From the rear cover of the book.....

FAN PHENOMENA - THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

When The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in 1975 it initially received an indifferent reception in movie theaters but began to gain notoriety after it was embraced by audiences at midnight screenings in New York City and elsewhere. The movies tells the misadventures of newly engaged Brad and Janet whose car breaks down in a rainstorm forcing them to seek refuge in the castle of the bizarre and flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

An homage to campy B-movies, sci-fi, and horror films, the movie was—and still is— more than the sum of its parts. Participatory and party-like, midnight showings attract moviegoers who dress as film characters, sing along with the catchy show tunes, and interact with the action on screen. In the four decades since its release, it has become a cultural phenomenon, not to mention one of the most commercially successful films of all time.

In Fan Phenomena: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," editor Marisa C. Hayes brings together a diverse group of writers who explore the film's influence on the development of the pastiche tribute film, emerging queer activism of the 1970s, glam rock style, and the creative use of audience dialogue in recreating and interacting with the spoken and sung language of the film.

Spotlighting a cult phenomenon and its fans, who count the number of times they've seen the movie in the hundreds, this contribution to the Fan Phenomena series covers never before explored topics related to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For anyone who has ever done the "Time Warp," this will be an essential reading.

Marisa C. Hayes is a Franco-American artist and scholar working at the crossroads of film, literature and the performing arts.

TimeWarp's mini review

I suppose the nearest comparison we have to this book would be Jeffrey Weinstock's Cultographies - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, although I would say that this book is a far easier read and based more from a fans perspective. Marisa C. Hayes has collected together serveral papers on the fan aspect of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, intersperced with her own interviews with various long term Rocky Horror fans.

I have always been held the opinion that once you try to anaylyse Rocky Horror you lose sight of why we all enjoy it so much, it's fun. Having said that some of the writers do make some valid points, although I would disagree with some of their conclusions. That may be down to cultural differences between the fans based in America, as they do not have the same exposure to the stage show version that we do over here in the UK.

Overall I would say this is a useful addition to any Rocky fans collection and not just one for the completists.

TimeWarpWebMaster     Sunday, May 31st, 2015

136 pages.     9¹/₂" x 6³/₄"     242mm x 170mm

ISBN: 978-1-78320-450-2/elSBN: 978-1-78320-451-9 & 978-1-78320-452-6
www.intellectbooks.com

£15.50 as of Sunday, May 31st, 2015