(sigh) How Hard it is to be Truly Naughty

My husband and I finally went to see the local movie theater's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" event, which has been running every Saturday night at midnight since 2003.

If you haven't seen Jim Sharman's 1975 film, it's a high camp take on old horror/scifi movies with a brilliant Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the Transylvanian Transvestite Mad Scientist. Curry plays it for all it's worth (the film launched him into starring roles) and Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick (early in their careers) also star.

But in watching local "cast members" playing along with the film at the front of the theater, I was struck by just how difficult it is to be truly "naughty" anymore in an age when there are serious (and seemingly endless) discussions about such topics as a man's right to wear a dress into the ladies' restroom.

When the film came out I can see where the action on screen would have elicited a lot of nervous giggles. But today there's no shock value, so the local cast tried to up the ante with blue language and the stated intent of "offending everyone." It didn't really work. Not their fault. We live in an age where there are few limits to behavior. Where's the fun of breaking the rules if there are no rules? That's the problem. We kept wishing they would pipe down so we could hear the film, which still has some very witty lines and was fun to watch.

My husband, however, DID win the "When Harry Met Sally Fake an Orgasm Contest" during the pre-show by channeling a scene from "The Right Stuff" and humming the Air Force's official song ("Off we go, into the wild blue yonder....) It got a huge laugh. Pure genius!

Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter

Opening this Week in Theaters

I have to tell you that all this talk lately about reaching out to women in film, creating special programs, help, etc rankles a bit. Maybe because it sounds just a bit patronizing and self-congratulatory....like helping disadvantaged children. (Or maybe I'm just having one of those mornings) In any case, women have been heavily involved in producing, directing, writing, and editing films since films were first invented as an art form. Every week their work hits the theaters; it just doesn't get the marketing it deserves typically. Kind of like The Hurt Locker (6 Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Editing, Sound/mixing and editing) vs. Avatar (3 Oscars: Cinematography, Visual Effects, Art Direction).

Here's what women filmmakers have opening this week in theaters: The Red Pill, directed and co-produced by Cassie Jaye; 13th, directed and co-written by Ava DuVernay; Newtown, directed by Kim A. Snyder and produced by Maria Cuomo Cole; and 37, written and directed by Puk Grasten.

Riveting, important topics. Looking forward to seeing them all.