In the world of pop culture there are certain films or shows that reach such a high level of devotion from their fans that they achieve cult status. Which means that any attempt to remake or duplicate the original is an exercise in folly, and sure to be met with immediate rejection and disapproval.
Such would seem to be the case with last night’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again,” on Fox. However, from the beginning it was very clear that this new adaptation was in no way a threat to the reputation or memory of the 1975 classic.
I’ll assume anyone reading this is familiar with the out-there premise of “Rocky Horror,” so I won’t waste your time with the plot. The Fox version follows the same wacky story as the original. In fact, that might be where this “Rocky” failed, it was a little too close to the original, so much so that at a few points I found myself wondering early on in the show why they hadn’t just aired the original.
That question was answered by Laverne Cox, who was phenomenal as everyone’s favorite sweet transvestite from Transexual Transylvania, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. She was the highlight of the show, and her performance alone was worth the entire remake. Reeve Carney as Riff Raff and Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia also deserve recognition for standout and memorable performances.
Over all, while it would have been nice if the creative team had strayed a little further from the original last night’s “Rocky Horror” was a nice homage to the original. “Rocky Horror” faithful can rest easy knowing that their beloved classic’s reign is still secure.
…just for fun:
