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Give it a Rest, O’Brien
By Marc | August 13, 2008
I just read this morning that Richard O’Brien is dragging out the tired, abused carcass of Rocky Horror yet again.
I don’t mean the same way he’s always done it: by having another anniversary or convention or party or some such in which he dons the makeup and yellowed, battered prosthetic back-hump.
No, this time he’s planning a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
According to executive producer of the original and remake, Lou Adler:
“The Rocky Horror phenomenon has a life of its own that has reincarnated itself in numerous ways since its birth,” he said.
“Our hope has always been that each new endeavour and rebirth will expose the Rocky Horror experience to new audiences and expand the fan base.”
You know, kind of like an aging rock star who wants to appear “hep to the modern kids” by wearing a shiny new codpiece and forgetting the act that got him fame in the first place.
I used to like attending the original because of the sense of devotion and community it inspired in its fans. It was so fun in college to go to a showing at Billy Joe’s Pitcher Show and enjoy how much the audience really got into it. The people acting the parts in front of the screen, the freakshow costumes, and the participation with the script was a lot of fun to be witness to.
The last time I went was probably eight or nine years ago here in Lincoln with our friends Steve and DeAnne. I don’t know if it was just the differences in location or if that was what the scene had degraded to, but it wasn’t the same. It was just a big party and get-together that just happened to show a movie as background noise. I know the feeling of camaraderie is one of the big things about Rocky, but shouldn’t the movie have had something to do with it? Half the time you couldn’t even hear the movie because of the socializing. Plus, when comebacks were shouted back that the “regulars” hadn’t heard, dirty looks and the old nose-in-the-air-and-huff were given.
I mean, come on, people! “One night only…MÖTLEY CRÜE!!” when the curtain goes up at the floor show in the movie. That’s funny stuff! Maybe the crowd was too young to remember Crüe’s effeminate road warrior or deranged opera clown make-up years.
Anyway, I still like the movie because it’s just so terribly awful. I love really bad movies, and this is one of the worst.
But, as bad as it is, you know a remake will be panned by EVERYONE and hopefully forgotten quickly.
Which brings me to another point: what ever happened to original movies? Haven’t they remade everything yet? They even remade Halloween, for Pete’s sake! A movie that had how many sequels and that’s just not good enough?
There are four things that are hot for movie remakes in the last few years: Japanese horror films, old television shows, musicals that were based on previous movies, video games, and slasher films.
Heck, in the U.S., even our television isn’t original anymore. Most of our “reality” shows, sitcoms, and game shows are stolen from England, Australia, or someplace else. I used to think even “Sanford and Son” was original until I found out that idea was imported.
Why can’t we just leave things alone? In this age of satellite, Internet, and DVD, can’t we just get the real thing and enjoy them instead of putting them through the “re-imagining”, modernizing, or Americanization filters?
Topics: In the News, Miscellaneous |
