Tag Archives: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Nov3

November 2, 2017 – One Jason Too Many, You Need a Bit of Shock Treatment & Tidbits

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

 

General Hospital

Real Jason visits Sam’s room. She says, it’s you, and he says, yeah, it’s me.

On the docks, a very popular spot, Klein sees Valentin, who’s been ignoring his messages. He says Valentin owes him a debt, but Valentin says it’s been paid in full. Klein promises to do him a favor if Valentin gets him out of Port Charles.

Cassandra sees Finn at the MetroCourt. She tells him about being evacuated the night before, and he tells her he was at the hospital and missed the chaos at the party. She says it must be hard on him, tearing himself away from Anna.

Andre visits Anna. He’s come to say goodbye.

In Andre’s office, Franco takes the paper out of the printer. He says there are two Jasons out there with the same memories, and remembering how much they hate him. Elizabeth shows up, and asks what he’s doing there.

Real Jason asks how Sam is. She says she feels like she’s going crazy; she’s losing her mind. He tells her it’s okay, and sits by her bed, hesitantly taking her hand. He tells her again that it’s him. Sam says it doesn’t make any sense, and he says not for him either. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but wanted her to know she’s not crazy. He’s here, and he’s Jason. Danny comes bouncing in, and asks who he is.

Real Jason asks if he’s Danny, and tells him he’s his mom’s friend, and a friend of the uncle Danny was named after. Danny wonders why they’ve never met, and he says he’s been away since Danny was a baby. Danny asks why Sam is crying, and she tells him that she’s happy to see him. He shows her a card he made. Real Jason helps him up on the bed, and Other Jason is suddenly in the doorway. He tells Real Jason to let go of his son.

Valentin can’t believe how Klein screwed everything up, but Klein says it wasn’t his call. Valentin says his wife was at the party, and Klein says he had no idea what was going to happen. Valentin tells him their was a siege, and he couldn’t even get his wife home without running into one of Klein’s goons. He was shot and on the docks, throwing Klein’s name around, and Valentin wanted no part of it. Klein says he was fulfilling an obligation to a client, but never knew the price would be so steep. Hasn’t Valentin ever wished he could change the past? Valentin flashes back to Cassandra showing him the picture. I get a good look at it this time. It’s Claudette holding a newspaper toward the camera. Klein says Valentin is his only option. Valentin says he understands more than Klein knows.

Andre tells Anna that he’s leaving Port Charles today. She asks if there’s an explanation, and he says he came to town suddenly, so it makes sense to leave the same way. No, it doesn’t. She asks about his patients, and he says they’ll be in good hands. She says capable hands, but not his. He helped her when she thought she’d killed Carrrlos, and was having panic attacks. He tells her that he was happy to remind her of her inner strength. Anna tells him that he gave her back her life. She was lost in grief, and he showed her the way out. Andre says it’s nice to have a satisfied customer. He tells her no matter what she hears about him, he tried to help people. She asks what happened.

Franco tells Elizabeth to go back to her room, but she says she’s cleared. She wants to see the boys and sleep in her own bed. She tells Franco that she has a few days off, so while the boys are at school, they’ll have the house to themselves. He likes the sound of that, and asks how she knew he was there. She says she wasn’t looking for him, but thought she’d make an appointment for Jake while she was walking around. She saw him looking at the painting and knows why he’s there

Other Jason tells Real Jason to get out. Danny asks if he did something wrong, and Other Jason says Real Jason shouldn’t be there. Danny doesn’t understand, since he’s mommy’s friend. Other Jason asks if that’s what Real Jason told him. Carly shows up, and says they all had the same idea. She asks Sam how she is. Sam says she’s doing great, and shows her the card Danny made. Carly tells Danny there are some new, cool games in the playroom, and she’ll take him there. Other Jason acts like a cretin, saying he doesn’t know what’s going on and couldn’t care less, but he wants Real Jason out. He says Real Jason will be lucky if he doesn’t have him arrested. Real Jason says he doesn’t know what happened any more than Other Jason does, but he knows he’s Jason.

Cassandra tells Finn she’s more convinced than ever that he’ll put her on the road to health. She asks about the test findings, but Finn wants to discuss it in the proper setting at her appointment later. She says she’ll bow to his professional etiquette. Assuming the results aren’t dire, she’s inviting Finn and Anna to dinner tonight. Finn says there’s something she should know about his relationship.

Andre tells Anna that in both their professions, they see people at their best and worst. She says sometimes their work overlapped, and she’s grateful to have used his ability as a profiler. He says his ability to determine a person’s character. She says he turned his back on a WSB job to work at GH (apparently, I missed that conversation), and asks if he doesn’t want to settle anymore. He says he’s not going back to the spy game, but GH wasn’t settling. He loved his time there, helping all sorts of people, and will miss it. Anna says something is wrong, and asks him to tell her about it; she’s his friend and won’t judge. He thanks her. She proved he could trust her when they danced disco together. Anna says there’s no distrust on the dance floor. Andre gives her a mini disco ball to remember him at his best.

Franco tells Elizabeth he can explain. She says he never meant to sell the painting that Andre bought, and thinks he wants it back. He says it means a lot to him. She asks were Andre is, and Franco says he received life-changing news and split. He hasn’t just left the hospital, but left Port Charles altogether. He says he should be offended that Andre didn’t take the painting. Elizabeth is upset because Jake was having sessions with him, and they haven’t reconciled him seeing the man with Jason’s old face in the park. Franco puts his shirt tail over the paper sticking out of his back pocket. He’ll be happier when he gets her home, and says he’ll come back for the painting.

Other Jason tells Real Jason to let whoever set this up know it’s not going to work. Real Jason says he doesn’t know where he’s been for the last five years, but Other Jason doesn’t need to hear his lies, and says Sam doesn’t either. Real Jason says he needs to know one thing, but Other Jason says no, he doesn’t. Real Jason tells Sam that Danny looks like Jake. Sam says that Heather lied, and so did Franco. Danny is her son with Jason. Other Jason tells him to leave. He says Real Jason is a threat to his family, and he’s going to stop him. Carly returns, and says she got here just in time. Other Jason says this man refuses to leave, and to call security before things escalate. Carly says she can’t do that. She’s the one who told him that he needed to see Sam.

Anna asks Andre. please don’t leave; a good dance partner is hard to find. He wishes there was another way. A choice he made before coming there caught up with him. She asks if it’s about the WSB. He says it started out like all the devil’s work, with good intentions. He never told her, but he’d set out to conquer humanity’s great fear – the loss of one’s identify by loss of memory. He touches his briefcase, saying it’s his life’s work, so many pieces of paper. He’d hoped it would be his legacy, but it’s his curse. Anna says she’ll help, and he says he wants to tell her. She suggests making some tea, saying the ritual of pouring and drinking tea helps you focus. He says it sounds good, and I say, don’t leave him there alone! He looks at the disco ball.

Cassandra asks Finn if there’s anything wrong. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were problems. Her first impression was that Anna isn’t right for him. He’s so dedicated; practically married to his work. Anna is lovely, but she doesn’t get the sense Anna understands and appreciates his work. Finn says it was Anna who encouraged taking her on as a patient. She stands corrected. He tells her that Anna makes her own schedule, and it’s a bad idea for him to speak for her. He’ll see if she’s available, and let Cassandra know when he sees her at her appointment. When he’s gone, she asks herself what that was about.

Klein says there’s no need to involve Valentin’s family. He just needs safe passage out of Port Charles and a new identity. Valentin knows people who can make that happen, and he’ll help Valentin in the future like he has in the past. Valentin gets on the phone, saying he has a friend who needs the help they can provide. He’ll be waiting at Dock 55.

Carly says Real Jason and Sam need to talk, but Other Jason says Real Jason has nothing to say to his wife. Epiphany arrives, and when she sees Real Jason, says, I’ll be damned. He says hello, and she asks if he’s the cause of the disturbance. He tells her, pretty much, and she says he needs to go. The patient need to rest. Real Jason and Carly leave, and Epiphany tells Other Jason he has to go too. Sam was prescribed rest, and she’s going to rest. Other Jason tells Sam he’ll be right outside. Epiphany says it looks like Sam’s had a shock, and asks if she wants a sedative. Sam says she just needs time to think, and Epiphany says, I’ll bet.

Carly babbles at Real Jason about how it’s all her fault. She badgered him, and shouldn’t have told him to come, but it was important that he did. He tells her that he’s glad she made him do this. He got to see Sam and Danny, and found out Danny is his son. She says Danny looks just like him, and acts just like him. He’s a terror running around the Quartermaine mansion, driving everyone nuts. Real Jason sees Franco talking with Elizabeth. He strides over, and punches Franco out. Carly is like, uh-oh.

Epiphany calls security. Carly tells Real Jason it’s not worth it, and he asks why Franco is still alive.

Anna finds Andre gone, as I predicted. She grabs her phone and runs out.

Epiphany tells Real Jason he can’t be attacking anyone. She’s disappointed; he used to used to have better sense. Real Jason keeps going after Franco, even after security grabs him. Carly says it’s not his fault, but they take him away.

Klein tells Valentin that once he’s relocated, he’ll wire more than enough; name his price. Valentin says you can’t put a price on payback, and suddenly we see flashing lights. Klein says he heard Valentin on the phone, and Valentin says so did the PCPD. He asks if Klein thinks he would help after Klein almost got his wife killed. He tells the cops this is the man they’re looking for, and Klein calls him a treacherous bastard. He says what goes around, comes around, and someone will sell Valentin out the same way. Probably, but I don’t think this will be why.

Other Jason sees Carly and says, that’s it? She believes Real Jason? Carly knows it’s hard, and he says it’s impossible. He wouldn’t have known who he was if she hadn’t proved it. Now all that’s out the window? If that guy is Jason, what doesn’t that make him? She wishes she knew.

Elizabeth doesn’t understand. Carly called the guy Jason, and he looks like Jason used to look. She flashes back to everything Franco has told her about Jason having and not having a twin, ending with Monica saying the only way it’s possible, is if there are two Jasons. She says, omg, he’s alive, and Franco knew.

Valentin orders a drink at the bar. Cassandra says it’s early for happy hour, but then again, he doesn’t look very happy. He says he just severed a significant tie with his past, and would rather drink alone. She says not their past; they’re still bound together. He says she doesn’t need him, and she says she doesn’t need anyone, but wants him. No one else is able to meet her exacting standards. She tells him that he’s free to walk away, but there is the small issue of the woman who carried his baby, and it’s time to consider the next step. She has an appointment with Finn, and hopes he has an insight into her health issues. She bemoans that all the good ones are taken. Valentin says he isn’t positive, but he thinks Finn’s girlfriend dumped him.

Anna runs into GH, and tells Finn that Andre is leaving Port Charles. His office is empty, and she asks if Finn knows anything. Finn says Andre goes his own way, and asks if they’re friends. Anna says they were almost more than that, and Finn says he’ll be in good company with the rest of her exes. She says technically, Finn is one of them, but he says not yet. Cassandra invited them to dinner, and he hasn’t told her. Anna asks why not?

At the station, Carly babbles some more to Real Jason, who wonders why Franco isn’t in jail. Real Jason tells her to call Diane, and she says Diane can explain, since Franco is free because of her. He had a brain tumor, making him not accountable for his crimes, and the charges were dropped. Franco had thought Jason was his brother, but Heather lied; they’re not related. She asks Real Jason not to hate her, but she almost married Franco. He asks why, and she says that she thought he was Jason’s twin, and was desperate to hold on to him. She married Sonny instead. Real Jason is like, wtf? and she says she was a real mess. She needed him so much; she was a rolling disaster. He says he gets it, and he’s sorry she had to go through all that. Carly says everything is okay; he’s back. Klein is brought in.

Andre is at the docks. He takes his life’s work out of the briefcase, and puts it in a trash can. He sets it on fire. Nice going, Andre. Now you’ll never be able to reverse anything. You could have given that to Franco too. He watches it burn. Idiot.

Finn tells Anna that she has unfinished business with Cassandra, and he doesn’t want to screw it up. Anna thanks him, but says it wouldn’t be the end of the world, or the operation; couples break up all the time. He says unexpectedly too, and she’s like, oops, sorry. He tells her that he’s giving the test results to Cassandra, and she can finish the job. Finn tells Anna to be careful of Valentin. She says she can take care of herself, and he says he never doubted it.

Valentin tells Cassandra that he doesn’t know Finn, but he’s pretty sure his fiancé walked out on him. She says she didn’t know it had progressed that far with Anna. Valentin says, who? and Cassandra says, Anna Devane. She asks if he knows her.

Franco tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t know anything. She says Monica claimed to have seen Jason at the MetroCourt, and Jake saw him in the park. Franco knew there was more to the story, and knew Betsy was lying. There was a twin. Franco says yes.

Other Jason returns to Sam’s room, and Epiphany says she needs to rest. Anything else can wait. She leaves, and Other Jason tells Sam that he doesn’t know what’s going on, but everything is going to be okay. She knows who he is. She opens her eyes, but doesn’t look at him.

Real Jason tells Carly to tell Diane not to work too hard to get him out; not yet. He says Sam’s husband is right about one thing. This is a set up. Somebody did this to the both of them, and he has to find out who.

Tomorrow, Griff won’t take no for an answer, Franco tells Elizabeth everything, Curtis has Other Jason’s back, and Real Jason and Klein meet in jail.

💍 Still working on my 90 Day Fiancé diatribe thesis.

👯 Not a Sequel, an Equal

Once in a while, I recommend a film, and this is one of those times. Released in 1981, Richard O’Brien‘s Shock Treatment was billed as a sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, no doubt contributing to its downfall. Due to Tim Curry not wanting to reprise his Frank-N-Furter role, among other obstacles, the script was revised until the only remaining ties were the main characters of Brad (Cliff De Young) and Janet (Jessica Harper), who are now married and living in Denton. There’s where all links to its predecessor end.

In a nutshell, Denton is a place much like Stepford, where everyone gets along, there’s “tolerance for the ethnic races,” and just about everything is a reality show. Any comparison to our world today is merely a coincidence. Brad and Janet, who is disappointed with her marriage, become contestants on a show called “Marriage Maze.” Brad sucks at the game, and ends up in “Dentonvale,” which is a hospital, insane asylum, and yet another reality show, while a little black dress is whipped up for Janet, and she’s groomed to be the next big star.

The brains behind the entire operation is TV executive, Farley Flavors (also Cliff De Young), who turns out to be Brad’s twin. They were separated at birth, and Farley grew up poor. Now that he’s wealthy and powerful, he’s on a mission to ruin Brad’s life, and seduce Janet. On national TV of course. His plan is foiled when Janet snaps out of her ego trip, reveals that she never signed any contracts, and Brad gets sprung.

While the characters are different, some of the RHPS actors returned – Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Charles Gray. Two favorites of mine are also in the cast – Rik Mayall (BBC TV’s The Young Ones and Drop Dead Fred) and Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage). The music is an absolute treat, and Jessica Harper has a voice like honey. She also starred in Phantom of the Paradise (another film I highly recommend), and I could listen to her sing all day long. Funny story about Barry Humphries. Just after the earth cooled, and before Tickmaster was omnipotent, I worked for a place that took ticket orders for shows in NYC. We frequently got freebies, he was doing a Dame Edna show, and a bunch of us went. One of the girls was late, and naturally, her seat was right in front of the stage. Dame Edna stopped the show, had a spotlight follow her to her seat and stay there a while, and kept referring to her throughout the entire production, calling her “Lobes.” It had something to do with her earrings, maybe because they looked heavy. It was seriously a long time ago. I can still see her walking to her seat though. I’ll bet she remembers too.

The film also has an interesting development history, the script constantly evolving because of continuous wrenches being thrown in the works. Originally slated to be filmed in Denton, Texas, when an Screen Actor’s Guild strike happened, everything had to be rerouted to a studio in England. This also caused the story to now take place entirely in the DTV (Denton Television) studio. They were nothing if not resourceful.

Although not well-received at the time, I’ve always loved this film. Maybe even more than RHPS in some ways, and more so as time has gone on and I’ve watched as my world becomes more and more like Denton. Besides the suggestion that it was a sequel, there were also “floor show” screenings and audience participation, which I think worked against it. Having been one of the RHPS “pioneers” (a title bestowed on me in Sal Piro’s Creatures of the Night), take it from me, it can’t be forced. Go ahead and give it a look. A bit of Shock Treatment will get you jumpin’ like a real live wire.

👵 My mother used to say that there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. She’s now in a maximum security twilight home in Australia. – Barry Humphries/Dame Edna

😄 Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. After all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. – Barry Humphries/Dame Edna

🌞 The sun never sets on those who ride into it. – Narrator, Shock Treatment

😎 I Will Forever Be Brad…

 

 

 

Nov1

October 31, 2017 – Is Real Jason Other Jason, Most Annoying Guests So Far & a Halloween Mix

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

 

General Hospital

🙀 It’s only Tuesday, but already it’s been a bad week for this show. Yesterday, the news about Russia couldn’t wait, and today, a guy plowed into a load of people in Manhattan because the world has officially gone crazy. While yesterday’s interruption was only ten minutes, they never went back to the show today. I’d intended to catch it later on YouTube, but omg, I’m exhausted. Not only did I have to put my makeup and costume on for the second time within a week, I almost ran out of candy for the trick-or-treaters. There was a moment when I seriously considered giving the kids packets of instant oatmeal, and did have my Trader Joe’s dark chocolate and nut bars ready just in case. Anyway, the Halloween prep was all too much this year, and due to job responsibilities beyond his control, my husband was not here to help. Although I often have to beg him to hand out candy while I make a bathroom run, he was also not available to make the yearly Taco Bell run for nachos belle grande. That being said, here are the takeaway points I’ve gathered from other sources.

Doc proposed to Laura, luring her in with an old Hollywood themed party. The party was him asking her to marry him. Finn found out nothing is wrong with Cassandra, and told Anna it’s over. He wasn’t treating her for something she doesn’t have. I assume it’s not over for them as a couple though. Otherwise, all that smiley stuff after their kiss was for nothing.

This wasn’t what Andre signed up for (join the club), and he parted ways with Klein. Devlin, the henchman who grabbed Sam, was discovered by Valentin at the docks, where he was walking with Nina. It must get crowded there. Mobsters, kids, thugs, lovers; never a policeman in sight though. Devlin had been shot, so Nina called 911, and Valentin translated his French, but not really, telling Dante something different. He wondered how Devlin knew Klein, and I’m wondering why Devlin only speaks French all of a sudden. Valentin got a text from Klein saying he needs help, but he ignored it. Good. Klein is a whining pita. He’s been doing nothing but complaining from the first time we saw him.

Real Jason didn’t stand in Other Jason’s way after he brought Sam to Sonny’s. Other Jason went with her to the hospital, while Real Jason went to the station with Jordan. Sonny called Real Jason “Jason,” which bothered Other Jason, who insisted to Sam that he’s the Real Jason. At the station, Real Jason wouldn’t talk without a lawyer, and Carly appeared, saying Diane was on her way. Jordan said she’d have to arrest Real Jason, and they’d be running his prints, and Carly said they were going to show he’s the Real Jason.

Oh, and Sam is going to make a full recovery.

A friend of mine, who sees the show an hour earlier, so saw it in its entirety, pointed out something interesting. She said Andre told Klein that Patient 6 was on his way to the people he thinks are his family. Does this mean Real Jason is really Other Jason, and therefore Andrew?

Below Deck

Sara, girlfriend of primary guest Robbie, wants her luggage in the room yesterday. Kate’s getting the feeling she hates these people. Jen is trying to let everything roll off her shoulders. Sara finally gets in her bikini, making all the male guests and crew members very happy. Anchor is dropped at Rendezvous Bay. Kate thinks they’re all nuts.

Matt is making a sirloin for lunch, and fish for dinner. He’s in a good head space right now, and is sure the guests will love the meals. Nico thinks the chick in the bikini is effing amazing. Sara requires music. They need the jam. Another beautiful table is set. Sara makes another demand for music. Kate tells Bruno where to look, and he says they’re pushing his buttons already. Sara toasts to the wonderful life they have, and makes mmm noises about lunch. Kate says she’s definitely in it for love, and Jen nearly dies laughing. After lunch, the guests play on the water toys. Kate feels like she’s at summer camp for drunk third graders. I always wonder about that drinking/swimming stuff though. I know they let the guests do pretty much whatever they want, but isn’t that an insurance liability?

It’s nearly six o’clock. Time for shots. A cucumber gimlet is also demanded requested. Nico tells Bri that his brother is arriving in two days, and he’s excited. The guests dance badly on deck. Matt’s sesame seared tuna looks amazing. He says cooking for intoxicated guests isn’t pleasant, but makes the job easier. Kate says if she could have this Matt’s food all the time, it would be great. She tells the guests that after dinner, the pajama party is happening. She asks the deckhands to make a pillow port. EJ and Baker work on it. He suggests making a sort of igloo. He thinks her aggression is intriguing, but makes him nervous. As Jen is helping a guest with something in her room, the guest says her husband likes Jen, closes the door, and shows Jen things she doesn’t want to see. She tells Kate she’s not going downstairs for the rest of the charter. She’s never been propositioned by a married couple before. Me neither.

EJ welcomes the guests to the ultimate pajama party. They want the best scotch possible. Kate tells Matt it’s not a drive-through for alcohol. Baker thinks she’d drink every drop of liquor if she was on a charter, so she can’t fault them. Here’s a hint. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to consume it.

Bruno helps the stews with kitchen duties. He seems like a nice guy. Nico says he can handle putting up the beach party. He wants to prove to Captain Lee that he can be responsible. In his interview, EJ says he’s fine with it; Nico needs to put his money where his mouth is. Kate wonders how many chefs are too many, when Bruno gets in her way. I’m surprised the guests are alive for breakfast. Kate gives Jen a whistle in case she doesn’t feel safe on the beach. Matt says there are things like jellybeans and tacos on the preference sheets, but Kate has other ideas for lunch. She likes working with him, since she suggests the obvious, and he thinks she’s a genius. That’s why I love babysitting three and four-year-olds. Put a paper plate on your head, and you’re Einstein.

Bruno thinks the interior crew is dysfunctional when no one can tell him where the limes are. The captain is annoyed that no one is answering their radio. Nico, Bruno, and Kate set up for the picnic. The guests whine that everyone is moving slow AF. Captain Lee thinks it’s not rocket science, and Nico should be more on top of it. The cabana starts flying away, and one of the posts ends up getting broken, making it unusable. A guest bitches that she’s missing sun time. Kate thinks Nico is stressed, and in over his head. No one is answering the radio. The same bitchy guest wonders if they should start complaining; it’s taking forever. Like no one noticed she’s been complaining. Robbie says it better be one helluva set up. The captain thinks it’s going nowhere fast, and calls it a clusterf*ck.

Kate thinks the guests are lucky Jen turned them down, since she never finishes any job she starts. Sara uses a bubble wand, and complains that the bubbles are cheap AF. Bitchy says she’s asked for water three times now. Sarah wants to go back, and says her swimsuit is giving her life. I don’t believe for one second she’s with this guy for his sparkling personality or good looks, but he is getting no prize whatsoever.

The captain asks Nico and EJ to meet him at the bridge. Bitchy asks for more food, talking with food in her mouth. Captain Lee says the crew isn’t paying attention to details. He’s disappointed in Nico not living up to potential. In his interview, he says that everyone knows that if he has a pet peeve, it’s not answering the radio. EJ is upset because he wants Nico to succeed, and be at the level he needs to be, or he’ll be out.

Robbie seats a teddy bear at the dinner table. Jen is serving, and gets creepy compliments. EJ tells Baker that he’s lost hope getting on Nico’s ass in gear; it doesn’t make a difference. Nico doesn’t want to be better. The husband of the aggressive couple asks Jen to pick something up, and when she does, Mrs. Aggressive touches Jen’s butt. Kate says if they pay enough, they think they can sexually harass you. She tells us that experience teaches you how to deal with it, but Jen isn’t a yachty. The wife is drunk off her ass, and asks Jen to bring some water to her room for before she goes to bed. Kate tells Jen to be careful not to give mixed signals.

Nico wanted to show the captain that he could run the team and take responsibility, but he failed. Yes, he did. Nico and Bri get busy. EJ likes Baker’s style; her accent turns him on. Jen and Kate put water in aggressive couple’s room, and run like hell. Jen says she’s scared. I don’t blame her. These people are weird and boring at the same time.

Bruno and Nico agree it went horrible, but the guests say the trip flew by. The dock isn’t clear because someone took their parking spot, and the boat has to wait two hours. Captain Lee decides to take the guests to the shore by tender. Everyone gets ready for the guests’ departure. Robbie says he knows they can be a handful, and Sara says the hot mess express is out. Bri compliments Jen on going above and beyond. Kate is happy, and agrees. Wow. That’s an accomplishment. Jen says if she had to label these guests, it would be GTFON. Google it. I had to.

The captain tells the crew that some have made strides forward, but some are only treading water. He isn’t happy being mediocre. The tip is $18K ($1620 each), which he says is okay, but he’d like to see it in the $23-24K range. He tells them to take to heart what he said. Nico says he’ll be grabbing a beer with his brother. Josh comes on board the boat, and EJ tells him to take his shoes off on the deck. In his interview, Nico says after his other brother died, Josh reset his brain, and helped him emotionally. Nico introduces Josh to everyone. Jen thinks he has the potential to be an ex lover of hers.

The crew goes to the beach on their off time. Baker discovers Nico has a third nipple. She does too, and tells him welcome to the triple nipple club. Nico and Josh walk on the beach. Nico tells Josh that it was hard starting over with a new crew, and they have an unneeded new bosun who’s a d-bag. Kate teases Bri about meeting Nico’s family now. Bri says they’re just having fun, but doesn’t think about it in the long term. Nico tells Josh he’s been misbehaving. Melissa was putting stress on him, and Bri is a cool chick who’s also beautiful. Nico says he’s slept with her, but not with her. Josh tells him don’t always look to run when things get tough, but it’s okay to be a little loose.

Jen wants to build a fire. The sun sets. EJ is nervous about Baker. He doesn’t know if he should hug her, or kiss her, or what. The group ends up going to a bar. Nico says Freako is coming out. Jen twerks, and then dances with Josh. She feels his vibes. She says he’s young, but her type.

They go back to the boat. Several of them are barefoot, and EJ realizes his feet are filthy. He tells everyone if their feet look like his, to wash them, and calls out Josh. Josh says get the hell out, but EJ says they don’t want that sh*t all over the boat; he’s cleaning his. In his interview, EJ says they’re both d*cks; like brother, like brother. Nico starts talking smack about EJ again.

Next time, EJ doesn’t want a dirty deck, two drunk Nicos, the next primary is a restaurant owner who looks like another idiot, and Nico needs to go to the hospital.

🎃 Hope you had a Happy Halloween. Despite my near candy catastrophe, I found it entertaining. Because I knew I’d have no break, I modified my Harley Quinn costume to make it easier to jet around in, and ditched the wig, putting my own hair in pigtails. Hopefully, no one thought I was Margaret from the New Jersey Housewives. I usually have at least one toddler who walks boldly into my house, but this year I had one who walked into my door. Literally. He was dressed as Batman. My own Batman, my dog Casey, punked out on me, sleeping through the whole evening. Some hero.

👻 Let Bette Midler Put a Spell on You…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PgFnX3WEM

👄 Feel Free to Dance Along…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkplPbd2f60

👹 Get Dead…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty-N4AMf1-c

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Sep29

September 28, 2016 – GH’s Anna is Back Home, Little LA’s Terra Finally Gets in Her Home & AHS/RHPS Tidbits

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Anna is home! She wants to find out what the hell has been going on.

The scene with Paul, Susan, and the birthday cake is repeated. He tells her that except for Monica Quartermaine, he’s killed them all. He blows out the candles and Susan reacts. He asks her what is it, but it’s probably that she saw Tracy peeking around the door.

Curtis works out at the gym hitting a punching bag. Nothing important, but his hot body is duly noted

Nathan apologizes to Maxie for the crazy situation. She tells him the only crazy is Claudette and he has nothing to apologize for. She mentions how Claudette talked to his mother without a heads up, and Claudette comes out of nowhere and says she thought it was the right thing to do.

Griff welcomes Anna back. They sit down to eat at Kelly’s and talk about Julian. Anna says he’ll never be brought to justice now. Griff says he knew she’d be disappointed, but she says more like angry and confused. She tells him she’s sorry they couldn’t get justice for Duke. Griff says he’s sorry for the loss of Sabrrrina. Anna says the hardest thing was explaining it to Emma. She tells Griff that she’s spent the better part of her life upholding the law and now it’s failed her all over the place.

Paul asks Susan what’s going on. Tracy runs to the elevator and gets in. The door closes. Then it opens back up and Paul is standing there. I make a noise out loud. Tracy smiles.

Nathan tells Maxie to go do her conference call and he’ll talk to Claudette. Claudette tells Nathan that she hasn’t handled things in the best way. She realizes that she wants him to be a real father to their daughter and hopes that he does too.

Anna tells Griff she spoke to Dante about Sabrrrina’s murder. The consensus is that Sabrrrina figured out who attacked Monica and was killed for it. Griff tells her that Monica is going to be okay. He asks about the cufflink, but Anna says nothing yet, and all they have is a picture. She says when she left, they had an airtight case against Julian, so how did everything evaporate, including his confession? Jordan walks in and Anna asks what the hell happened with Julian.

Tracy tells Paul she came to see Susan. She explains how she found out where Susan was. She’s pretty good at this because I would never guess that she’s probably dying inside. She says she’s sad that Paul didn’t feel he could tell her or Dillon about Susan being at the hospital. She says she didn’t mean to invade his privacy. He says he knows how much family means to her and thanks her for caring. He says it’s not a good time to see Susan though. She doesn’t speak but uses sounds and gestures that he can understand, and she signaled she wants to be alone. He says she’s resting, but he’s staying in the area so he can come back later. Tracy apologizes again, saying she realizes it’s a private matter for him. He says now that she’s here, he’d like to talk to her about Susan.

Andre shows up at the gym for some boxing. Curtis says they must have double-booked, but if he wants to use the bag, he can. Andre suggests they spar.

Nathan says he gets the results of the paternity test in a few hours. Claudette has a mini freak-out, wondering how they could get an accurate result so quickly. Suddenly, she has to go. Maxie comes back in. She says Claudette must be desperate to do damage control and she’s been lying to them the entire time. This is a real shock since Claudette has been so truthful up until now.

Griff leaves so Anna can talk to Jordan. His phone rings. It’s Claudette. She says she spoke to Nathan and Maxie, and now she needs to speak to him immediately. She asks him to come to her room at the MetroCourt.

Jordan tells Anna that she didn’t screw up the warrant; she knows she gave the right address. She says she can’t find any sign that someone else got into the system, but that has to be what happened. Anna says Scotty’s ethics are flexible (ha-ha!), but he’s not going to do something that will land him in jail. Anna says whoever did this set Julian free. Well, yeah.

Paul says he needs someone to talk to and asks Tracy to have a quick bite with him at this great steakhouse he knows. He says he’s been feeling overwhelmed, like things are starting to get away from him. He says he didn’t see Sabrrrina’s death coming. He knows he and Tracy aren’t family anymore, but they’re friends. She says absolutely, but she doesn’t want to take away from his Susan time. He reminds her that Susan wants to be alone right now, and asks if there’s some reason she doesn’t want to dine with him. He uses the word “dine.” Who uses that word? Besides Paul.

Griff comes to Claudette’s room. He asks what her frantic call was about. She says there’s a slight possibility that what she told Nathan and Maxie could involve him.

Maxie says Claudette is obviously panicked. Nathan says it’s possible he might not he the father, but is Maxie prepared if he is?

Jordan and Anna go over what happened at the trial. Jordan says Alexis told her that she’d only had one glass of wine, and either she’s lying or everything got to her. She says the testimony was ridiculous and Alexis ended up collapsing into Julian’s arms. Anna says she’s not going to get angry after the fact, but what the blip was Alexis thinking? Jordan says Alexis is only human, and maybe she couldn’t cope with seeing Julian there. Anna says she needs better answers and wants to talk to Paul.

Tracy says she’ll be happy to dine with Paul. They get into the elevator.

Curtis asks Andre if there’s any progress with his killer profile. Andre says he can’t discuss it because Curtis isn’t technically a part of the team. Curtis says he’s been helpful and Jordan is comfortable talking to him. Andre says he’s not, so drop it.

Tracy goes back to Paul’s room. He looks for his wallet, but she says she’s willing to spring for the meal. He says he’s buying, end of story. He goes through his stuff. His phone rings, but he doesn’t answer, saying it’s nothing important. Tracy is clearly nervous.

Anna tells Jordan that Paul isn’t answering. She says maybe he’s laying low because he hates to lose. Jordan asks if she’s going to respect his privacy and Anna says no. Two minutes in the door and she’s on fire already.

Griff tells Claudette the past is the past, let it go. She sputters some nonsense and he tells her to spit it out. She says the night Nathan shot him, she discovered something – she was pregnant.

Maxie says Nathan has never had a problem with Georgie, so why would she have a problem with him having a child? He says if he’s Charlotte’s father, he needs her to be honest about where she stands. She says years ago, she was more like Claudette than she’d like to admit, and would have wanted him to stay away, but now that she’s a mom, she’d never sabotage any relationship with his child. She says if Charlotte is his daughter, she knows he’ll be a committed father and she’ll completely support him.

Claudette tells Griff about Charlotte. She says she’s almost positive Nathan is the father. She says they never used protection, but she and Griff were always careful. Except for the times they weren’t.

Maxie says all of her reservations are about Claudette being a lying liar, not about him being a dad. Nathan says he’s never loved her more. He says Claudette having a child explains a lot, and whether or not Charlotte is his daughter, he wants to make sure she’s safe. Maxie says his first instinct is to protect and it’s one of the reasons she loves him.

Claudette tells Griff that she feels Charlotte is Nathan’s. Griff says calling him is a preemptive strike just in case her daughter isn’t Nathan’s. He asks why she didn’t tell Nathan to begin with. She says she’d just seen him shoot Griff in a drunken rage and didn’t know how he’d react. Griff says that’s no excuse. He asks if there’s something else she’s not telling him. She says Nathan wanted a paternity test and the results are coming in today. Her phone rings. It’s Nathan and the results are in now. He’ll pick up the papers, and he and Maxie will meet her.

Curtis tells Andre that they have more important things to talk about than sparring. He says it’s Andre’s call about discussing the case, but this has nothing to do with the case; he doesn’t want Curtis involved with Jordan. Andre says Curtis has disrupted her life. Curtis says all that’s in the past and obviously Andre is out of the loop. They verbally spar and Curtis tell Andre to go ahead and take a punch.

Anna goes to Paul’s hotel room and sees Olivia, who’s spot checking the rooms. She tells Anna that Paul did the best he could, and Alexis messed things up. She says Julian will never see his son again though. Anna asks if she can leave a note for Paul. Olivia gets a call and has to go, leaving Anna alone in Paul’s room.

Anna opens a drawer – I assume looking for stationery – and takes out a folder. The papers fall out and they’re all articles about the hospital killer.

Paul continues to look for his wallet, and explains how Susan communicates with him. He tells her that Susan can let him know when he should come or go, or if a nurse is at the door. This makes Tracy a little nervous. He finds his wallet in the couch, but says why don’t they order in?

Nathan knocks on Claudette’s door. He and Maxie come in with the results. Nathan says he’s not surprised to see Griff. He opens the envelope.

Jordan asks Curtis why he’s telling Andre to hit him. Curtis replies that it’s a boxing gym. Curtis leaves and Andre calls Curtis Jordan’s boy. He says Curtis was prying into the case, and admits to just not liking him.

Anna thinks the folder is Paul’s research. And then she finds the biggest cufflink I’ve ever seen. Seriously. It’s stupid big. Who is Paul on his off-time? The Jolly Green Giant?

Tracy asks why she’d want room service when Paul has been bragging about the steakhouse. Paul locks the door and says he can’t let her leave.

Next time, Doc and Laura share the same flight, Paul tells Tracy he needs to tie up loose ends, and Anna investigates the giant cufflink further.

Little Women: LA

After having the babies, Elena is concerned about stretch marks and she’s having them burned off. At least that’s what it sounds like. Terra goes with her, and says she seems like she’s in a better mood since her birthday party. Elena is upset that the girls aren’t getting along. We flash back to the Plastic incident at Tonya’s photo shoot and then the fight Tonya had with Christy on the yacht. Elena wants to get to the bottom of why Christy’s personality has changed so much. We see some of the procedure and while they don’t use a torch, it’s some kind of zapper that looks painful. I guess vitamin E wasn’t an option.

Terra wants a drama free night of belly dancing. She’s invited all the girls with the exception of Christy. Can’t say as I blame her. In her interview, Terra says that she wants to be in the best shape possible, so that she’s raring to go for Dancing with the Stars after she has the baby.

Christy is still getting over Elena’s birthday, so she goes to a soap-making class with her mom. She says she’s had it with the girls, and talks about the fight with Tonya. She tells her mom that she exploded at everyone. In her interview, Christy plays the victim. She does regret some of the things she said though, like calling Tonya a Black whore. She says she misses her friendships. Well, quit acting like a d-bag then. Her mom tells her she can’t change the past, but only move forward. Zzzzz….

Matt’s son is visiting from Seattle. Briana loves the family vibe, and Eric is enjoying his baby brother, Maverick. The kids go to play upstairs and Matt says he loves having the kids, but he’s pretty tired. He talks to Briana about the party and “Crusty.” In her interview, Briana says she thinks Christy is pissed off because she and Matt worked things out. She tells Matt that Christy is spreading the story about him and Plastic like it’s new, even though it was six months ago. IMO, that’s still kind of new, but if they’ve decided to let it be in the past, that’s their business. Frankly, I was pretty appalled at Christy’s antics. Briana says Christy has no soul and no respect, and Matt says she’s crazy.

Two masseuses show up at Tonya’s house with flowers. Tonya thinks some wine, chocolate and a foot massage will help her bond with Angelique. She wants their relationship to get back to where it was before Kerwin moved in. Angelique tells Tonya she’s dating. When Tonya asks if she’s committed, Angelique wants a definition of that. Tonya asks how many massages it will cost her to get some real information.

Christy talks to her daughter about getting her driver’s license. She wants Autumn to be extra prepared, since being a dwarf makes it even tougher. She suggests they practice at home. I think she means taking a spin around the block, but Christy sets up a makeshift “car” in the kitchen using a paper plate for a steering wheel. Autumn wonders why they’re doing this. She’s unenthusiastic and tired. Christy thinks in addition to her cyst, Autumn has a thyroid problem and wants to make a doctor’s appointment. Autumn agrees.

Tonya says ever since she had a baby, she’s suffered from thinning hair. She’s approached Jasmine about her issue, since Jasmine is a hair stylist. Jasmine can totally relate because she has the same problem. She likes to make her clients empowered rather than embarrassed and help them take control of their hair.

Tonya tells Jasmine about the evening of belly dancing Terra is planning. Jasmine says she doesn’t have a pet and Terra told her that she usually doesn’t like people who don’t have animals. She says she’d love one, but doesn’t have the time. Tonya says she doesn’t think Terra meant anything bad and to just discuss it with her.

Kerwin and Tonya have been looking for fun things to do on date nights, so they go to a flight simulator place. This is really cool. They put on flight suits and goggles, and sit in a cockpit type thing with huge screens in front of them. It looks like they achieved their goal of having fun.

They talk about Angelique. Tonya tells Kerwin that Angelique is worried that she’ll pass along everything they talk about. She definitely wants him to back off about Angelique’s love life.

Terra and Joe are going back to the house they bought. The one the former owner won’t leave. We flash back to last week when they couldn’t get in. They’re meeting with the seller’s brother-in-law to hopefully get the keys. The guy meets them and says everything is cleared out. He warns them that there’s powder all over the place though, since she was afraid of people breaking in and wanted to get fingerprints. He gives them the keys. Joe says they can deal with a couple of kilos of powder and Terra says she hopes it’s not that kind of powder.

Tonya meets them and they tell her about the powder. In her interview, Tonya calls the seller a crazy heifer and I laugh. Terra is afraid to go in. Joe suggests they paint the walkway yellow and the seller will think their small footprints are from Munchkins.

Terra is nervous, but puts the key in the lock. The door opens and she gasps. Man, I so relate to this, since we had the same problem. Not quite as bad, but when we got here with the moving truck a day after closing, the previous owner was sitting here in a folding chair along with a bunch of her stuff. This was after we’d acquiesced to several things just to get her out on time. And she’s still here twenty years later. Just kidding.

Everything is fine. And it looks pretty clean. Terra is excited because it’s where they’re going to raise their family and she knows she can make it a home. Okay, the tub is covered in powder. Tonya has a lot of connections and is going to hook them up with someone who can make the house little people friendly. Terra is ecstatic. Joe wants to christen the room and Tonya says she’s outta there. Contractor and landscaper to follow.

Elena and Briana go to the park, so the kids can have some fun in the sprinklers. Elena knows what sex her baby is going to be, but she’s not ready to tell us yet. She asks Briana how Matt is dealing with Maverick’s littleness. Briana says things are going well, but she’s still miffed about Tonya’s comment that a little baby would be easier for her. Jasmine says she’s surprised, since Tonya is a mother to an average sized daughter. Briana says her step-son doesn’t look down on her because she’s little, and I think, well, technically, he does. Jasmine talks about Terra saying she normally doesn’t like people who don’t have animals and wonders if she’s being sensitive. Ya think? Briana says she is pregnant. In her interview, Briana thinks Jasmine must be having a girl and has extra estrogen. Since we didn’t actually see the conversation, I’m assuming what Terra meant was that she doesn’t normally like people who don’t have pets, because those people don’t like animals, and it translated wrong.

It’s belly dancing time! In her interview, Terra says the belly dancing will help her crush it on DWTS. Elena says dancing isn’t her thing, even though she does it after a couple of cocktails. Terra asks the instructor if anyone has ever gone into labor during a lesson and she says not yet. This looks like it’s probably good exercise. In her interview, Briana says the dancing makes her feel confident and relaxed, but it might be because Christy isn’t there.

Afterward. Terra thanks everyone for coming and says she’s glad they’re able to enjoy this moment as friends. She asks Jasmine what the stank face is for, and Jasmine says she wonders if they are friends. She tells Terra about how she said she normally doesn’t like people who don’t have animals. Terra says she meant it as a compliment. In her interview, Terra admits she says offensive sh*t all the time, but that wasn’t one of those times. I’m thinking that Tonya didn’t mean for Jasmine to talk to Terra in front of everyone. Elena says this is the most stupid thing she’s ever heard. Jasmine says she felt judged after she thought they were on a good path. It’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard too.

Tonya gets involved and brings up Briana being upset about her saying she hoped Briana’s baby was little. This is how things get out of control. Too much input. Tonya explains her comment, but it’s not going over too well. Instead of clarifying things, it’s only adding fuel to the fire. It’s certainly not mending things with Briana. Briana says both of her children are taller than she is and there’s no problem. Somehow this all leads into Tonya saying that Matt is disrespectful. Elena jumps in and in her interview, Terra wonders how this got to the topic of Briana’s parenting skills. Jasmine says that it was taken the wrong way and Tonya says that’s why she’s explaining it and it’s just her opinion anyway. I can’t help but be distracted by Jasmine’s awesome earrings. She always wears crazy dangling things with feathers and sparkles.

Terra starts to talk and Tonya says she wan’t talking about her. In her interview, Tonya says this is Terra’s fault in the first place. Jasmine and Elena think Terra should apologize, but I’ve forgotten for what at this point.

Next time, Christy’s mom gets a make-over, Christy asks for help in making peace, Joe can’t make Terra’s pre-op appointment, and baby number two arrives.

👻 Re: American Horror Story: Roanoke (?). I guess the theme is a reenactment of The Children of the Blair Witch? I am enjoying it, and happen to like reenactment shows, but none of them is as professional as this looks.

💋 I’m looking forward to FOX’s interpretation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 20. Check out my archives for my post on how I started the RHPS cult. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Sal Piro‘s book Creatures of the Night. I’m on page 5 (I think). A friend of mine and I were the first ones to throw confetti. The one thing all the retrospective RHPS tales leave out is how high everyone was. The idea was that if we threw confetti from the balcony at the same time they did in the movie, the people below us would think they were in the movie. Does that sound like straight thinking to you? While times have changed and there’s no going home to the spontaneity again, I look back on that time fondly. I do have to admit I thought it was a phase that wouldn’t last, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see that there are new Frankie fans even in 2016.

 

Sep27

Extra! Extra! I Started the Rocky Horror Show Cult

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While these aren’t exactly random, rambling thoughts on what I watched today, in honor of the 40th anniversary, HBO is having a midnight showing. Not quite the same as seeing it in the theatre, but an homage all the same.

Gather around, children, and you shall hear of the midnight show called Rocky Horror. I’ve often thought that I should write about it, and the time is now. Since I was just totally ignored by the new generation.

It was my first week in NYC. I was young, headed to acting school and the world was my oyster. A friend of mine had come along on the moving trip to get in a little R&R. My family was staying a couple of days and he was staying two weeks, but I was there permanently.  We were hanging out at a gay bar called The Ninth Circle in Greenwich Village, getting our drink on and meeting people. One of the people hanging out with us was the manager at the New Yorker movie theatre uptown. The Rocky Horror Picture Show had recently started its midnight run. He asked if we would like to go, tickets on him. I didn’t know much about it, but knew it was a musical, as I had seen the soundtrack for the L.A. production.

“Is it a horror film?” I asked.

“That depends on what you’re scared of,” he answered.

I was definitely intrigued and game for anything, so he told us to pick up the tickets at the box office that Friday night. He also handed us a joint. Smoke a joint? In a movie theatre? I wasn’t exactly naïve, but I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently, I wasn’t in Kansas Ohio anymore.

There weren’t too many people there, and my friend was pretty exhausted. He promptly fell asleep, leaving me to my own deductions, and an entire joint. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it, and it wasn’t because of the pot. When I saw Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) dancing backward in a graveyard, I thought, Is this a joke? But by the end of the film, I thought if it was a joke, it was a well-written one.

A few weeks went by, my friend went back to Ohio, and I was already meeting loads of new people. The RHPS had stuck in my mind though, and I really wanted to see it again. I got together a few new friends, and we decided we would go to the Waverly in Greenwich Village, rather than schlep all the way uptown.

It was a totally different atmosphere there, crowded, the crowd brimming with excitement. We staked our claim on some balcony seats. At the time, there were no fans dressing up or yelling things, but there were a lot of joints being passed.

Rocky Horror had a highly addictive property, and it wasn’t the weed. It was a well-crafted film, to be sure. (Although, don’t shoot me, I actually think Richard O’Brien’s Shock Treatment is better and more relevant in a lot of ways.) The music is excellent, no stone left unturned in detail, and it couldn’t have been cast any better. But there was more to it than that. In 1976, the idea of “don’t dream it, be it” had found its perfect home in New York City. It was the right time at the right place.

At the time, I had also found the perfect home. While NYC will always be one of the greatest cities in the world, in the late 70s and early 80s, it was still affordable, and I’d landed there like Columbus discovering the New World. I was attending morning classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (less impressive than it sounds) and living in the Webster Apartments, a women’s residence on West 34th Street. It was a cross between a dormitory and a Tennessee Williams play. Rooms with sinks, shared bathrooms on each floor, two meals a day included, and no men above the first floor (unless you were my dad, who insisted on inspecting it when I first arrived). If a guy showed up, you received a phone call from the front desk telling you that you had a “gentleman caller” and there were rooms on the first floor called “beau parlors” where you could receive your male company. You could also have a guy over for dinner, but he had to wear a jacket between October and May. If he didn’t have one, it could be provided for him at the desk, and that orange jacket got a lot of play from my friends. If you missed a meal, you could get a voucher for a friend, and broke friends need to eat. The meals were surprisingly good, cafeteria style, and there was often a sundae bar. Women weren’t excluded from the dress code either. While you were free to wear what you liked during the week, there were rules for the early Sunday dinner and you had to wear either a skirt or a pants suit. My grandmother had given me a polyester pants suit that I’m sure she thought was very chic (it wasn’t) and I can’t count the times I rolled out of bed on Sunday and into that suit and downstairs for the meal. It wasn’t always the most convenient place to live, but it was great for starting out and a good place to meet other women. I met my eventual roommate, Anna, there, who also became my cohort in Rocky Horror crime.

We started going downtown to the Waverly every Friday and Saturday. The line was long, the excitement was high (no pun intended), and I’m sure every merchant on West 4th Street hated us. Since the movie had originally bombed and been shelved, there was no soundtrack for the film, but the soundtrack for the LA Roxy cast was still available, so I immediately got a copy. We would often act out the musical numbers in our rooms after coming home. It wasn’t long before our private shows translated into audience participation.

The first person to dress up has never been mentioned in any of the books. I don’t know his name; otherwise, I’d totally give him props. One night, when it got to the part where Frankie asks if Janet heard “a bell ring,” someone in the balcony rang a bell, causing us all to convulse into laughter. I noticed the guy was dressed up like Eddie, the motorcyclist jazz musician played by Meat Loaf in the film. Afterwards, I sought him out and complimented him on his costume, which included the LOVE/HATE tattoos on Eddie’s knuckles. I asked him if they were real. “I’m a psychiatrist,” he told me. “If they were, my patients might get a little disconcerted.” Good point.

RHPS was a little like therapy, a way to let off some steam, without waking up with a hangover. At least I didn’t. I don’t know what other people were doing. Ironically, it was both therapeutic and addictive; both the rehab and the habit. We had made our home in the balcony, and made friends we saw week after week. The party started in the line that stretched down the block, where we waited to get in. We were always early, getting ready by nine and out by ten.

Louis, who sat in our row, was the first one to shout back at the screen. As Janet holds a newspaper over her head in the pouring rain, he yelled out, “Buy an umbrella, you cheap bitch!” A line that lives on to this day.

I went home for Christmas break, and it wasn’t long after my return that I got my first apartment, on West 27th Street, not far from where I was already. We walked most of my stuff over. I had a roommate for a while, a woman I had met at Webster, but it didn’t last very long. She had trouble adjusting to the city and decided to move back home. By then, I had my first job at Chargit. They took ticket orders for Broadway shows before Ticketmaster was the place to go. I’m sure it got absorbed by them at some point. Anna moved in with me, making it easier for us to be Rocky Horror fangirls together.

Our place was even decorated in early Rocky Horror. We purchased everything we could get our hands on. There wasn’t much merchandising , and certainly nothing like there is now. The only T-shirt you could get was one being sold at the record store near the Waverly.  It was black with the dripping words The Rocky Horror Show, sans Picture because it was from a stage play. My guess is that the store bought out someone’s stock and made a nice buck.  There were a couple of tchotchkes that had come with the Roxy soundtrack, but the Mecca of Rocky Horror movie stills, lobby cards and posters was Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Material Store. We bought practically everything they had.

We also knew a couple who lived out in Queens, but attended the midnight show at the Waverly. He was a photographer and often took stills of the screen during the movie that he made into 8 x 10s.  I still have those stills (ha-ha). The best part was that no one else had those same pictures. When fans started selling buttons and T-shirts, we got those too.

People were starting to dress up, and found glitter platforms, fishnet gloves and stockings, and feather boas at the hooker stores in Times Square. NYC has everything, so costumes were not that difficult to put together. While Anna and I always dressed fabulously, we didn’t wear costumes and Rocky makeup as a general rule. Speaking of which, it’s so much easier today to find black lipstick and eye shadow. Back then, it was nearly impossible. We found it, but it took some work. We did do the full Rocky regalia one night when we were having an after party. I wasn’t about to wear a garter belt and fishnets on the subway, but I had this incredible 1940s black velvet coat with a beaver fur collar that I’d gotten for ten bucks at Trash & Vaudville on St. Mark’s Place and I wore it over my outfit.

Our apartment wasn’t big – a railroad flat, two rooms and a bathroom – but mostly college and acting students lived there, so no one cared about the late night noise, guests spilling out into the hall, or the funny smelling cigarettes some people were smoking. At one point, there was a banging on the door with the shout, “Open up! Police!” but it was only our upstairs neighbor, Jeff, wanting in on the fun. Later on, he became known as “Naked Jeff.”

After a night of such fine partying that someone drank the bong water (no, it was neither one of us), we had the brilliant idea to watch the sun rise from the apartment rooftop. What we forgot to think about was the height of our building, which was considerably shorter than those surrounding it. No sun rise for us, but we still enjoyed ourselves, chatting, smoking and wandering around. Until Jeff scared us half to death. All of a sudden, his head was peeking over the edge of the roof, which none of us had expected. He actually had every right to scare us, since we’d woke him up. As he came up the fire escape, we realized he wasn’t wearing anything. He wasn’t about to put on any clothes either, but at least he wasn’t mad, and hung out (literally) with us for a while as we watched the sun not rise.

Oh yeah, how it started. The first row of the balcony put you more on the level of the screen, and without seeing other audience members, gave you a certain intimacy with the film. One night, after Frankie sings I’m Going Home, several of us spontaneously stood up and applauded, along with the audience in the movie. It felt like we were in the movie. And that’s how the thought started. How fun it would be, I told Anna, if we tossed confetti during the Frankie/Rocky wedding scene, at the same time they do it on screen. It will fall on the audience below us and they’ll really feel like they’re a part of the movie. I was going back to Ohio for vacation and I’d also wanted to do something special, since I wouldn’t be at the Waverly for a while.

The audience was thrilled and, although it wasn’t the intention, the confetti throwing took off. Anna calls it a “private joke gone public,” and I tend to agree. When I got a letter (yes! we actually put pen to paper and wrote letters back then!) from my sister, who lived near a midnight showing in Cleveland Heights, telling me they were throwing confetti in the theatre there, I was astonished. Imagine my surprise that this even exists 40 years later, all over the world.

The confetti birthed holding newspapers over our heads when Janet did. The paper they hold in the film is the Plain Dealer and I was able to get copies from my father, and I gave them out. I recently sold the last one on eBay for $19.76, in honor of the first year I saw RHPS. Although several people tried it (not me!), it was a no-no to be holding candles so close to newspapers in a movie theatre (that pesky fire code), so that gave way to flashlights. Costumes started coming out, and a mini floor show. Lines were consistently being thrown back at the dialogue on screen. Some stuck and some didn’t. Luckily I got out of there before throwing toast and hotdogs started happening.

One night, after discussing how ridiculous it was that this was our entire social life, Anna and I decided to see another film. Had it been better – I believe it was The Excorcist 2; the title says it all – maybe we wouldn’t have still ended up at RHPS, but we did. By this time, we were getting in for free, although I have a ribbon with hundreds of ticket stubs attached to it. The film was already in progress, and as we approached the balcony stairs, there was a literal wall of smoke. We sat on the steps (breaking another fire code, I’m sure), spending another Saturday night the way we always did.

Probably about a year in, the floor show started to gain more prominence. The film itself started to gain more prominence. It had also lost a certain amount of spontaneity. It became kind of how socialism is good in theory, but someone always wants more and turns it into communism. A few people wanted to take charge of something that had taken flight from a genuine want to make the audience equal with the film. Individuality — don’t dream it, be it – was what the movie was all about for me, and it was time to move along.

Anna and I did attend one of the anniversaries, where our picture was also taken for Sal Piro’s book, Creatures of the Night. A great read – I highly recommend it, as well as his sequel.  Although our perspectives differ somewhat, it’s a wonderful depiction of the phenomenon that RHPS became. He certainly doesn’t mention weed – and for all I know, he was squeaky clean back then; we didn’t really hang out together – and that was a big part of it. Hey, it was a big part of the 70s.

I’ve had a bootleg copy since the first one was made, but there’s nothing like seeing it on the big screen with those who are like-minded. Before I moved away from the city, Sal called and asked me to come to an anniversary event (the 20th?). Since my husband was a “virgin,” I thought it would be fun. And it was, but in some ways, it had already become homogenized. Little bags of props were being sold, along with rice for the wedding in the beginning. The audience also seemed to have a comeback for every line in the film. To me, this lessened the experience of the movie itself. If everyone was just waiting for their cue, how could they be comprehending what was on screen?

I can assure you, I’ve never once introduced myself like I need a 12-step program. Hello. I’m Theresa and I started the Rocky Horror Show cult. Although it has bumped into me along the way. Like the night at karaoke when it came up in conversation. This led to someone thinking I was making it up. Now there was a surprise. Who in their right mind would make something like that up? If I was going to choose my 15 minutes, it wouldn’t have been that. But to save my reputation, I brought  Sal’s book with me the next time I was there. Even after all these years, it’s obvious that’s me. The even weirder thing was, someone mentioned it to the KJ who was working the sound. It turned out he was there at the Waverly back in the day. Talk about a small world.

I was almost at the 40th anniversary in Manhattan this weekend, but decided to write this instead and save my money for Halloween. Seeing it was sold out, I shot an email to the person in charge, asking for them to take pity on a RHPS “pioneer” (Sal’s term), and writing a little anecdote, along with a copy of the picture from the book. I could have heard an internet pin drop. They replied, but what they said was it was sold out, but I could get tickets for the midnight show at the Ziegfeld and sent me a link to the movie theatre. Ouch! Not even a nice-to-meet-you.

I got a follow up email, telling me someone was looking to sell their weekend pass, but I decided to take a pass, telling them thanks, but no thanks.

And with that, I officially retire my corset.