The cast is ultimately what makes this movie live on. Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is irresistable. Tim owns the character, maybe from playing it so many times on stage before bringing him to the screen, and his charisma feels like something you can touch. His supporting cast in the castle - Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff, Patricia Quinn as Magenta and Nell Campbell as Columbia just play off his power. They never try to steal the scene - but they often play the role of the audience. In the brilliant dual scenes where Dr. Frank-N-Furter seduces both Janet and Brad separately - they are our eyes and ears, making the viewer feel like a voyeur instead of those just being a scene in a film. I found myself appreciating the performances of Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Janet and Brad even more than I remembered them. Their ability to play the horror portion of the story seriously keeps the movie from really flying off the track.
The Blu-ray version was worth waiting 35 years. The disc is made for the hardcore fan as well as the "virgin". The first thing I noticed was the 7.1 DTS-HD mastered audio and te 4K/2K remastering of the picture. The movie has had some old prints floating around and I've seen it in some terrible theaters. I remember seeing the LaserDisc version of the film in the late '90s and this blows that away by miles. You will be sold on the quality of the presentation from the first sight of Patricia Quinn's red lips and white teeth in the first shot and the first note of "Science Fiction/Double Feature".
Other new features include a number of galleries, the search for a 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, and some new karaoke tracks. Some of the repeated features gather from old LaserDisc and DVD releases from the 25th Anniversary. But the audio commentary with Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn is not to be missed for any fan. You get both the US and UK versions of the film (including the deleted "Super Heroes" musical number) and alternate openings (it was supposed to be B&W like The Wizard Of Oz) and alternate credits.
Does the disc "recreate the Midnight Movie experience"? Not in my living room. They set a big task for themselves. All of the components are there except for what makes the movie experience so great - the other people. The Midnight Movie experience doesn't exist like it did 25-30 years ago. Today's Midnight Movies are teen comedies like The Breakfast Club or The Goonies that can be watched on disc with your friends any day. The closest thing to that experience happens at Comic Conventions with cult shows like Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog or the "Once More With Feeling" episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
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