Not only was Curry's film career solid, but he was also a heck of a musician. His 1981 song "Working On My Tan" was a mainstay in the summer-themed mix tapes that were my obsession back in the day.
His film debut came in 1975, in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which he displayed his singing and acting chops. His characterization of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the transvestite mad scientist, is one of many highlights in the film. There probably isn't a more quoted movie, thanks to the audience participation aspect that has kept it alive and kicking for more than 50 years. Has anyone ever known someone named Janet, and not had the phrase Dammit Janet come up?
Talking back to the screen comes just above ice-rattling and popcorn crunching on my list of movie house hates, but for Rocky Horror, it works. The costume designer reportedly takes credit for popularizing punk fashion styles like wildly colored hair and ripped fishnet stockings. No one ever heard the word anticipation the same way after hearing Tim Curry sing it. In his memory, let's all do the Time Warp.
Domaine Curry is related to Tim Curry in name only, but their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is as red as the Rocky Horror lips and maybe just as tasty. $100.
1985's Clue starred Curry alongside a smorgasbord of great talent. Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren add depth to what, at first glance, might appear to be a bit of a ripoff. A movie based on a board game? C'mon.
As in Rocky Horror, Curry welcomes guests to a mansion, this time as Wadsworth the butler. There's a murder, and the game is afoot. Three different endings were shot, with three different characters responsible for several killings. It was a great idea for getting people to see it more than once, but I don't think it worked as well as the producer had hoped. I guess producers are hard to please.
Mano's Wines and Hasbro teamed up for a revamped board game, Clue: Murder at the Winery. It comes with an etched bottle of Clue Wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Is the killer Lord Malbec in the barrel room with the corkscrew? Perhaps Professor Prosecco with the broken wine bottle in the tasting room. The bottle is $45, the game set is $65. You and your wine sleuth friends will die for it.
The Shadow, from 1994, has Curry in a supporting role. Alec Baldwin leads the cast, in his leading man days. Funny how he became an even bigger star by doing Trump impersonations. In The Shadow, even when he's invisible, you'll know it's him.
Curry gets to play a comic book superhero villain here, the sleazy Farley Claymore. It's just a guess, but I would imagine actors love portraying an over-the-top villain. Stand back when he goes through the window. You don't want to get any on ya.
Monterey's Shadow Point Vineyards Pinot Noir sounds like a clean wine, even in the shadows of the mountains. It was fermented in steel and only 30% of it was aged in French oak. The price averages out to just under $20, depending on your dealer.
