The impression given off by its fans is that it is a deviant pansexual orgy of a film, but in truth, RHPS is far more than that. A parody of mid-century science fiction films, with some fifties rock'n'roll thrown in. Oh, and the pansexual bit of course.

written as a play by Richard O'Brien, a New Zealander living in London who had played a couple of bit parts in grotty Brit Flicks (The Four Dimensions of Greta being one), the play was an instant hit in 1973, an era of rock musicals. The show was playful, had an excellent leading man and interacted with the audience (one writer said that it 'ripped away the proscenium arch'), and it proved to be a hit in Los Angeles too, so a film version was put forward and made in 1974.

Released the following year, the film retained many of the original actors but bombed at the box office. It wasn't until an enterprising theatre owner decided to do midnight shows that it took off, and became one of the most popular cults there is today.

The plot is simple; Young American couple get engaged; their car suffers a puncture and they are lost, so they go to a mysterious castle that they had passed earlier. A doctor, the owner of the castle, demonstrates to them that he 'holds the key to life... itsself!', and then proceeds to bring a creature to life - but instead of a Frankenstein-esque monster, it is a blonde muscleboy. The Owner (Doctor Frank N. Furter), then seduces both halves of the couple. They eventually escape, but not until the doctor is killed by his rebellious servants.

Sexually, RHPS is quite tame, especially by the standards of some other british films of the time, with only one set of boobs were flashed (Little Nells - she sems to have had a propensity towards this), and no below the waist nudity. But Tim Curry, who plays Frank, is positively magnetic. He never topped this role, but he sought to distance himself from it shortly after it took off. This is a real shame, as he pulled the role off perfectly - every other actor that has played the part in the theatre since has looked ridiculous in the traditional Frank outfit of a basque and fishnets. Curry looked fantastic in it, excuding a taboo magnetism that no-one has acheived since.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has an interesting dynamic between the stars, in that most of the actors were involved in the original stage production, apart from Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Janet and Brad. They seem somewhat removed from the rest of the cast, which is perfect, as you get the impression that they are almost being ganged up on - both in the movie and, although less malevolent, as players.

The music throughout the movie is great, and reflects the nostalgia for the 1950s rock'n'roll that was prevalent in the UK at the time - lots of tinkling piano and sleazy honking saxophones. The whole film is a postmodern jaunt in fact, taking in everything from the Mona Lisa to Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Like the Who's Tommy, RHPS is a Glam (as in glam rock) movie, full of joyous seventies excess, but RHPS revels in its ludicrousness, and even though it is played straight, the players camp it up something rotten. Having said that, when you're faced with brain transplants, Pierre LaRoche makeovers and a reproduction of the old RKO studios logo that converts itsself to a diving board, what can you do but revel in it?