While I am a big fan of the original "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", then it is sort of odd that it has taken me so long to actually getting around to watching "Shock Treatment".This sequel to the immensely popular "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is much less known. and it wasn't before 2017 that I actually had the chance to watch it. So was it worth the wait?Hardly so! The story is nowhere near in comparison to the predecessor. And it was really odd to see Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Charles Gray and Nell Campbell return to the movie but in different roles than in "Rocky Horror Picture Show". That just didn't really work for me. The roles of Brad and Janet were now played by someone else entirely, which just was a slap to the face.It should be said that the cast was good, and I was surprised to see Rik Mayall here.There were a few good songs here and there, but they are not classics like the tunes from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"."Shock Treatment" was adequate enough if you haven't seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", but since most of us have, then "Shock Treatment" turned out to be a mediocre experience.

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.

"Shock Treatment" was recommended to me by a friend from work who has an odd fetish with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," this films supposed prequel. Admittedly I'm not a fan. The songs were catchy enough but the story was bizarre and just plodded along at a lackadaisical pace. At least imitators like "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) had clear cut stories that weren't just an exercise in corset wearing awkwardness. In fairness, I watched it by myself my sophomore year of college so maybe I wasn't able to latch on to its zeitgeist like many of my friends did. Maybe before I judge it definitively I should go to one of those midnight screenings where people lip-synch, throw things at the screen and tape rubber dildos on willing participants.But "Shock Treatment" can't be subjected to such...treatment. Aside from the actor playing Brad looking like Ben Folds, there is nothing that makes the couple stand out like Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick did. The main villain (also played by Cliff De Young) is blander than a bowl of oatmeal and the songs are right up there with him. It takes a special kind of apathy to start a song singing to a blender and other kitchen appliances. Additionally, you can tell the movie is trying oh so hard to make fun of consumer culture, but it misses its mark entirely like a four-year-old's first archery lesson.And as for the plot, I literally had to look the film up on Wikipedia to try to give a concise plot summary and I just watched it! Essentially its about the town of Denton which has been engulfed by a large television studio. Brad and Janet (Cliff De Young & Jessica Harper) supposedly the same characters from "Rocky Horror", are forced to endure a cavalcade of bizarre musical numbers while trying to keep their troubled marriage from falling apart. This of course involves him being committed and her becoming a network star. Because nothing says "I love you" like a straight jacket and glitter.If anything positive came out of this experience, "Shock Treatment" got me thinking about some of the other underrated musicals I have seen eons ago. Ones that actually make sense and are marginally entertaining like "Everyone Says I Love You" (1996), "The Brave Little Toaster" (1987) and "Man of La Mancha" (1972). Go watch those and leave "Shock Treatment" where it should be; in the gutter.http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/

This was THE film that us Rocky Horror fanatics drooled about when we first heard that it was announced by Richard O'Brien, as far back as 1979. When we heard that it finally got made...well, suffice it to say, the prospects of a RHPS sequel had us doing back flips (me, included). Shock Treatment, released in 1981 was that dream come true (or so we had hoped). When it finally reached theaters (with as spotty distribution as Rocky had in 1975),we flocked to our local cinema,in eager anticipation. What we got was a somewhat shallow attempt to reproduce the same cult film that Rocky was. Problem was (and still is) one cannot make a cult film. Cult movies become cult movies, due to their quirky nature (the cheap budgets help,too). Shock Treatment, originally announced as 'The Brad And Janet Show' is a perfect example of a good idea gone bad. The plot concerns Brad & Janet Majors (yes, they're now married),who becomes hapless contestants on a game show, with it's own agenda. What follows is a forced attempt to recapture the same spirit that Rocky had. Brad & Janet are both played by other actors(as the originals opted not to appear in the sequel),although most of the cast from RHPS appear in this film (Richard O'Brien & Pat Quinn play another weird brother & sister act,and Little Nell plays a nurse, plus others from Rocky also are featured). Some of the songs in the film are nice, but doesn't have the verve that the originals have. In short,if you feel you absolutely need to see this, a one time will do fine.