Hot Patootie

Last night, I was supposed to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the IFC Center with my friend, Michelle, but we didn’t end up going because she had to work early the next day. This posed a slight problem because I, without her knowledge, purchased tickets in a misguided attempt at being a gentlemen. But we’ll hopefully end up going another weekend.

Rocky is arguably the biggest cult film of all-time and even its most devoted fans can’t say that it’s a great movie, but rather a fun one. Personally, my feeling for the actual movie is quite neutral but the music (and, to a lesser extent, the greatness of Tim Curry and Meat Loaf) is what gets me.

On early Saturday, I went walking around the Village with the soundtrack playing on my iPod. While no stranger appeared asking about what song I was listening to, I knew I drew a couple of odd looks from a attractive females who thought I was smirking at them, while I was actually just smiling at, among others, “Eddie” or “I’m Going Home.”

Actually, that same accidental smirk happened the day before that too because I was listening to “King of New York” from the Newsies soundtrack and includes some vocals by Bill Pullman.

The majority of the songs bring back the sounds of the 1950s with lots of guitar and horns, specifically a somewhat amateur sounding saxophone. Not exactly Coltrane-esque, but that’s the point. The two main characters, Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, are being held captive by Curry who is a crazy transvestite or, in his words, “sweet transvestite.”

So much has been written about Rocky and it seems like every new cult movie or sing-a-long is called the “next Rocky,” which I know for a fact is what many people call the Buffy Sing-A-Long also held at the IFC. But I guess it goes to show the last power of a movie that came out over 30 years and still hasn’t worn out welcome. I mean, someone must be going to the weekly shows at the big cinema in Chelsea.

Five Best…Films Mentioned in the Opening Song, “Double Feature”

#5. The Day The Earth Stood Still

#4. Tarantula

#3. The Invisible Man

#2. Forbidden Planet

#1. King Kong

What a Drag

As appearing in today's issue of The New School Newspaper, Inprint:

Five Best...Drag Films

#5. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Those “sweet transvestites” get to have all the fun: watch Tim Curry in drag, see Susan Sarandon run around in her undergarments and, best of all, get musical performances from Meat Loaf. That is, until he dies.

#4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

“Six inches forward and five inches back” essentially says it all.

#3. Killer Drag Queens on Dope (2003)

I rank this epic right up there (down there?) with Attack of the Killer Condoms. But for all the lame gay sex included in Killer Condoms, Drag Queens has the charm of the two main characters being named Coco and Ginger.

#2. Mulan (1998)

Disney has a long history of male figures dressing up as women (Little John in Robin Hood, for instance), but very seldom do they try women as men. With a little help from Eddie Murphy, the title character imitates a man to fight as a solider.

#1. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

The King and or Queen of the crop. That’s quite an accomplishment because people have found dressing in drag to be comedy gold for quite a long time. But the way Robin Williams delicately balances his hairy male self with his buxom female personality is totally Oscar-worthy. I mean, am I the only one who truly believes in Williams when he sings “Dude Looks Like a Lady” by Aerosmith?