'Rocky Horror Picture Show' Creator's Son Looks Back at Cult Classic's History in First Look at 'Strange Journey '(Exclusive)
Director Linus O'Brien, son of creator Richard O'Brien, examines how his father's creative brainchild became a worldwide phenomenon in the new documentary, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror.
In a clip shared with PEOPLE exclusively, Richard talks about bringing Dr. Frank-N-Furter to life and the significance of the character and his candor.
"Frank-N-Furter coming on stage and throwing off that cape and going, 'I'm just a sweet transvestite,' without any apology is wonderful. It's so out there and so in your face. It's such a liberating role, and I think it liberated other people," Richard explains.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: What Made Rocky Horror Picture Show So Epic? Original Star Barry Bostwick, a.k.a. Brad, Says It Was All Tim Curry (Exclusive)
Richard then picks up a guitar and plays a little bit of the song, singing, "Don't get strung out by the way that I look / Don't judge a book by its cover / I'm not much of a man by the light of day / But by night I'm one hell of a lover / I'm just a sweet transvestite / From Transexual, Transylvania, ha ha."
The documentary was created with a team that included Avner Shiloah, Adam Gibbs and Garret Price. The director tells PEOPLE that seeing how many people the film has touched inspired him to dive into its history. It features appearances from Tim Curry, Lou Adler, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard Hartley and Jim Sharman.
"Several years ago, I stumbled upon the YouTube page for the song I'm Going Home, one of the highlights from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I read through the comments, I was overcome with emotion — each person shared their personal story and the deep place the song held in their heart," Linus tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Linus was born just over a year before The Rocky Horror Picture Show made its stage premiere in London's Royal Court Theatre in June 1973.
"While Rocky Horror had always been a major part of my life, and I was well aware of its societal impact, this was the first time I truly grasped the enormity of its influence on individual lives," he notes.
"That realization became the genesis of this film — Rocky Horror is unique in the way it created communities and spaces for people to express themselves without judgment — to feel liberated in every way they choose and to find a home among others like them. This documentary is as much a celebration of them as it is of Rocky Horror itself."
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror premieres at SXSW on Sunday, Mar. 9 at 11:00 a.m.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Watch: 'Masters of the Universe' live-action film gets title reveal
Nicholas Galitzine stars as He-Man in the upcoming "Masters of the Universe" live-action film. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- Amazon MGM Studios released a title reveal video for the upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe film, showing how the logo will appear in multiple languages. The video, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, features the stylized Masters of the Universe logo in English, Spanish, Japanese and multiple other languages. The brief video is accompanied by a dramatic orchestral score. Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue), who plays He-Man in the film, announced on Instagram in June that filming had wrapped for Masters of the Universe. "It has been an honor shouldering the responsibility of playing Adam and He-Man," Galitzine wrote. The film, directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee), is scheduled to release in theaters on June 5, 2026.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Chappell Roan teases new song, 'The Subway,' with 30-second preview
1 of 4 | Chappell Roan shared a 30-second preview of her new song, "The Subway." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- Pop star Chappell Roan offered a 30-second preview of her new song, "The Subway," which tells the story of a failed relationship. The song preview, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, features a still image of wigs while Roan, aka Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, looks back on her ended relationship. "Made you the villain / Evil for just moving on / I see your shadow / I see it even with the lights off / I made a promise, if in four months this feeling ain't gone / Well, [expletive] this city, I'm movin' to Saskatchewan," Roan sings. The pop star's creative director, Ramisha Sattar, also teased the song in her Instagram stories, with a clip of the song accompanied by video of a Saskatchewan license plate. Ads spotted on telephone poles in New York indicate the song is likely to be released Aug. 1. The posters feature an image of Roan's face with the caption, "Going through a breakup? Get bangs!" The image of Roan on the poster has a bread tag in her hair, reading: "Best Before August 1." Grammy Awards: Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan walk the red carpet Taylor Swift arrives for the 67th annual Grammy Awards at the Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. Swift was nominated for six Grammys including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pete Davidson Admits He Was Concerned About Not Being a 'Very Good' Comedian After Getting Sober
Pete Davidson worried his comedic chops weren't up to snuff after getting sober. When asked if there difference in performing standing since getting sober on the July 22 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Saturday Night Live alum, 31, was quick to respond, 'Oh, yeah.' 'That's what I was nervous about because I was like maybe I'm not very good, or maybe I was so high, I thought I was good,' he admitted. Host Jimmy Fallon teased, 'You were like, 'I want to see if I really did this?' I have pictures, but I don't know.' The comedian — who stars in the new movie, — revealed his concerns were unfounded. 'I'm weirdly sharper and more aware, so it's more fun,' he shared. 'Enjoying it more,' Fallon added, to which Davidson said, 'Yeah, when people laugh, you feel it as opposed to just sitting… so high, sitting there.' In January, a source told PEOPLE that Davidson had 'been sober since September [2024], and gained twenty pounds.' 'Things are going really well for him,' the insider said, adding, 'Things are heading in the right direction.' Davidson previously checked into a wellness facility in July 2024 after also seeking treatment to address issues related to PTSD and borderline personality disorder in 2023. The source added Davidson has spent $200,000 to undergo the process of having his multiple tattoos removed from his body as part of his transformation. 'He just woke up one day and wanted them gone, and it's been a years-long process,' the source said of the procedure. During an appearance on Today the same month, Davidson — who started the long-term journey of removing his tattoos in 2020 — explained that his decision to get sober fueled his desire to change his appearance. "I got sober and I saw myself in the mirror and I was like, 'Nah. Who that?' I was like, 'I got to change it up a little bit.'" Davidson and his girlfriend Elsie Hewitt announced another major change coming in their lives: the pair are expecting their first child. Hewitt shared a series of snapshots on Instagram, including a couple of shots of her with the 31-year-old comedian, a sonogram snap and memes from Love Island USA's latest season and Spongebob Squarepants. She also included a clip of the moment the couple saw their little one. "Welp now everyone knows we had sex," she joked. A source previously confirmed to PEOPLE that the pair were dating in March after they were spotted together in Palm Beach, Florida. In photos of their beach date, the couple was seen swimming in the ocean and sharing a smooch in the water. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Two months later, an insider told PEOPLE that the couple moved in together. "Pete and Elsie have been living together in New York for the past few months," the source revealed in May. "They're splitting their time between Pete's house in upstate New York and a brownstone they recently started renting in Brooklyn." "They're so happy together and doing great," the insider added. Read the original article on People
