howeird | Saturday Nite Win/Fail (Reply)

Last night was a Retro Dome double-header, though they sold it as two separate films. The Princess Bride Quote-Along was a hoot and a half, starting with a goody bag of little props to use at various places in the film. Some of them were very clever improvisations. Before the movie there was a short slide show to introduce the newbies to some key phrases to quote-along with. "Inconceivable", and of course "As You Wish" were among them. Way too many of us knew way too much of the dialog in the film. It was a hoot and a half. It was totally old out, and they could not keep up with all the idiots who arrived at 7:30 for a 7:30 show, so it started about 20 minutes late. In the goodie bag:

A small Popsicle stick
A smaller Popsicle stick
a small rubber band peanut
A malt ball
A black mask
A sugar straw

The two Popsicle sticks tied together with the rubber band made a tiny sword for the many sword fights, the peanut was for a rhyme which ends "have a peanut", the malt ball symbolized the re-animation pill Miracle Max makes for Wesley, the sugar straw was the poison which went into the glass of wine (they handed out little cups of grape juice, but didn't make it to me until the scene was over). And of course the mask was for The Dread Pirate Roberts.

The second feature was a major FAIL. The Rocky Horror Picture Show featuring The Bawdy Cast. They totally ruined it. Aging, fat cast members (except for the delicious kid playing Rocky, who was probably jail bait), thought they were the show. They set up in front of the screen, spotlight pretty much obliterated the movie. Thank goodness they only mimed, at least the sound track was audible. They put together an okay goodie bag:

Glow stick for "There's a Light"
Bubble kit for the wedding scene (I tried it out before the movie, but the wand broke off when the scene came)
Newspaper for the rain scene (folded real small)
Confetti popper for the Frankie/Brad wedding scene
A whole roll of toilet paper for "Great Scott!"
Playing cards for the pre-finale number "Cards for sorrow, cards for pain"

Blocking the opening and closing lips sequence was a stripper. She starts her act lounging on a giant leopard-patterned high heeled platform shoe. Let me just say she was Ruebenesque everywhere but on top. The good news is she really sold it, the bad news is I wasn't buying any. Way to piss me off right of the bat.

Time Warp gets so much audience participation, why not invent a dance for a tune in the movie which has dancing with no discernable steps? Let's make up a line dance style set of steps. What fun. NOT.

All the previous RHS shows I have gone to which had a live cast, they stayed on the sides, down on the floor level and in the wings, enhancing the experience by miming the action while they watched the screen. It's not really possible, IMHO, to do better than Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard "Riff-Raff" O'Brien, Peter "Rocky" Hinwood, Charles "No-neck" Gray and Meatloaf.

Long story short, the cast ruined the experience for me, and I will make sure not to go to an RHS with their name on it again.