012Frankenstein v. Rocky Horror Picture Show

posted by ellie on March 22nd, 2007

I don’t have as much to say as I would like to, because I haven’t finished reading Frankenstein yet. But I was thinking about the similarities between the novel and the musical Rocky Horror Picture Show by Richard O’Brien. THE best movie in the whole world. After you’ve watched it about fives times you’ll know what I mean. If anyone wants it I can lend it to them.
But anyway, if you compare the two, there are many similarities. The creator in Frankenstein is called, funnily enough, Frankenstein; and the creator in Rocky is called Frankenfurter. They both, through means of electricity, create or bring to life, a man. This is done in both, by a maniacal, driven professor, who becomes encompassed by their ultimate goal, and will stop at nothing to achieve it. The creations, ie. Frankenstein’s monster and Rocky, are both tall, monster-like creatures who have short, cursed lives. Rocky is, however, handsome and a “perfect specimen of man-hood” according to Frankenfurter, but Frankenstein cannot bare to lay his eyes upon the creature. Or that’s where I’m up to anyway, it could change later.
I didn’t know that Rocky Horror Picture Show would be considered a gothic text or movie, but it said it in our text book. I can see that there are elements of a gothic text in it, however. It is set in a big, abandoned castle, with dim lighting at times, and strange, manic characters.
I think it’s more like a kind of mockery of a gothic movie, because it exaggerates all the gothic aspects.
The bell went and I must be off to Studies of Religion.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm and is categorized in films. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

 

3 Responses

001: jhall,

March 26th, 2007 at 4:08 pm

I have to confess, I’ve never seen Rocky Horror. Is it a parody, like Northanger Abbey?

002: ellie,

April 22nd, 2007 at 7:52 pm

I guess it is a parody, as in it copies ‘Frankenstein’ in a lot of different aspects, and it is definitely a comedy, whether or not you might think it is funny.

So if a parody is what I think it is, ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ seems to fit the criteria. Except that it isn’t a direct imitation, there are only a few linking characteristics, eg. characters, parts of the plot, etc.

003: ellie,

April 22nd, 2007 at 7:58 pm

And yes, Mrs Hall, you should watch Rocky Horror right now. It will rock your world, pardon the pun. As I said before, it takes a few watches to get into. But once you are in, you can’t escape………..

 

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