Even after Riff Raff and Magenta have revealed that they’re aliens and the entire castle has been launched into space, Brad and Janet sing another number in the smoke that remains. But then it becomes a sex farce, and then there’s an awkward dinner scene, and then the characters put on a show within the show, and then Frank gets a scenery-chewing death scene (which, admittedly, Curry knocks out of the park, giving this flamboyant “mad scientist” caricature a true look of fear in his eyes during his final moments). The movie reaches its natural climax when Frank awakens Rocky in his lab and bludgeons Eddie to death. ![]() Rocky Horror, on the other hand, drags its ending out for much, much longer. Winslow kills Swan, then succumbs to his own mortal stab wound, and finally reconciles with Phoenix before dying – cue the end credits. One of Phantom’s biggest advantages over Rocky Horror is that it knows when to end. De Palma, on the other hand, is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the world – especially in the genre space – and Phantom of the Paradise exhibits all his signature stylistic trademarks: split-screens, point-of-view shots, pitch-black humor, and an abundance of Hitchcockian homages (including an even more absurd subversion of Psycho’s infamous shower scene than High Anxiety). The majority of the movie feels like watching a stage musical on a screen. He mostly shot the film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show by pointing a camera at the theatrical staging of the play. The movie has some undeniably brilliant camerawork – like the unnerving handheld closeups in the death scenes, capturing the terror in a character’s eyes during their murder – but Sharman is a theater director first and a filmmaker second. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was helmed by Jim Sharman, the director of the original stage show. In the hands of a master like De Palma, Phantom of the Paradise is a better-directed movie than its fellow ghoulish rock opera. The regular reprisals of the “Faust” song serve to musically symbolize Winslow’s transformation into the Phantom. But while Paul Williams’ Phantom music hasn’t made its way onto party playlists outside its connection to the movie, it does complement De Palma’s storytelling and visuals beautifully. The Rocky Horror soundtrack is a great rock album, with or without its attachment to the film, and Phantom of the Paradise doesn’t have a soundtrack like that. The movie blasts through “Science Fiction Double Feature,” “Dammit Janet,” “Over at the Frankenstein Place,” “The Time Warp,” and “Sweet Transvestite” in its opening reel, then trudges through less revered numbers like “I Can Make You a Man” and “Planet Hot Dog” for the rest of the runtime. But Rocky Horror’s soundtrack is let down by putting all its best songs in the first half-hour. From “Dammit Janet” to “ The Time Warp,” a lot of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror tracks have become beloved pop hits in their own right. ![]() ![]() Be sure to tune in to our next episode, “LIFE IS AN ILLUSION” when we dissect the next seven fabulously freaky minutes!įollow us on our social media: on Instagram and see fun videos and resources at, on Facebook at Time Warp Radio Podcast, and on Twitter Send us your burning questions, conspiracy theories, or comments to If you love our project, please consider rating us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts □□□□□Īnd don't forget, on Wednesday's we watch Rocky! ✨□□įollow us on our social media: on Instagram and see fun videos and resources at, while Phantom of the Paradise has a stronger script, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has a more memorable soundtrack. Thanks for tuning your dial to Time Warp Radio, the Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie-by-Minute podcast where with each seven minutes, we can make you a faaaa-aaa-aaaa-a-annnn!□! We are discussing timestamps 00:41:55-00:48:04 and we find out what’s getting served for dinner in our profile of Meatloaf and the greaser from the freezer, *insert Columbia scream* Eddie! This “lovely party” continues as Frank gives us more tin foil for our hats regarding our conspiracy about Charles Atlas’s corpse.
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