Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Rocky Horror Picture Show

This is topic Rocky Horror Picture Show in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003511

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-30-2002, 11:26 PM:

Does anybody here run weekly midnight screenings of ROCKY HORROR?

I'm curious whether the print goes back to the depot every week...or do you just keep it forever?

------------------
~Manny.

Some people can read "War and Peace" and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story while I, on the other hand, can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Lex Luthor, "Superman: The Movie"

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-30-2002, 11:50 PM:

That POS? Nah. Not up here anymore. The last time we ran it, it took us the better part of a day to clean the auditorium. Some little dork harpooned our screen with a fork, too. Damage was minor, but we don't like to cater to a bunch of mal-adjusted brats. They can rent the video and watch it at home.

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 4594) on 05-31-2002, 12:45 AM:

We were running it once a week for a while but it just wasn't doing enough business to be worth it. When we were doing that we did get to keep the print.

Now we are doing it once a month, much better show from people but we do not get to keep the print.

We really haven't had any trouble with kids during the show, they are frisked by our live cast before they can go in the theater.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-31-2002, 02:12 AM:

Awwwwww come on Paul. You seem to be the kind of guy who would adore Frankenfurter!

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 05-31-2002, 07:14 AM:

The cast I used to be part of in Virginia still runs it at an independent single screen theatre (The Naro) every month to a good turnout. They have a pristine print that they get to keep on the premises all the time. From what I understand though, they are being remodeled back to their former glory and wonder if The Naro would keep the movie after cleaning up the building.

BTW, the cast has a website with a ton of pictures...
http://www.rhps-fishnetinc.com/

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-31-2002, 08:53 AM:

Yeah, the Naro kept their print and got a new one for Halloween 1998. I assume that they still have that one. I ran the one that they replaced a few years ago and it was indeed pristine (actually, I drove to the Naro and picked it up myself...this was when I was working at the Williamsburg Theatre [see pic gallery, tho it has since been remodeled]). It was one of the reprints with a the Dolby SR remix and the longer (British?) edit with Superheros. I don't know what type of print they got to replace it.

I don't see why a theatre that ran this every week would return the print, anyway, since it's really a weekend/midnight show and the chances that anyone would run it during the week are pretty close to zero.

This is a fun show to run and I think that every theatre employee should have the experience of cleaning up after it at least once. Especially in a theatre that permits toast and rice!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-31-2002, 09:22 AM:

"I don't see why a theatre that ran this every week would return the print, anyway, since it's really a weekend/midnight show and the chances that anyone would run it during the week are pretty close to zero."

Because someone might bootleg it to video!!! Jeez, can you imagine Technicolor wanting to pick that print up every Monday, only to return a different copy every Thursday? Oh the horror.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 05-31-2002, 10:17 AM:

Bootleg it to video? There is already a high-quality anamorphic DVD in the correct aspect ratio available. You'd think that would reduce the possibility of someone wanting to make a video somehow from a film print. If some loser wanted to make illegal copies, I'd think they'd use the DVD and not a film print.

------------------
Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 05-31-2002, 11:11 AM:

No way, Evans. Bootleggers want it from Film Done Right(tm), not from some crappy DIGITAL medium!!

--jhawk

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-31-2002, 11:42 AM:

Brad, I thought that was Frank N. Farter..

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-31-2002, 12:03 PM:

Evans, I was just joking about the bootlegging. Bootlegging has reached ridiculous proportions, yet for some reason the general consensus is that it is happening at the theater level, when in fact most of the bootlegs are coming from studio video transfer tapes.

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 05-31-2002, 12:52 PM:

...Technicolor wouldn't be dealing with RHPS anyway, 'tis a 20th Century Fox release, and that means ETS.

I have built up, ran, & torn down the same beat up print (#1376 if my memory serves) of RHPS a few times in the past two and a half years. Yet I managed to avoid being coerced into cleaning up the auditorium - and we did allow rice, toast, confetti, etc... I think that we only said 'no' to hot dogs!

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 05-31-2002, 01:08 PM:

RHPS Horror Story:

I have done RHPS so many times that I thought I had seen it all... Then this happened...

The Oakland Tribune www.oaklandtribune-ang.com
February 26, 2001

Rocky Horror Show spat in San Leandro stirs emotions
By Jeff Chorney and Liz Hamilton
STAFF WRITERS

SAN LEANDRO -- No one danced the "time-warp" in the aisles of the Bal Theatre during a recent midnight run of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Although the dance is an essential part of watching the cult movie classic, the more than 80 audience members who turned out for what could be one of the last San Leandro showings of the film stayed in their seats.

A ban on dancing is one of the new rules enacted by 26-year-old theater operator Brady Ferguson. He was arrested Feb. 9 after undercover police officers reported seeing underage drinking and lewd sexual behavior at a January performance, which they shut down. He is scheduled to appear in court next month on the misdemeanor charges.

Ferguson's arrest has sparked a debate: Is the cult movie simply too wild for San Leandro, or did the young entrepreneur encourage illegal activities?

Fans and cast members from around the state have bombarded the newspapers with e-mail letters defending Brady and the show. Other e-mails say the theater manager clearly went too far.

"The show is based on audience participation. Without it, it defeats the whole purpose of Rocky Horror," said David Murdock, who has been attending showings of the film for 20 years.

During a showing Feb. 16, the week after Ferguson's arrest, Murdock and others got involved as much as they could, waving their arms in the air and screaming the lyrics "Let's do the time-warp again" at the top of their lungs instead of dancing.

Showing movies at midnight and allowing dancing go against the permit the city issued to Ferguson, San Leandro city officials said.

But Ferguson's new rules, including a no-alcohol policy, might not be enough to keep the theater in business.

The city has already moved to revoke Ferguson's license, which would shut down the theater. Last week, Ferguson and the Police Department squared off in front of finance director Tim Hansen, who said he will decide by Wednesday whether to revoke the license.

"When there are things going on that are potentially detrimental to citizens of the community, we evaluate whether the business should be in business," Hansen said.

Ferguson said he wishes the city had tried friendly discussion before it moved to shut him down. He and his girlfriend have invested $15,000 in the 55-year-old Bal since taking it over last summer.

"It's very frustrating. I think that we could have accomplished a whole lot more if we had sat down at a big table and talked," Ferguson said.

"Rocky Horror" is a legendary cheesy 1975 movie shown throughout the country at midnight events that feature live casts dressed as movie characters performing along with the movie. Audience members also dress up.

Before the movie starts, an emcee calls for those audience members who have never attended a production before; these "virgins" are brought on stage. During the movie, the audience shouts lines at the film, dances on cue and throws objects in the theater.

It was during the pre-show that Ferguson is accused of taking things too far. Police say he encouraged moviegoers to expose themselves and have sex, and even put his mouth on a 15-year-old girl's breast.

Several fans said via e-mail that the accusations are blown out of proportion, that Ferguson's actions as emcee were a normal part of a risque show.

During the Feb. 16 performance, the "virgins" tried to put a condom on a flipper and a skull. The group that kept the condom in one piece were declared winners.

"I don't mind (this atmosphere) at all," said Raul Medina, a 19-year-old Hayward resident who attended that show. "This is a place where I can come and open up and it doesn't bother anybody, plus I feel safe here."

Other teens agreed, saying that in the six months since Ferguson reopened the Bal, it has been a safe place to go on Friday nights.

The city and police have a different view.

Besides the criminal case, Ferguson is accused of violating zoning codes and city law by showing the movie, finance director Hansen said.

For one thing, Ferguson shows the movie after midnight, which he did not tell the city he planned to do when he applied for the license. Even more damaging, according to San Leandro police Lt. Ian Willis, is Ferguson's blase attitude about checking IDs. The movie is rated "R," which means it's recommended for people 17 and older.

Ferguson pointed out that "R" is only a recommendation. Plus, he said, Rocky Horror was "very tame" and likely would be PG-13 if rated today.

The city has held only one other business license revocation hearing in the past 31/2 years.

During the nearly two-hour meeting with the finance director, Ferguson told Hansen he would be willing to work with the city to continue operating out of the Bal. Hansen said he was considering everything discussed at the meeting, including Ferguson's compromise offer.

"I think it would be a tragedy to close the theater and lose the benefit of the theater," said David Newacheck, Ferguson's lawyer.

Newacheck said Ferguson's application did not prohibit him from showing movies at midnight or later. "Business owners need to be concerned about (Ferguson's case)," Newacheck said. "The city didn't give me any indication of what rules or changes would satisfy them. There should be a warning ... built in before they start the revocation."

Pitching it as "Your Hometown Movie Theatre," Ferguson has made an effort to be involved with the San Leandro community. The theater is used for live performances, including shows by the San Leandro Community Theater. Ferguson also donates ticket sales to local nonprofits and shows movies with captions for deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Ferguson is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and has been active with a recently revived south San Leandro business group, said Tom Guarino, chamber chief executive officer. Guarino said revoking the business license would be "overreacting." "To shut down the entire theater would be very detrimental to the neighborhood," Guarino said.

If Hansen decides to revoke the business license, Ferguson has five days to shut down and 10 days to appeal to the City Council. The council then could agree to hear the case or appoint a different hearing officer, Hansen said. Ferguson said he would appeal.

The theatre closed soon afterward and has since been reopened with new management... and NO I never projected there, though I have consulted on some tech matters soon after this disaster occurred.

Be careful what you do for RHPS preshows!!

-Aaron

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-31-2002, 01:31 PM:

Whoah!!! Thanks for posting that, Aaron.

~Manny.

"It's not easy trying to rule the world. Even smiling makes my face ache!"

Frank N. Furter, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 05-31-2002, 01:53 PM:

The DVD of this is going on "moratorium" soon BTW, so pick it up while you can!

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-31-2002, 08:00 PM:

Incredible story. Sounds like the city had an agenda already and all that crap about he wasn't licensed for "dancing" and running shows after midnight was just so much bull to close him down. San Leandro sounds like a place where the politicians and the police have cactus plants up their butts. These aperacheks would last about an hour and a half in New York City.

Frank

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-31-2002, 10:08 PM:

lso the prossiblilty exists that the owner chose to ignore the local bylaws

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 05-31-2002, 10:19 PM:

Sounds like "FOOTLOOSE"...

Posted by Nathan Guerriero (Member # 1214) on 06-03-2002, 07:50 PM:

We run Rocky from time to time. We currently have two prints of it at the theatre. One looks like it has been dragged behind a truck, and the other is so red it is almost unwatchable. I promise I am not responsible for the condition of either print.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-04-2002, 09:14 PM:

The Carefree Theater in West Palm Beach, an old single-screener that runs arthouse product, used to have Rocky Horror night every Saturday at midnight. They would somtimes advertize around Halloween for it, billed as "The Fifth-Longest running engagement in the country!" They stopped doing it though, because the "punk" kids would come to beat up the "goth" kids and fights broke out almost weekly, so they pulled the plug. I even heard (rumor) that someone fell through the screen during one performance.

=TMP=