REVIEW: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an internationally appreciated cult classic musical film, often performed around Halloween. The hit movie (and musical) held two performances this past weekend at our very own Michigan Theater. I was lucky enough to catch their annual performance on Saturday at 9:30, and it lived up to every expectation as an absolute riot from start to finish. It’s a lively and goofy movie with notable characters like the innocent Brad and Janet, thoughtless yet sincere Rocky, and the tremendously memorable transvestite, Frank-N-Furter. This performance is absolutely an 18+ experience, with many sexual innuendos, violence, intense language, and adult themes (which is no surprise if you know the show). The film has the longest-running release in film history and was even adapted again into a more modern TV film in 2016 on Fox. Forty-eight years later, the film still plays in theaters all around the country, often with a live amateur ‘shadow cast’ that mimes the actors on the big screen. There were shouts and roars from the costumed audience of classic lines to be accurately called out at certain points in the film. It is not your average ‘night at the movies’ at all…

The film was released in the fall of 1975 in the UK and USA. It was directed by the Australian director Jim Sharman, who was widely known for producing many kinds of experimental theater. He has a decorated list of theatrical directing credentials from across the world, with a few major films that hit the theaters through the 70s. The screenplay was adapted by Sharman and the UK’s own Richard O’Brien based on O’Brien’s original 1973 musical. The musical premiered that year in the UK, including the iconic Tim Curry, who reprised his role as Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 original movie. The first West End cast performance was dubbed a ‘creative and commercial success’. Initial reception to the film, however, was extremely negative, but it later became a hit as a ‘midnight movie’ that aired late into the evenings on television stations, and from there, a quintessential cult classic. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is understood to have been a great influence on countercultural and sexual liberation in the 1960s and even today. It was one of the first popular musicals that depicted fluid sexuality during a time of generational divisiveness and growing advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. Today, this continues to be true as queer folks work to create more LGBTQ+ friendly space in the arts, and annual productions of Rocky Horror reinforce the necessary space yearly through this vessel. This precedent is set by the characters in the show: they are not confined by gender, and many different identities of performers take on the ‘shadow cast’ roles, keeping the show undoubtedly fresh. The “look” of each character does stay consistent, their costuming/hair and such, but many things can and have been adapted in various performances. Historically, the costuming of the show affected the development of many punk rock fashion trends, with colored hair, fishnet stockings, and colorfully flamboyant make-up. 

The ‘shadow cast’ of this production did a fantastic job of depicting the drama on screen. A ‘shadow cast’ is not something that is often seen in movie theater settings, so it was a lot of fun to experience. It was difficult to light the actors because the movie playing right behind the stage, so often it was hard to see. However, the energy of the acts was understood from the back of the house, and their exuberant costumes filled the space left by a lack of set. I commend these folks for their accurate and entertaining work as the ‘shadow cast’ of the film, and their commitment to the tradition of Rocky Horror! 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a must-see musical film and a hilariously memorable experience. I sincerely enjoyed the performances from the ‘shadow cast’ and seeing this movie for the first time in theaters. The actors and the crowd were absolute pandemonium, and I enjoyed my time from start to finish. The experience in theaters is a unique one, and I would urge folks interested to make an evening of it and enjoy the show. Rocky Horror is an annual occurrence at the Michigan Theater and sells out nearly every time, so be sure to get your tickets early. It’s a Halloween festivity not to be missed! 

 

 

Image from the film, thanks to IMDb.

REVIEW: Wendell & Wild

Wendell and Wild was well-wended but a bit too wild…

The cast is quite stacked, including Ramona Young who I knew from Never Have I Ever, and Key and Peele (who I quite comically didn’t realize was Jordan Peele as well, until writing this review). Father Bests, the head of Kat’s all-girls Catholic school, is voiced by James Hong, whose voice is recognizable as Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive father from Kung Fu Panda. But Father Bests’ familiarity still poked at me. I finally scratched the itch when I realized he looks familiar too: he resembles RBG but if she was a dude and a vampire (Father Bests isn’t actually a vampire, just looks like one).

There’s also quite a noticeable bit of diversity and representation within the cast and characters. The students within Rust Bank Catholic are all people of color. In this world, while race doesn’t seem to explicitly reflect our society’s real relationship with racial tensions and injustice (unless the town council members were presumably white (though we can’t tell in their skeletal forms)), the film points out microaggressions towards the trans community, as seen through Kat’s friend, Raul’s experience.

Among the film’s great elements are its music, of which my favorite was “Ghost Town” by the Specials. Listen to the official soundtrack here: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/wendell-wild-official-playlist/pl.6c5f7051b6794938a42a8258a486243f

WENDELL & WILD – BTS. Cr: Ariel Spaugh/NETFLIX © 2022

The animation is also above par. During a set visit from Screen Rant, Henry Selick said, “It’s not all lubricated imagery, perfectly done, that’s just like every other Hollywood CG film.” Yet this somehow makes the animation feel crisp and meticulous, a step even higher than the high-quality claymation of Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I first noticed this during a shot of ice sloshing under the wheel of a car transporting Kat from prison to her new school. The sound along with the depth / detail of the crunching ice was extremely satisfying.

The detail put into the visuals and worldbuilding of Rust Bank was also highly appreciated. From the snowy setting to the hellish creatures, to the wardrobe. The fits felt familiar — from the pooling nuns robes to the schoolgirl skirts and blazers with safety pins cutting through them — yet held an edge. Kat’s fashion is very in right now, though a friend pointed out that her vamped-up, rebellious school uniform felt unrealistic and erroneous of punk culture couture, much of which came out of d.i.y.ing the stuff of second hand stores and rummage sales.

I guess what felt off about the movie was its rating. As a PG-13 stop-animation film on Netflix, just from looking at the cover and synopsis, it presents as a spooky movie for kids. Upon finishing the film, it still seemed like it was meant to be a children’s movie (maybe more for tweens), because of the lack of curse words or other PG-13 things. It felt like the movie had been planned and made that way, but the rating was hiked up last minute because of the dark comedy and subject matter (demons). Maybe the demon brothers Wendell and Wild getting high off of their dad’s hair cream, the juvenile justice system, death, and Kat’s parents’ business that got burnt down (a brewery) also took part in the heightened rating.

A few elements of the script and plot resolution also felt a bit too easy. Kat getting a hold of her power after “owning her memories” and saying to her monster, “I’m in control of my life now, not you,” felt a little cheesy and too forward. The ending – family reconciled, Klax Korp finished, whooo victory! – is packaged up a little too nicely, especially because of the film’s multiple threads. The story opens up too many conflicts in the first half, but couldn’t tie up those loose ends within the 1 hour and 45 minutes, without tackling them in a way that felt forced. Maybe demons and the prison industrial context were a little too much to handle. Jordan Peele’s storyline and dialogue are usually his strong suit, so this felt a little disappointing. I had very high hopes because of the household names, and felt like all of the anticipation wasn’t lived up to. As my friend said, “Maybe he’s better with real people.”

But overall, Wendell and Wild was a cool film to watch, especially on Halloween weekend. Just wouldn’t watch twice.

Sources: https://screenrant.com/wendell-wild-everything-learned-from-set-visit/

PREVIEW: Wendell & Wild

A great movie to get in the Halloween spirit! Director, Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline) and producer Jordan Peele (Nope, Us, Get Out) team up to bring us this new thrilling stop-animation feature, Wendell & Wild.

I haven’t watched a lot of animated movies like this, but the claymation-like style seems to work well in many October-themed movies: Coraline, Wallace and Gromit, The Book of Life, etc. There is just an unsettling, chill-inducing look about them, and Wendell and Wild’s trailer alone gave me goosebumps. 

The main character, Kat, is a Hell Maiden, who needs her school nun’s help to protect her from her demons. Two of which are brothers, who trick this teen girl into bringing them from the underworld into the land of the living; chaos ensues. Although the film seems to be quite under the radar, it’s highly anticipated, and features an all-star cast (including Key and Peele as the demon brothers)!

The horror comedy flick is rated PG-13, and comes out on October 28th, only on Netflix, right in time to embark into spooky season and Halloween weekend!

REVIEW: The Halloween Concert

The best end to Halloweekend was surely seeing the Halloween concert at Hill Auditorium. The majestic venue of the event, the fervour of the audience ranging from babies to people who had seen the concert over 10 times (!) and of course the concert itself was a truly fun experience. I had the pleasure of going there with a few people who had performed in orchestras before and they asserted that this was one of the best orchestra performances they had seen. Very few other orchestras can compare to seeing musicians dressed in bunny costumes and peanut-butter Jelly sandwich suits perform.

Right from the music pamphlet to the way the performers entered the stage, all was done according to the holiday theme and there were no dull moments. Timed at a short and sweet 1-hour duration, the concert moves at a refreshing pace and keeps the audience captivated. I liked the selection of pieces that were performed and the mastery of the performers. As a newcomer to classical music seeing such a huge orchestra perform was exciting. It was hard to believe that all the music I heard came from just the orchestra. The power of the music was extraordinary and the sheer skill of the performers was awe-inspiring. It was beautiful to see all the performers bringing their skills together in harmony to create an experience for the audience. The hard work, talent, and coordination of the performers were a marvel.

The show “ended” with Rhapsody in Maize and Blue in a passionate Wolverine way but then we got the special traditional ending that wowed everyone (there was a dance break involved!).

This was about the Halloween concert’s 47th year and the cheering proved what a classic feast it is for the locals here. I would recommend everyone who is in Ann Arbor during Halloween to at least go once to see the Halloween concert to get a taste of this local Ann Arbor/University of Michigan tradition.

PREVIEW: The Halloween Concert

Happening on the very day itself, the Halloween Concert a 40+ years long Umich tradition features graduate conducting students who lead more than 125 costumed (Yes costumed!) musicians for a fun-filled, spooktacular concert.

I have heard about the Halloween concert for the last 2 years and I am overjoyed to finally attend it. It will have music for everyone to enjoy whether you are an orchestra nerd or a newcomer to classical music. If you don’t like attending orchestra concerts because of how formal they seem with their tuxedos and bow ties then seeing musicians dressed all goofy and silly will take the edge off. It is the only SMTD ticketed production that is open to kids of all ages so you know it’s an all-age favorite. 

You can also dress up to your heart’s desire for this event so you can take this as an opportunity to show off your Halloween spirit. In previous years the concert had funny skits to introduce musical pieces so you won’t only get to enjoy music, play dress up, see others in funny costumes but also see a funny skit or two. Doesn’t that sound like the best version of an orchestra concert?

Word on the grapevine is that the concert’s tickets are running out quickly! So grab you and your friends a good seat before it’s too late at: https://tickets.smtd.umich.edu/5200

REVIEW: The Holy Bones Festival

If you’re looking for some kitschy fun, look no further that Ypsilanti’s Holy Bones Festival. The Halloween Spirit was out in full force as local artists and performers showcased their spookiest wares and performances. I commend the talented drag and burlesque performers for doing their routines on a chilly evening!
During one memorable number, Johnny Rocket, dressed as a mummy did a striptease unraveling their bandages. Local drag queen Zooey Gaychanel, I first saw perform at the Spectrum Center’s Fair in September was also headlining.

Johnny Rocket strikes a pose

The Halloween Market featured everything from antiques to enamel pins to bath bombs and indie comics. I particularly enjoyed talking with Detroit-based Bad Love Design who sells cheeky, high-quality affordable prints inspired by retro cartoon an 60s pin-up aesthetic. Bad Love is working on a forthcoming tarot deck, so keep your eyes peeled! I also stopped to talk to the owner of Conjure Goddess, a new hoodoo shop opening up in Ypsilanti. They stock everything a witch could need from incense to Tarot cards to conjure oil. I was really impressed by the diversity of magic shops and businesses in Ypsi as well as the amount of queer-owned and women-owned businesses at the fair.

Owners of the Conjure Goddess
Bad Love Design

 

Last but not least, the food options were few but notable. Fork in Nigeria was definitely the stand-out, with various kinds of fufu and jollof. There was also a more economical taco truck option. Both had vegetarian choices. There was also a lot of hot cider going around! I ducked out before the festivities ended but I did get to hear some of the mellow tones of London Beck before I left. The fun, lighthearted atmosphere nearly allows you to forget how hard the performers and artists work to put events like these together. All in all, I think the Holy Bones festival is a great choice for families and for students and young adults.