Blogs and Columns
All community members have their own blogs, and those who blog regularly are featured as columnists. In the coming weeks, we will spotlight particularly interesting blog posts, so check back often!
True Confessions: In My Closet
Mar 29, 2012
I have a confession to make. I have symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I'm sure that is no surprise to a group of people who (for the most part) like to see the same movie over and over and occasionally (if not often) dress up like people in a movie.
My disorder showed up early. My mother yelled at me endlessly to clean my room as a young girl. On the surface, it seemed I was merely a slob, but it was more akin to a compulsive need to hold onto everything I ever owned than anything else. That being said, I still have a huge percentage of the Rocky Horror related items I collected over the years.
Growing up just a few miles down the road from the Roxy, and even closer to Westwood Village, made Rocky Horror a known entity in my life long before I ventured into a screening. Not an uncommon story for anyone who perused the "Calendar" section of the LA Times. That in itself didn't make me special, though it put me in close proximity to someone who had come into possession of something that would mean little or nothing to anyone with an obsession-level less than mine.
Without going into too many personal (and not too interesting) details, I'll just say that a very nice boy in my gym class had a sister who worked at the UA Theater in Westwood. In December of 1975, when The Rocky Horror Picture Show moved to the smaller but more permanent home at the UA Cinema Center on the other side of the Village, this boy's sister kept the two original "Different Set of Jaws" one-sheets out of the display window in front of the theater. My constant blathering about the movie a year or so after the fact inspired him to ask his her for one of the posters, which he gave to me on the school yard towards the end of the school year.
I still have the poster. It looks no different than the hundreds (or thousands?) of reproductions that came after, but this seemingly ordinary Rocky Horror one-sheet is one of the first two ever displayed in a theater...if only it could talk.! I may be the only person who will ever know of its history or authenticity, but I'm OK with that, even though it's something I've been hiding in my closet.
To Treasure, Forever
Dec 31, 2011
Like most of the posters here, I've not been very inspired to add to this blog lately. I did, however, became a little thoughtful after I read an on-line article on Rocky Horror's endurance, which seemed to be aimed at those who have up until this point, missed the experience. While the conclusions are all obvious, I had to laugh at myself while reading it, as it reminded me of some thoughts I had back in the late '70s when a friend was writing a term paper, and chose Rocky Horror as the subject. Since quotes were required for the paper, she interviewed me, and asked why I thought it was so popular, and if I saw an end in sight. I was still a teenager at the time and the mayhem was in full swing globally, so it's not surprising (to me, anyway) that I said something along the lines of "I don't think it will ever go away. It's too much fun!"
I didn't know how right I was. I did go on to elaborate that I knew I'd get tired of going all the time, but I thought I'd always be curious about what was going on and would probably be drawn back in over and over. This turned out to be 100% correct for me as well as the countless other lifetime enthusiasts here and elsewhere.
Although each of us has our own reasons and unique experience, I find it comforting to know that so many have felt the same way I did. Of course, most of us have other interests and effects (pop-culture and otherwise) that we have carried with us our entire lives, but Rocky Horror certainly burns the brightest and longest.
All of the reasons for the enduring love have been discussed before, but I think, aside from the generic interactive experience, Rocky Horror has always provided more than just an entertaining home away from home; it's a special community where there are equal amounts of creativity mixed with comfort in repetitiveness. Not popular (or comfortable) in school or work? You can "be it" at TRHPS. Not so much a "rite of passage" for those drawn to return (as touted in so many articles) but more like Cheers in drag. You can bring as much to Rocky's table as you want, or just sit back and watch. Furthermore (If your experience is/was anything like mine) some of the closest and most important friendships of my life grew out of that community. It's hard to put that kind of emotion into a short article or blog. There is so much more.
30+ years later for me, I find I still think the same way, though now I KNOW it will never go away (for any of "us," anyway.) The viewings become fewer and farther between, but the memories linger on... to treasure, forever.
Bonus Blog: I Tawt I Taw a Transvestite (Deconstructing Sylvester)
Oct 26, 2011
Light years ago, in the dark years, just before the dawning of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in a little village on the west side of Los Angeles, I met a girl who I would share many adventures with. Together, we spent a couple of years behaving much like the two girls in the great, forgotten, Peter Sellers flick, The World of Henry Orient, which was as much like my Jr High years as Foxes was like my later teens. Not kidding, but you'll have to wait for my memoir for an explanation as I've already veered so far off topic I risk loosing your collective attentions.
The important detail is, back in these long ago days known as "the '70s," while setting out on one of our first adventures, my friend, Linda, gave me a random remnant of her youth: a yellow patch, with the black and white embroidered image of Loony Toons' canary-challenged cat, Sylvester.
A couple years later, when I had seen Rocky enough times to start noticing details, I swore that Frank N Furter was wearing the same patch on the back of his amazingly adorned, black leather jacket. Could it really be? What would someone from planet Transexual be doing with such a piece of Americana? Needless to say, I was pretty thrilled to know I shared something in common with Frank N Furter, and I held onto the patch, and, over time, forgot about it.
A week ago, I was invited to a special screening of the restored, re-mastered print of Rocky Horror, which, when showed on the big screen, really made a lot of little things pop, including the Sylvester patch. In one of my obsessive-compulsive bursts of energy, I decided to dig out the patch and then checked to see if there were any others around. Ebay is the great equalizer, and of course, there are more than one available for sale. Few will share my enthusiasm for the following details, but, in true obsessive/compulsive form, I am compelled to share my limited, but obsessive knowledge with those who crave authenticity.
Observe the photo below. The one on the left is the genuine, original, 1973 patch. It has "Sylvester" in thin stitching, and his nose is black. There is a lone circle-C copyright notice. The three on the right and examples of later issues, which do not match exactly the patch as it appears on the genuine jacket - which can be seen HERE and HERE As you can (hopefully) see, the later patches gave Sylvester a rose-tinted nose. The type is thicker, and the most recent ones reflect Warner Brothers own obsessive need for recognition with a spelled out copyright line. The bottom right is a valiant attempt at a reproduction, and is good enough for those willing to settle for good enough.
And so, I close this rant with a few pieces of advice. First, take everything as seriously as you wish, but don't place too much importance on any of it. If you want to see a forgotten gem of a coming-of-age movie for girls, add The World of Henry Orient to your Netflicks queue, and if you haven't seen Jodie Foster and Cherie Currie in Foxes, what are you waiting for? And finally, go forth and research. You'll be glad you did.
The Phantom Connection
Oct 19, 2011
Phantom of the Paradise is often mentioned in the same breath as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is appropriate, since the two films share a common history. Not only are both rock-musical parodies of a familiar mix of horror films, both were also distributed and (barely) marketed by 20th Century Fox, and had special premiere openings in Westwood Village.
Both were also commercial disappointments and equally dismissed by critics.
Phantom of the Paradise came and went pretty quickly after its Halloween of 1974 debut, though it did get a respectable cult following fairly quickly, as well as an Oscar nomination for its fantastic score. In Los Angeles, Phantom actually grossed higher receipts in the weeks following its opening week, indicating the power of word of mouth (since promotion and media acclaim was almost non existent) setting a precedent for Rocky Horror's handling by Fox the following year. Winnipeg, Canada, was the most receptive Phantom market, where the film surprisingly played for eighteen weeks, uninterrupted. It also did well in France, but, that's to be expected from a culture that worships cheese, wine and Jerry Lewis. Rocky Horror lasted only 4 weeks in the cold climate of Winnipeg a year later, while in the same town, Phantom became a returning ritual. With pockets of small success, Phantom was given a revamped ad campaign in mid '75 and was resuscitated via a run on pay cable channels not long after.
In Los Angeles, Rocky Horror had moved from Westwood to the Holly Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in March of '76, where it ran 5 times a day until October 5th. On the 6th, Fox began to pair Rocky and Phantom, reissued it citywide in Southern California, in addition to rolling out screenings across the country in revival theaters and in college cinemas. In LA, the reissue was to several first-run theaters and drive-ins (!), including the famed Egyptian theater, down the boulevard from the Holly. Rocky, sans Phantom, also returned to the UA CInema Center in Westwood, where it remained (mostly) on and off for several years.
The pairing became a regular revival-house double-bill which lasted for the duration of the early RHPS cult, slowly separating as Rocky Horror evolved into an exclusively midnight movie over the next couple of years. For early enthusiasts, it was not unusual to attend the 7 pm screening of Rocky, sit through the 9 pm Phantom and stay for the rowdier 11pm Rocky rerun. Although Rocky Horror became huge and widespread, Phantom remained more of a standard cult film, with a quieter, but still devoted following. Where Rocky Horror was a weekly costume party, Phantom became more of a special occasion.
All these years later, both films loom large in their own right, and have left a legacy of two of the best rock soundtracks of all time. For those reading this that have somehow never seen Phantom of the Paradise, I urge you to give it a try. Trust me, I'm a Historian.
PS-- feedback is always appreciated....The roaring silence indicates a lack of interest. I enjoy writing, but if you are all slapping your foreheads in disbelief or disgust, I will return to my cave....also, to access other, equally as fascinating blogs, click on the "Lets Be Frank" button
Say! Do any of you guys know how to Madison?
Sep 11, 2011
I chose my moniker here for good reason... I obsessively and compulsively research topics of interest. I am drawn to documenting the past on a number of subjects, which, of course, includes Rocky Horror History.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show played in many venues at midnight before exclusively becoming a midnight movie. Right from the start. This has been documented (most commonly in Los Angeles, where it literally showed at midnight on opening day). What hasn't been documented (damn you, Wikipedia!), is that New York's Waverley was not the first theater to have Rocky Horror exclusively as a midnight move. That honor, so it seems, belongs to the Stage Door Theater in Madison, Wisconsin, where not only was The Rocky Horror Picture Show introduced the weekend of March 12, 1976, but patrons were cajoled by Fox to join in the fun with the exclusive promotional RHPS T Shirt. Three weeks later, the film opened in New York, and much mayhem ensued.
Way to go Madison! Not only do you have cheese heads and a terrific line dance, you also have this little piece of the cult's history under your cummerbund.
Reading Tim Curry's Lips
Jul 13, 2011
It was no coincidence Tim Curry named his first solo LP Read My Lips. It was also no coincidence he began his support tour for that album at the Roxy Theater, on the Sunset Strip.
The Summer of 1978 was good to Tim Curry. He had a new LP, and the Rocky Horror cult was growing, making him more famous by the minute. A growing fan base would make his first tour a hot ticket, even if it was in small clubs.
By the time the ad ran in the Sunday LA Times announcing his upcoming show, I had already been obsessed with Rocky Horror for about a year an a half. Although I had friends who shared my affection for the film and the experience, I had a real hard time finding anyone who was willing to join me in paying the princely sum of $6.50 per ticket (yes, I know, but $1 an hour was about all my peers were making as babysitters at the time.) I ended up springing for tickets for the Sunday show, anyway, and hopped aboard the 91s (my favorite bus) the morning of July 16 to secure a place in line to the first-come-first served line.
I don't remember exactly what time I arrived, but I was near the front of the line. As the line grew, so did the conversations. The early arrivers were mostly female, and there was an instant bond between many of us. It was like going to some kind of twisted Summer camp for one day, where a group of 30 or more hung out, discussed our love of Tim & Rocky, our collections and everything else young people who share the same passions talk about. I made a lot of friends that day. I also, thank heavens, managed to secure myself a ride home after the show, which was something I don't think I thought out too clearly when I made my way to the Roxy that afternoon.
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I sat front and center that night. I snuck in what was a small tape recorder back then (which was almost the size of a brick) and managed to make a really crappy documentation (as did others) of the show which featured tunes from the upcoming LP plus some other covers. Among them, a fabulous and poignant version of the KInks' "Celluloid Heroes." There was also a very heartfelt version of "I'm Going Home" --which ended with Tim getting unexpectedly pelted with "cards for sorrow, cards for pain" when he was deep in his head. He was noticeably shaken, but held it together. The gal who tossed them, Polly, had been talking doing it about it all day, though I don't think she realized that where it was a tradition at the movie, it might be inappropriate at the live performance.
After the show, I went to the stage door, and managed to get Tim to autograph the Read My Lips "table tent" that I walked out of the show with. I also walked out of the show with several new friends.
It was a life changing night for a few reasons. Although I'd been attending screenings for many months at multiple theaters, it was generally at 7 & 9 pm screenings at regular revival houses. July 16, 1978 I became a true creature of the night, and soon found a weekly midnight home at the Tiffany theater, a few blocks east of the Roxy. Things would never be the same.
Lost In Time, Found in Cyber Space
May 25, 2011
A good portion of my life is spent wondering how to create a time machine; a way to look at all the hazy memories clearly, and relive the moments that burn so brightly in my mind. In movies and sitcoms when people go back in time, they often discover things weren't as great as they remembered it. I am quite convinced, however, that my early years at Rocky Horror were every bit as spectacular as my limited, yet remarkably sharp, memory tells me they were.
On my way to work yesterday morning, I was literally thinking what a shame it was that I never had gotten a picture of myself with Tim Curry. I thought to myself of the times I had been close enough to ask for a picture, yet like Scarlett O'Hara, who always seemed to lack a handkerchief in time of need, I never seemed to have a camera handy.
And then this picture arrived from 32 years ago, with the note "is this you, with your back to the camera?"
And there it was. OK, so not the best snapshot, but it is a moment in time, captured entirely by accident that traveled via some cosmic time warp and insane happenstance into my "in" box. An image that serves as evidence to me that you can go back, if not for just a nanosecond.
I remember so many details about this day, what was taking place at that moment, what happened after and for several hours before and after this picture was taken. The details are probably only important to me, but on that hot, August afternoon in 1979, by complete accident, unbeknownst to me, someone took a picture of Tim Curry coming out of the side door of the Roxy after the sound check with my posterior as the centerpiece of the photo.
Amazing. For the moment, I have an actual virtual Wayback machine that has taken me back in time. I didn't dream it. It really happened, and now I am seeing as clear with my eyes as I do in my memory. I live for moments like this.
Thank you Troy Martin and Julie Ford for the best Kodak Moment I could ever imagine. And to you young upstarts out there, heed this old Trannie's advice: take pictures and treasure them. You have no idea how much they will one day mean to you.
Been There, Done That, Bought the T-Shirt
May 9, 2011
I'm sure it's hard for most current Rocky Enthusiasts to believe it, but there was actually a time when there was no Rocky memorabilia commercially available. Not even a T-Shirt.
It isn't just that the film was unsuccessful in its initial run, but merchandise in marketing in general was way less prevalent at the time. There were, however, a small number of black T-Shirts with a photographic, iron on image the Rocky Horror lips made as a promotional item, given out to some theaters and vendors in 1975. That would be it, for several years.
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My very artistic Jr High friends Hilary and Holly had made an illustrated Fran N Furter t-Shirt to advertise their admiration for the movie in 1976, which I admit, I was pretty jealous of. I was even more jealous of the guy I saw wearing the actual promotional T-Shirt at the Fox Venice, which was my main Rocky Theater in 1977-78. I tried to buy it off of him, but it was a pretty futile attempt, especially since I probably had all of $5 to offer.
Within a few months of attending multiple screenings around town, suddenly some other creative souls recognized the demand for shirts, and home-made shirts began to appear, sold out of the trunks of cars or by vendors walking the lines out in front of the theater.
Some were pretty primitive, but they did satisfy a need.
Not too long ago, I unearthed a box of my Rocky-billia that I had stored away in the early 80s and had a good laugh at what I found, t-shirt-wise. The most notable item, historically, anyway, may have been an original Rocky Horror Show shirt that was from the Roxy. The "Trust me, I'm a Doctor" Tee I got at an advance screening of Shock Treatment is also very cool, but I got a big kick out of seeing the long forgotten, home made shirts I bought back when that was all there was. Some really valiant attempts were made an drawing those iconic lips.
Most sentimental was the last remaining sample from a shirt I made myself and sold in front of the Tiffany Theater back in the late '70s that said "Frank N Furter is Alive and Well and Living in a Nudist Colony, on an Asteroid Somewhere South of Transsexual Transylvania." I sold them for (if I remember correctly) $8 each. I made matching badges, too--which were probably $2 each. I was still in high school and had been working part-time in a coffee shop, but discovered I could make way more hawking my own home made artifacts. I also had a lot of fun shouting out sales pitches as I walked down the long line outside the theater. At that time, the wait outside before the movie was half of the show, and I am proud to have been a part of that.
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Blah, Blah, Blah, ME.....
Apr 28, 2011
I know few will read this, and even fewer will care.... but I like reading my own writing even more than I like hearing myself talk.
One of my proudest moments in life was when I was invited to a meeting to discuss the creation of the RHPS 15th Anniversary box set. It ended up being the start of an intermittent, but lengthy working relationship with Lou Adler and Howard Frank at Ode, plus a short but very special connection with Richard O'Brien.
I was working as a freelance designer/art director at the time, but my Rocky History led me to being part of both the assembly of the packaging and repertoire of the CDs. Initially, the idea was to take the existing CDs (RHPS, Roxy, Audience Participation) in the box, and then come up with another disc to accompany it. The London Cast was rejected-- mainly because Lou doesn't own it. The idea for a rarities disc was pretty obvious, but I refined it with my suggestions for Rocky Horror International and Songs from the Vaults.
At the time, there was no You Tube, MP3 or internet. Most of the material was scarce, unreleased and unheard of. There are many resources and outlets today that simply didn't exist back then, and most importantly (to me, anyway) only a rumor that "Once in a While" was even recorded by Barry. Before even getting to the Vaults and International discussions, I asked Mr Adler if it existed. I could not have been more thrilled to find it did, as well as the filmed sequence. It would take a few more years to actually see the footage released, but the audio became the anchor and first song chosen for International. I chose my other favorites to flesh out the disc, though there were a few that (believe it or not) could not be licensed. The same was true for Vaults, most notably the Kimmy and Ritz singles which I was very disappointed were denied.
One of the most challenging parts of the package was the liner notes. It was a unanimous decision to have Richard O'Brien write them, but after weeks of waiting, what we received was literally the hand-written, 1-page that appears on the opening page of the booklet. With the deadline for production days away, I volunteered to take on the task. I think I did a pretty good job, considering it was my first professional writing gig. Before that, I had no ambition to write, and, although the notes tell the story well (remember--there was no internet at the time) there is so much more I wish I had included or written a little more eloquently. Lou approved, though, and only had me make one change (a remark about Shock Treatment that implied it was not an equal.)
I also wish I had a "do-over" for the packaging on Vaults and International. I stand by the photos I chose for each cover, though these were the days of Photoshop v1.0, and the entire set was designed on old-fashioned paste-up boards. My time and resources were limited.
I think my absolute favorite part of the set is the fishnet background. I took my original fishnets that I wore over and over to see RHPS, and stretched them over a particle board, ripped a few holes took a photostat. I used the black-on-grey fishnet background on almost every subsequent CD reissue as a private tribute to my long-gone dress-up days.
I've worked on countless packages over the years, but working on the Rocky box was truly a dream job. I've been blessed with many opportunities to work for/with many of my idols in the past, but being officially affiliated with my favorite obsession was nothing short of spectacular.
Let's Be Frank
Apr 12, 2011
To Blog, or Not To Blog? That is the question on my mind right now.
To share my stories, the forgotten history....the legends.... may make me sound like a big old bag of wind blowing up from the land of the lost. Perhaps my stories belong locked the dusty, cobwebbed sarcophagus that was once a vibrant, functioning brain.
I've learned over the years that each and every one of us has a story; none more valid or important than the other, especially when it comes to being a fan. But in my mind, my experiences were left of ordinary, and perhaps extraordinary, even amidst the most die hard, lifetime, Rocky-philes.
I saw Rocky Horror in Los Angeles in its first run--which is not so remarkable a statement, as it is still technically in it's first run here in L.A. I was at the Nuart when Rocky Horror played at 8pm...before most of the "Sins" were born. I had my hand held by Tim Curry at the Roxy...I went to see a revival of the play with old Ritz himself, I single handedly ...I... oh all this hot air is starting to make me levitate.
Forget it. Back in the Vault I go. But I did have a seriously good time.
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