2026 Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror

• Directed by: Linus O’Brien
• Written by: Avner Shiloah
• Stars: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Richard O’Brien
• Run Time: 1 Hour, 29 Minutes
• Trailer:

Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone

There’s not a story to spoil. This is a documentary about how the play and movie came to be, interviewing actor writer musician Richard O’Brien and his past, and much about the people involved with Rocky Horror. It’s loaded with interviews and vintage footage and stills. Clearly the folks in this had a good time back in the day, and in the making of this documentary. It’s really well put together and a lot of fun to watch.

Spoilery Synopsis

We open on Richard O’Brien in New Zealand, talking about his “historic house.” We see a statue of Riff Raff in front of a museum. O’Brien then talks about his life as a barber. We then cut to scenes from the movie and views of the crowds as credits roll.

We hear from a guy who talks about being gay and learning about the show; he often participated in the live show. He eventually became a drag actor.

O’Brien talks about his early career and Method Acting. He’d been in several major parts in musical theater and then became a father to Linus, this film’s director. He eventually decided to write his own musical, and he sings “Science Fiction Double Feature” for us live. He wrote most of the play in a hurry because time was so limited.

We hear from the costume designer next; most people turned down the job. Tim Curry and Nell Campbell explain how they got involved. They all talk about opening night at the theater, and the tickets sold out very quickly— a huge hit. O’Brien then talks about his sexuality in the younger days and how that went in the 50s and 60s— that just didn’t fly. His wife at the time didn’t approve, but his kid was fine with it.

We then shift to the initial production of the movie version of the play. They brought in many of the cast and crew from the London play, which was unusual for a film. It wasn’t taken over by the Hollywood crowd; the small theater group basically did the whole thing for a budget of about a million dollars. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon came in at this point as outsiders, just like their characters. The producer explains that a lot of the low-budget, cheap-looking special effects were actually intended to be cheesy, and he often told the effects people to tone it down and make it look goofier.

Jack Black tells us about seeing the film when he was nine years old and what an influence Meat Loaf had on him. Peter Hinwood, as Rocky, wasn’t an actor, but hired for his muscle.

Linus reads fan letters to his father, and it’s clear that the movie changed some people’s lives.

After three years in London and Hollywood, the play moved to Broadway, but the critics and New Yorkers hated it. It soon closed. The film was released, and it was a flop as well. They eventually landed the idea of showing the film at midnight in theaters, and that brought in a whole new audience. It was a surprise hit. People kept going to see it over and over, every week, which surprised everyone.

We move on to talk about the film’s audience and how they dressed up, brought props, and acted out scenes. The whole concept of a “shadow cast” was a new thing. The dressing up, cross-dressing, and message of sexual freedom was an outlet for young, queer people through the 70s, 80s, and onwards.

As the film winds down, we’re told that the Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest-running theatrical release in history.

Brian’s Commentary

It’s surprising that so many of the people involved are still alive, but they’re all looking good and eager to talk about their work. The stories are interesting and relevant, and it’s clear that they all owe a lot to the play and movie.

I’m a relative newcomer to Rocky, but I liked it a lot, and this film helps explain the appeal and history of the whole phenomenon. It was definitely worth watching.

Kevin’s Commentary

This was very cool. I’d never seen this much of the history of Rocky Horror, and I didn’t know that much about Richard O’Brien. I’m glad this was made at this time when almost all the main folks were still available to interview.