefited from some better editing and rewriting. I think part of this problem was due to the fact that the film was supposed to be shot in the actual town of Denton, Texas, but a film strike in the States forced it to be filmed in England. The writers had to do a rewrite and set it all inside a television studio (no American location shots needed), which lead to one of the best parts, though. Read on to see my explanation.
Third, the only actor to return from RHPS to reprise their original role was Jeremy Newsom (Ralph Hapschatt), the other three returning characters (Betty, Janet, and Brad) are played by different actors. But to make things stranger, 4 actors from the original movie are back...as different characters! It all is quite strange. But you do get to see Barry Humphries not dressed up as Dame Edna, and I love me some Jessica Harper as Janet! (See the pic above) She has the most wonderfully deep singing voice.
The movie really is not that great. The music is it's saving grace. But watching it today you will get this very eerie feeling. This film actually predicts reality television! This is the bit I mentioned earlier: that perhaps the sudden re-write to place all the action inside a TV studio adds this different facet to it. All the 'programs' at the studio are basically real people just being manipulated and filmed for the studio audiences's pleasure.
Richard O'Brien did write an actual sequel to RHPS entitled 'Revenge of the Old Queen' back in the 80's, but due to the failure of Shock Treatment, and the age of the original actors he says there is little hope it will ever get filmed.
*********************************************
Movie review #2: The Haunting (the 1963 version)
What an awesome horror film! I read the original novel by Shirley Jackson some years ago and found it interesting. I think this film is better than the novel! The acting is first rate. The house it was filmed in is wonderfully creepy. And you never really see anything scary, it's all implied by sound effects and the actors' reactions to everything...and it does the trick!
A group of people are invited to a house that is thought to be haunted (it has a history of people dying from accidents in and around it). This is the story of their stay there. If you like a good ghost story, this one you will really like.
**************************************
Movie review #3: Videodrome
A bizarre horror film that preaches about the dangers of new technology and those who abuse it.
James Woods (looking really sexy in his younger days), runs a public access channel that shows soft-core porn movies. But his technician comes across a pirate feed that shows snuff films. When he watches the video tapes he start hallucinating weird things. As he investigates who is broadcasting this signal, he finds he's been turned into a guinea pig and an assassin for the broadcasters of this strange program. It really turn bizarre when a giant gaping wound appears in his stomach and he becomes this living VCR where when the Videodrome recordings are inserted he is at their mercy. And Deborah Harry (aka Blondie) is one masochistic lady in this film. Some interesting effects too. I really liked the one where Deborah Harry is on the tv screen and it begins to bulge out of the set, and James Woods starts making out with her. It's a simple effect that still looks impressive by today's standards (this was filmed long before CGI was used in movies).
If you don't mind some gore, some torture, and some trippy visuals, then give Videodrome a try.
The first is Shock Treatment, the semi-sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This film was just recently released in a double DVD set along with RHPS. I had seen it only once but love the music from it. Mark and some friends of ours had never seen it. So after dinner out we all went to our place to watch it.The reason it's sort of considered a sequel is because it has the characters of Brad and Janet in it (it also has Betty and Ralph Hapschatt who are in the opening scene of RHPS, too). The story revolves around a TV studio in Denton where Brad and Janet become 'contestants' on a marriage program. Brad ends up being committed (to another program, in fact) and Janet is wooed and coerced into becoming the next be star for the mogul who runs the studio.
The film did not succeed for several reasons. First, it was specifically made to be a cult film, following Rocky. What the creators didn't realize is you can't purposely make a cult film...the following has to form itself. It was also shown only at midnight showings (like RHPS is now) so no real public exposure.
Secondly, the script is hard to follow. It could have benefited from some better editing and rewriting. I think part of this problem was due to the fact that the film was supposed to be shot in the actual town of Denton, Texas, but a film strike in the States forced it to be filmed in England. The writers had to do a rewrite and set it all inside a television studio (no American location shots needed), which lead to one of the best parts, though. Read on to see my explanation.
Third, the only actor to return from RHPS to reprise their original role was Jeremy Newsom (Ralph Hapschatt), the other three returning characters (Betty, Janet, and Brad) are played by different actors. But to make things stranger, 4 actors from the original movie are back...as different characters! It all is quite strange. But you do get to see Barry Humphries not dressed up as Dame Edna, and I love me some Jessica Harper as Janet! (See the pic above) She has the most wonderfully deep singing voice.
The movie really is not that great. The music is it's saving grace. But watching it today you will get this very eerie feeling. This film actually predicts reality television! This is the bit I mentioned earlier: that perhaps the sudden re-write to place all the action inside a TV studio adds this different facet to it. All the 'programs' at the studio are basically real people just being manipulated and filmed for the studio audiences's pleasure.
Richard O'Brien did write an actual sequel to RHPS entitled 'Revenge of the Old Queen' back in the 80's, but due to the failure of Shock Treatment, and the age of the original actors he says there is little hope it will ever get filmed.
*********************************************
Movie review #2: The Haunting (the 1963 version)
What an awesome horror film! I read the original novel by Shirley Jackson some years ago and found it interesting. I think this film is better than the novel! The acting is first rate. The house it was filmed in is wonderfully creepy. And you never really see anything scary, it's all implied by sound effects and the actors' reactions to everything...and it does the trick!A group of people are invited to a house that is thought to be haunted (it has a history of people dying from accidents in and around it). This is the story of their stay there. If you like a good ghost story, this one you will really like.
**************************************
Movie review #3: Videodrome
A bizarre horror film that preaches about the dangers of new technology and those who abuse it.James Woods (looking really sexy in his younger days), runs a public access channel that shows soft-core porn movies. But his technician comes across a pirate feed that shows snuff films. When he watches the video tapes he start hallucinating weird things. As he investigates who is broadcasting this signal, he finds he's been turned into a guinea pig and an assassin for the broadcasters of this strange program. It really turn bizarre when a giant gaping wound appears in his stomach and he becomes this living VCR where when the Videodrome recordings are inserted he is at their mercy. And Deborah Harry (aka Blondie) is one masochistic lady in this film. Some interesting effects too. I really liked the one where Deborah Harry is on the tv screen and it begins to bulge out of the set, and James Woods starts making out with her. It's a simple effect that still looks impressive by today's standards (this was filmed long before CGI was used in movies).
If you don't mind some gore, some torture, and some trippy visuals, then give Videodrome a try.
posted by Allison at 2:10 AM
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