‘Rocky Show’ Finally Arrives on the Racks : THIS WEEK’S MOVIES

“The most-requested unreleased movie of all time” is what CBS/Fox is calling “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”--meaning unreleased on videocassette, of course. Now the 1975 film version of the musical comedy that played L.A.’s Roxy Theatre the year before is finally available on video--from CBS/Fox, natch.

Will the fans that saved “Rocky Horror” from initial flopdom by making it the all-time midnight-show sensation (the movie still grosses between $225,000 and $350,000 every week, according to producer Lou Adler) be content with watching it at home? Will they rent or buy the 400,000-plus copies ordered by dealers?

With the horror-flick spoof drawing the most loyal repeat crowd in cinematic history--one fan is in the “Guinness Book of World Records” for attending the film 873 times--why not? Look for the “Rocky Horror” video-show party in your neighborhood this weekend.

Of course, Adler doesn’t want people to stop showing up for those midnight showings--the video starts off with a short prologue trumpeting the advantages of seeing the film in theaters (where fans dress up in imitation of the wild “Rocky” characters, sing along with the songs, and shout things at the screen). Those characters include transvestite Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry) and innocent Janet Weiss, played by a pre-stardom Susan Sarandon.

The devotion of “Rocky” addicts who want to buy rather than just rent the R-rated cassette will be severely tested, though: The price is a steep $89.98.

This week’s other big release is the 1990 theatrical hit “Back to the Future III” (MCA/Universal, priced for rental, PG) throws Michael J. Fox and the other regulars into the Wild West.

And, along the campy mad-scientist lines of “Rocky Horror” but a lot gorier, there’s the 1990 cult film “Frankenhooker” (SGE, $89.98) in both R-rated and unrated versions. There’s also horror of a different, more realistic sort in “Chattahoochee” (HBO, $89.99, R), a 1990 drama about mistreatment in a mental institute, starring Gary Oldman and Dennis Hopper.

OTHER NEW VIDEOS

Former L.A. Lakers coach Pat Riley narrates an hourlong “History of the NBA” (CBS/Fox, $19.98).