Shock Treatment (1981)

Director:

Jim Sharman

Writers:

Richard O'Brien (screenplay) and
Jim Sharman (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 October 1981 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

The Home of Happiness

Plot:

Janet and Brad become contestants on a game show... but wind up as captives instead.

Plot Keywords:

TV Station | Incest | Convertible | Lingerie | Surrealism

Cast

Jessica Harper	...	Janet Majors
Cliff De Young	...	Brad Majors / Farley Flavors
Richard O'Brien	...	Dr. Cosmo McKinley
Patricia Quinn	...	Dr. Nation McKinley
Charles Gray	...	Judge Oliver Wright
Ruby Wax	...	Betty Hapschatt
Nell Campbell	...	Nurse Ansalong
Rik Mayall	...	'Rest Home' Ricky
Barry Humphries	...	Bert Schnick
Darlene Johnson	...	Emily Weiss
Manning Redwood	...	Harry Weiss
Wendy Raebeck	...	Macy Struthers
Jeremy Newson	...	Ralph Hapschatt
Betsy Brantley	...	Neely Pritt
Perry Bedden	...	Neely's Camera Crew
Rufus Collins	...	Neely's Camera Crew
Christopher Malcolm	...	Vance Parker (as Chris Malcolm)
Ray Charleson	...	Floor Manager
Eugene Lipinski	...	Kirk
Barry Dennen	...	Irwin Lapsey
Imogen Claire	...	Wardrobe Mistress
Gary Shail	...	Oscar Drill
Donald Waugh	...	Glish Davidson
David John	...	'Bit' drummer
Claire Toeman	...	Brenda Drill
Gary Martin	...	'Bit' guitarist
Sinitta Renet Malone	...	Frankie (as Sinitta Renet)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sal Piro	...	Guy on payphone (uncredited)

Directed by
Jim Sharman

Writing credits
Richard O'Brien		(screenplay) and
Jim Sharman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lou Adler	....	executive producer
John Goldstone	....	producer
Michael White	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Hartley
Richard O'Brien

Cinematography by
Mike Molloy

Film Editing by
Richard Bedford

Casting by
Debbie McWilliams

Production Design by
Brian Thomson

Art Direction by
Andrew Sanders

Set Decoration by
Ken Wheatley

Costume Design by
Sue Blane

Makeup Department
Carol Devine	....	makeup artist
Sandra Exelby	....	makeup artist
Pat Hay	....	key makeup artist
Joan Hills	....	makeup artist
Mike Lockey	....	hair stylist
Chris Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
John Comfort	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Brock	....	third assistant director
Michael Murray	....	second assistant director
Roger Simons	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John Beard	....	assistant art director
Peter Collins	....	drapes master
Norman Hart	....	art department
Len Huntingford	....	art department
John Leuenberger	....	property master
Darryl Paterson	....	stand-by prop
Bryn Siddall	....	art department

Sound Department
John Chandler	....	sound assistant
Ian Fuller	....	dubbing editor
Anthony Sloman	....	additional sound editor
Hugh Strain	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce White	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Atherfold	....	camera department
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Tommy Finch	....	gaffer
Laurie Frost	....	camera department
Brian King	....	video operator
Reg Parsons	....	best boy
Roy Rodhouse	....	gaffer
Bob Smith	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Ellen Chenoweth	....	casting: USA

Music Department
Hugh Burns	....	musician
Mark Griffiths	....	musician
Richard Hartley	....	music arranger
Richard Hartley	....	musical director
Richard Hartley	....	musician
Les Morgan	....	musician
Michael Weaver	....	musician
Dave Wintour	....	musician

Other crew
Andy Birmingham	....	production accountant
Marilyn Clarke	....	production coordinator
Gillian Gregory	....	choreographer
Brian Thomson	....	additional ideas
Graham Chapman	....	advisor (uncredited)
David Sherlock	....	advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Shochiku CBS/Fox Video (SCF) (????) (Japan) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Animation City  animation and end titles
• Lee Lighting  lighting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min | UK:88 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Ireland:15 (cut DVD version) | UK:PG (cut DVD version) | Iceland:L | Ireland:15 (DVD version) | UK:PG (DVD version)

Filming Locations:

Lee International Studios, Wembley, London, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Cliff De Young plays Brad Majors and Farley Flavors.

Goofs:

Continuity: During "Farley's Song," the "jazz hands" in front of the TV screen change position between shots. Most noticeably, Cosmo's hands move from top left to bottom left.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:[voice-over] Once upon a time, there lived a real fast guy. His life was fast. His friends were fast. Heh - even his food was fast. But he was still not satisfied. He wanted to share his fast philosophy with someone else, a beautiful girl. Trouble was, she was in the arms of... another man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Goonies (1985)

Soundtrack:

Look What I Did To My Id

Good movie for Rocky Horror types

This movie does match and surpass "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in many ways. You can tell that Richard O'Brien and the film's producers had a bigger budget to work with. The songs are a match to the original (same song writer, same style...). Visually, a little too heavy on the reds, but this WAS 1981, after all. This movie will be enjoyed by those who will get the Rocky Horror references that are scattered throughout. Too bad Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon weren't there to provide a little more continuity to their characters. Jessica Harper does a great job though, she appeared in several off-beat movies in the 70s ("Phantom Of The Paradise" and "Suspiria" spring to mind) so playing in a Richard O'Brien movie was not too much of a stretch for her it seems. This sequel was, to me, a lot sexier than RHPS. The original seemed to center on campiness and shock value, it's here as well, but there is a lot more eye-candy in this sequel.

I'm still waiting for a Richard O'Brien / John Waters musical collaboration. Imagine the possibilities!