Jim Sharman
Rocky Horror Picture Show

Late 1970s, during the height of the musical era, here comes one that stands out from the crowd... the Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

A film adaptation of the theatrical show of the same name created by Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff in the film), it becomes a cult film and a point of reference for communities of transvestites and, to a lesser extent, for the entire dark generation that would emerge later in the years.
With a fabulous Tim Curry in the role of the "Sweet Trans-vestite," Dr. Frank n Furter, and a Susan Sarandon in all her youthful splendor (admirable in multiple scenes), the film unfolds with an unusual and innovative plot halfway between the grotesque (saying Horror would be too bold) and the tragicomic.

Starting with a reference to the cover of the book "Spoon River Anthology", the wedding of Brad and Janet's friends (two heroes of the film) concludes, and a nighttime odyssey begins for the two protagonists within Dr. Frank N Furter's castle where they venture asking, "Could we use your phone? We don't to be any worry!" gradually realizing they have fallen into a trap with no way out. It starts as a party for the birth of a new creature, the blonde and muscular Rocky (not coincidentally named...), who becomes the object of Frank's maniacal perversion, and ends with a theatrical performance (within the film) where the film's critique against those who discriminate based solely on appearances is concentrated, those who deny the creativity and ingenuity of those who know how to stand out. It becomes a condemnation of prejudice.

It's incredible how the director was able to render the tragic and the comic within the film, without ever becoming cliché and making every single situation original, thanks also to the perfect synchronization of movements and music, which becomes a true "demon" that animates the protagonists' will and enhances their character and personality.
The songs are born on a rock and roll base from the lively to the slow; furthermore, the presence of Meat Loaf, "rock and roller XXL," epitomizes the love of a generation tied to sex, alcohol, and engines, giving the film the privilege of a hit single "Hot Patootie" that was also highly successful outside the context of the film itself.

The setting and special effects are fairly rudimentary (when the facade of the castle, made of cardboard, takes off at the end of the film, you can see the real castle remaining on the ground behind it :D) but effective for the type of film in question, strongly linked to theatrical tradition; the characters' costumes are perfectly crafted for each actor, while the true genius of the set designer lies in the creation of machines and the secret weapons of Frank N Furter's followers, from the statue-making machine to laser guns to the machine for creating the perfect man: Rocky.

Overall, the film is a small treasure that stands apart from the entire musical genre of the 60s and 70s, almost always based on love stories (My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Cats, Singing in the Rain, New York, New York... etc., etc.) and manages to engage us so much that parts of the songs are imprinted in our minds, such as: "I'm just a sweet transvestite, from Transexual, Transylvania!"