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The Rocky Horror Picture Show Book
New hard to find never read copy.
- GenresNonfictionTheatreFilm
220 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1979
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 24, 2021
You know those books that you bought on impulse ages ago that have resided on your library shelves cheerfully collecting dust? Well, back in the early 1980’s, I bought a discarded metropolitan library copy of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW book ... and I thought this might be a good time to “Do The Time Warp Again.”
I had been aware of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” since the late 1970’s when it had a hugely successful midnight movie run at a local cinema for multiple years. I was very curious about seeing it, but I avoided it for two reasons: I’ve never been a “midnight movie” kind of guy, and I read many articles about the “audience participation” and I knew that would annoy me. (Yes, I would have gone because I actually wanted to see the movie!) I was still curious about seeing it when I saw a segment featuring a showing in 1980’s FAME. Finally, a local cable network (called QUBE) started featuring midnight movies ... “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Eraserhead.” I enjoyed the former and I loved (and didn’t understand) the latter.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW BOOK is really meant to support the fan of the “audience participation” experience. I learned very little about the film’s history (although I did discover that the initial title of the stage show was planned to be “The Rocky Horroar Show”... with the accent on the Roar). Otherwise, the presentation of documents from the film, letters, and film reviews are overlaid across one another. It is obvious that they are not meant to be read, but to confirm statements made in the book. At times, this is extremely frustrating such as when Shooting Schedule pages which would be of great interest to me are obscured and unreadable.
For the most part, there are two reasons for buying the book. The first is the collection of photographs including some nice color plates. The second is to read some of the common “talk backs” done by audience members to the film which are inserted throughout. In the “discarded” copy I had, various library patrons had inserted their own “talk back” comments which were without humor and were extremely vulgar.
As soon as I finished, I discarded my “discarded” copy which was in very poor condition. I didn’t have regrets because it was so “fan centered” that it was of limited interest. If you are one of those who has seen the picture 50-times or more, it may be worth seeking out (especially for the photographs which are in generous supply).
Next to it on my library shelf was one I’d purchased new in the mid-1990’s by Sal Piro, CREATURES OF THE NIGHT II. I’ll be reading that one next.
It’s a shame that I couldn’t find a fan book for “Phantom of the Paradise.”
I had been aware of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” since the late 1970’s when it had a hugely successful midnight movie run at a local cinema for multiple years. I was very curious about seeing it, but I avoided it for two reasons: I’ve never been a “midnight movie” kind of guy, and I read many articles about the “audience participation” and I knew that would annoy me. (Yes, I would have gone because I actually wanted to see the movie!) I was still curious about seeing it when I saw a segment featuring a showing in 1980’s FAME. Finally, a local cable network (called QUBE) started featuring midnight movies ... “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Eraserhead.” I enjoyed the former and I loved (and didn’t understand) the latter.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW BOOK is really meant to support the fan of the “audience participation” experience. I learned very little about the film’s history (although I did discover that the initial title of the stage show was planned to be “The Rocky Horroar Show”... with the accent on the Roar). Otherwise, the presentation of documents from the film, letters, and film reviews are overlaid across one another. It is obvious that they are not meant to be read, but to confirm statements made in the book. At times, this is extremely frustrating such as when Shooting Schedule pages which would be of great interest to me are obscured and unreadable.
For the most part, there are two reasons for buying the book. The first is the collection of photographs including some nice color plates. The second is to read some of the common “talk backs” done by audience members to the film which are inserted throughout. In the “discarded” copy I had, various library patrons had inserted their own “talk back” comments which were without humor and were extremely vulgar.
As soon as I finished, I discarded my “discarded” copy which was in very poor condition. I didn’t have regrets because it was so “fan centered” that it was of limited interest. If you are one of those who has seen the picture 50-times or more, it may be worth seeking out (especially for the photographs which are in generous supply).
Next to it on my library shelf was one I’d purchased new in the mid-1990’s by Sal Piro, CREATURES OF THE NIGHT II. I’ll be reading that one next.
It’s a shame that I couldn’t find a fan book for “Phantom of the Paradise.”
May 4, 2024
Rocky's early days.
Charming to see fan focus-
Wish I'd been there.
Charming to see fan focus-
Wish I'd been there.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews