Fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show were thrilled when Fox announced a television film remake of the beloved musical comedy, starring Laverne Cox in the role of the alien scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a role immortalized by Tim Curry. And though the 2016 remake (The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again) received mixed reviews and many critics still prefer the original movie, the new version is, in many ways, a more authentic rendition of the subject.
The 1975 film is an out-and-out cult classic based on Richard O’Brien’s musical of the same name and it’s still applauded for its cultural influence. But did the remake match up to its significance, or switch up the relevance of the film in any way? Here are a few reasons why the original Rocky Horror Show remains undefeated and why the remake is a triumph.
Original Is Best: The Element Of Camp
The original The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s campiness is what really defined the cinematic legacy of the cult film. It’s important to remember the film is based on the Richard O’Brien musical of the same name that was written as an homage to the horror B-movies and campy sci-fi outings of the '30s, '40s and '50s. And though the 2016 film uses the original The Rocky Horror script that was written by O’Brien, its campiness is very measured and at the same time lacks the element of shock.
The original Tim Curry-starring movie cleared the path for campy musicals in mainstream Hollywood, while the new version is less of a trailblazer in terms of its influence.
Remake Is Better: Trans Representation
Many fans of the franchise may not know this but the creator of the musical, Richard O’Brien, is transgender (he/him) and identified in a past interview as "of a third sex." Representation of trans culture has been a big part of his work. The 1975 film starred Tim Curry, a white, straight cisgender actor in the role of transgender scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter.
Since the film offers a pointed satire on white heteronormativity, the remake is much more effective as commentary, as it features an openly transgender actor of color, Laverne Cox, who has also worked as a drag queen in the past and has been vocal about her transition.
Original Is Best: Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously
The musical was designed as a parody tribute to camp films featuring Dr. Frank N.Furter and his squad of happy-go-lucky Transylvanians. The film recognizes this spontaneous and upbeat tenor of story-telling, even though the screenplay is balancing a lot of nuance and a layered narrative.
The first film shocked the audiences with its audaciousness and outré themes, but it also retained an element of exuberance and joie de vivre. To be fair, Kenny Ortega’s remake attempts something along the same lines, but the film lacks the effortlessness and easy charm of the original, as it clearly tries to balance expectations associated with a project this important.
Remake Is Better: Ambitious Staging
Hollywood has clearly come a long way in the last three decades, which means something as bold and dynamic as the Rocky Horror Picture Show now has the resources to set up a stage and background worthy of its legacy. The remake tries to retain the project’s theatre heritage by setting up a set-up that bears the makeup of a live production.
It’s cheeky and, at the same time, an effective callback to the musical's roots. Not to mention, its outlandishness was effectively used to its advantage in the new movie, and with better CGI, the film was leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms of its visual makeup.
Original Is Best: The Stellar Soundtrack
The original Rocky Horror Show had a soundtrack so outstanding that even the naysayers of the film could not deny the excellence of the catchy tunes. From the glam rock anthem Sweet Transvestite to Susan Sarandon’s Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch Me, the album was full of iconic and timeless numbers.
The remake’s soundtrack did feature some credible names, like Victoria Justice, Ivy Levan, Staz Nair and Adam Levine, however, it failed to create the magic of the original film and also took fewer risks vis-a-vis its instrumental effects.
Remake Is Better: The Costumes
“When one is employed to revive something like this, like with Grease: Live or with Rocky Horror — and I did them back to back — you ask the producers and the director are we homaging? Are we referencing? Or are we totally reimagining?” William Ivey Long, the mind behind the remake’s costumes said in an interview.
The Rocky Horror remake takes some incredible risks with its wardrobe, without messing with its fashion legacy. So, even though it moves beyond solid one-piece corsets and fishnet stockings, Long famously came up with a cobweb bodysuit for Laverne Cox to depict a sense of macabre in Transylvania.
Original Is Best: It's A Better Tribute
The point of the Rocky Horror musical is to blend the campiness of the B films and underground sci-fi outings together to create something outlandish and "freaky." The original movie was designed around the premise of a parody, unlike the remake, which simply peppers in some references without going into the narratives or the nostalgia behind them.
The original film makes references to King Kong, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and The Invisible Man, and pokes fun at the cliche of the goriness of monster films and loud, campy sub-genres without looking down on them, but the remake fails to deliver this.
Remake Is Better: It's A Great Standalone Outing
The remake tries to cater to a wider audience and not just those who are aware of the franchise’s legacy or are a fan of musicals. Most cinematic adaptations of musicals come across as too demanding for newbie viewers, who may not be aware of the history of the production: a good example of this is, of course, Cats.
But the Laverne Cox-starring movie is a racy, explosive and sharp remake that doesn’t necessarily need its audience to research the franchise, as it works great as a standalone outing.
Original Is Best: The Best Star Cast
Most critics agree that with the exception of Laverne Cox, the remake needed bigger and better names. Adam Lambert’s cameo as Ed or Broadway veteran Ben Vereen as Dr. Scott does work out, but the leading cast simply couldn’t draw in enough audiences, especially since it was a TV special.
Victoria Justice’s Janet failed to make the most of what her role had to offer, and though it’s not fair to compare her rendition to Sarandon’s, it needs to be acknowledged that Sarandon understood the demands of the role better. Ryan McCartan’s Brad and Reeve Carney’s Riff-Raff were no better.
Remake Is Better: Marked New Territories For The TV Film Format
The Rocky Horror remake was released as a television film, which was a good idea considering it pays homage to the cult film, which is itself a tribute outing. But the remake actually introduced certain key experiential aspects which are key in Hollywood at the moment, considering so many films are now being released on smaller screens.
So in many ways, the 2016 musical was a trailblazer for its format because, unlike the 70s adaptation, it was designed for TV but consciously adjusted some visual aspects of its set-up and background production without taking away from the visual spectacle.