Rocky Horror Picture Show
Another installment of theCult Show That Will Not Die, the 25th anniversary edition of theRocky Horrorsoundtrack has, of course, the kinds of things one would expect of an anniversarial edition. These include previously unreleased tracks and a CD booklet that attempts to explain the inexplicable: how character actor Richard O'Brien's little slice of weirdness became such a hit that, a quarter of a century later, it's a Broadway production once again. Even today, there are people out there being, well, exposed to the phenomenon that isRocky Horrorfor the first time, and the reaction is always the same: either utter enchantment or utter mystification. There's no denying that the show has a certain appeal. Creator O'Brien has called it "something any 10-year-old can enjoy," and maybe that's the secret: something aboutRocky Horror's barely controlled insanity connects with our inner children. Maybe it's Tim Curry's magnetic performance. Maybe it's the music. Maybe it's '70s nostalgia. Whatever the reason,Rocky Horrorhas proved that one need not be mainstream to become an icon of popular culture. While the images and ideas contained therein might hardly turn a head today, there's nothing else like it that's quite as much fun.--Genevieve Williams