I know a large portion of the Rocky Horror community despise "Shock Treatment", but I rather like it (and I'm a huge fan of The Rocky Horror Show). Even though I like "Shock Treatment", I can't lie and say it's 100% perfect. Because it isn't.
History Lesson! The first draft of a "Rocky" sequel was a script entitled "Curse of the Baby" which became "Rocky Horror Shows His Heels". This script has not been made available to the public and it's a shame. Just from reading the plot line it sounds like a direct sequel to the previous work. But who knows how bad the script really is? So Jim Sharman suggested O'Brien rewrite the script so it wasn't as closely reminiscent to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Next comes my personal favorite version of a sequel, "The Brad & Janet Show" - this is practically "Shock Treatment" but better. So the closest thing to the best sequel (in my mind) would be this. So I guess you can say I look past the flaws and past the filmed footage to the actual original screenplay before it all took place inside of a TV studio. This decision took the reality out of everything.
Even though I'm admitting this film is kind of a stinker, the witty dialogue of the original script is still present as are the songs. "Bitchin' In The Kitchen" is very clever, though Brad talking to appliances on a TV screen isn't as funny as talking to the actual appliances themselves (like in the original script). "In My Own Way" is such an emotional song, but the visuals of her walking through padded corridors loses its appeal. To understand what I'm comparing what to, I suggest finding a copy of "The Brad & Janet Show".
"Shock Treatment", as I said, is still a fun movie to watch and what's great about it is you don't even need to watch Rocky Horror to understand it. It's an entirely new story. I even think the whole making fun of American television is wonderfully done (especially for about 2 decades before the ridiculous reality shows of today aired). What really shines out to me is the growing relationship of Oliver and Betty (formerly Munroe) Hapschatt. But I can't stop thinking if only Richard O'Brien had halted the film production during the actor's strike. If only the script hadn't been changed so much. If only he hadn't been so greedy for dough than dedicated to making an actually good movie. 'If' and 'Only'. Two small words that keep repeating again and again in my movie summary.
A minor thing in my mind (that most people tend to dramatize) is the recasting of Brad and Janet. Now, me being a fan of the stage shows of "Rocky Horror" from the 1973 London Cast, the 1974 Roxy Cast, to the 1977 Norwegian Cast, I obviously don't care if new actors are playing Brad and Janet; there's enough of the usual gang of weirdos for you to still enjoy. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon were the third pair of actors to play Brad & Janet, after all.
Enough of my rambling. Should you watch this movie? Sure! It's very smart and amusing. But I suggest you look deeper into its production history after you view it.
History Lesson! The first draft of a "Rocky" sequel was a script entitled "Curse of the Baby" which became "Rocky Horror Shows His Heels". This script has not been made available to the public and it's a shame. Just from reading the plot line it sounds like a direct sequel to the previous work. But who knows how bad the script really is? So Jim Sharman suggested O'Brien rewrite the script so it wasn't as closely reminiscent to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Next comes my personal favorite version of a sequel, "The Brad & Janet Show" - this is practically "Shock Treatment" but better. So the closest thing to the best sequel (in my mind) would be this. So I guess you can say I look past the flaws and past the filmed footage to the actual original screenplay before it all took place inside of a TV studio. This decision took the reality out of everything.
Even though I'm admitting this film is kind of a stinker, the witty dialogue of the original script is still present as are the songs. "Bitchin' In The Kitchen" is very clever, though Brad talking to appliances on a TV screen isn't as funny as talking to the actual appliances themselves (like in the original script). "In My Own Way" is such an emotional song, but the visuals of her walking through padded corridors loses its appeal. To understand what I'm comparing what to, I suggest finding a copy of "The Brad & Janet Show".
"Shock Treatment", as I said, is still a fun movie to watch and what's great about it is you don't even need to watch Rocky Horror to understand it. It's an entirely new story. I even think the whole making fun of American television is wonderfully done (especially for about 2 decades before the ridiculous reality shows of today aired). What really shines out to me is the growing relationship of Oliver and Betty (formerly Munroe) Hapschatt. But I can't stop thinking if only Richard O'Brien had halted the film production during the actor's strike. If only the script hadn't been changed so much. If only he hadn't been so greedy for dough than dedicated to making an actually good movie. 'If' and 'Only'. Two small words that keep repeating again and again in my movie summary.
A minor thing in my mind (that most people tend to dramatize) is the recasting of Brad and Janet. Now, me being a fan of the stage shows of "Rocky Horror" from the 1973 London Cast, the 1974 Roxy Cast, to the 1977 Norwegian Cast, I obviously don't care if new actors are playing Brad and Janet; there's enough of the usual gang of weirdos for you to still enjoy. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon were the third pair of actors to play Brad & Janet, after all.
Enough of my rambling. Should you watch this movie? Sure! It's very smart and amusing. But I suggest you look deeper into its production history after you view it.