The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Blu-ray Disc

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 6:06pm

I just picked this up. There's a lot of extras from previous editions of the film ported over and some new extras added. There's a Rocky-oke feature where you can sing along with selected songs from the film with or without the lead vocals. There's a documentary on the search for the Blu-ray Shadowcast along with a PIP feature where you can watch the film with the cast performing along with it. There's a feature spotlighting rock photographer Mick Rock who was the on set photographer and a virtual photo gallery, pressbook gallery and poster gallery. A Virtual Prop Box helps you select which props you should use at the appropriate time while viewing the film and a Call Back Track has the responses that you should say back to the film pop up on the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Some of the extras, in my opinion are really lame. For instance, I wish they could have synced up the 1983 Audience Par-tic-i-pation Album's audio with the actual film so you could actually watch the film and hear the responses. The one that was included on the 25th Anniversary edition DVD was a good try but by the time that was recorded (2000) the responses were not only radically different but all the shouting was undistinguishable. On the 1983 recording the "give and take" of the responses comes across a whole lot better. It would also have been great if they could have rounded up Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick for a feature length commentary, but that's just wishful thinking on my part.

The BEST reason to pick up this new release is the STUNNING high def transfer taken from the ORIGINAL camera NEGATIVE. It renders all other editions of the film OBSOLETE, that is until some other new video technology comes along to replace the Blu-ray format. There's also the option to hear the film in a newly remastered 7.1 DOLBY TRUE HD audio soundtrack or to hear the film in it's original mono presentation.

It all comes wrapped up in a hardcover book which features Mick Rock's photos taken on the set of the film.

Original price is $34.99 but I got mine for $18.00.



Updated On: 10/20/10 at 06:06 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 6:17pm

I second everything you said, but I do want to ask of you have any problem with your disc loading. Since yesterday, I'm on my third copy and every one of them takes at least five minutes to get to the main menu. Is anyone else having this problem? It does it on all three of my bluray players.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 6:26pm

There really is a lot to love about this Blu-ray: the HD shadowcast is great (and Rocky is totally adorable) and the prop box is I think perhaps the best use of an interactive feature I have ever seen. The transfer is beyond reproach, and I love that they kept most of the old bonus features from the two-disc DVD.

However, my gripe... the scene in Brad's bedroom with Frank has been color-corrected so that it's no longer tinted blue. For whatever reason, Janet's is still pink. It really annoys me that something like that happens and no one involved in the making of the disc / transfer notices. I'd love Fox to do a recall and put out the correct vesion, but I'm curious about what the odds are of that happening (I figure not great).

Also a less minor note: they use a different take of Susan Sarandon's solo line in "Over at the Frankenstein Place" for the 7.1 audio mix. It's not hugely different, but if you've seen the movie countless times, you'll notice it. Thankfully the mono soundtrack has the original theatrical take, but again...

Also, Jordan, for whatever reason, when I first watched the movie it loaded fine, but today it took so long that I ended up just shutting down my Blu-ray player and turning it on again. It worked that time. I have no idea why.

Updated On: 10/20/10 at 06:26 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 6:29pm

That is interesting. It must be a manufacturing problem. Maybe they'll do a recall on them and reissue them with that color corrected scene fixed as well.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 8:21pm

@ Jordan: I have no problem with my disc loading.

@BDrischBDemented: On my second viewing I noticed that an alternate vocal take for the "Frankenstein Place" number was used. Sarandon's embellishments of some of the notes in the song are different from what was used in the original mono mix and the original soundtrack album. Also, if you notice on this version you hear her and Bostwick join the chorus on the last two repeats of the lines: "There's a light, a liiight" and of course their lips aren't moving! Whoops!
Updated On: 10/20/10 at 08:21 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 8:38pm

Call me crazy, but the vocals on Time Warp seem different as well.

Whats going on with this disc??

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 9:08pm

I think for the 7.1 re-mastering Fox went back to the original session masters, It sounds different because it is MIXED differently, also you get to hear more instrumentations and/or embellishments than you can get from a simple two track stereo or mono mix.

As far as "Time Warp" is concerned the chorus and background is spread out, it's mixed differently for a fuller sound and they may have done some over dubbing on it using the original session masters. But then if you listen to the original mono mix versus just the soundtrack Lp you'll notice differences in both of those as well.

You have to remember that RHPS' original theatrical mix was mono, in order for Fox to do a true surround re-mastering they had to go back to those original session masters, which of course are in stereo.

This isn't a new phenomena to RHPS video releases. With the original VHS release Fox re-dubbed the film with the original stereo two track album masters in order to offer that release in stereo. Some of the takes differ from the versions used in the film and what wound up happening is that it had some sync issues, particularly during the "Floor Show" sequence.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 9:10pm

Did they get rid of the little beep sound during the first "I Can Make You a Man"?

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 9:13pm

FYI about Time Warp: When Janet faints she lets out an audible gasp which is clear on the original mono mix...on the 7.1 mix it's buried so deep in the mix you could hardly tell it's there.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 9:18pm

@CATSNYrevival: What beep?

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 9:22pm

If you are referring to the "beep" sound when Frank sings the line "And just a little bit of ste -he-eeeeam" that is not a beep it's the pluck of a harpsichord string and it's clearly present on both mixes.
Updated On: 10/20/10 at 09:22 PM

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 11:47pm

Additionally, while I love the photos included the digibook, I wish Fox had a more effective way of holding the disc than a slot in cardboard. My disc's fallen out three times, and while I know Blu-rays are more scratch resistant blah blah blah, they still could have used a plastic tray.

I realize it sounds like I'm complaining a lot about this, but that's mostly because these few issues make the Blu-ray release fall short of being basically perfect.