Fifty years ago, on a sultry August summer night, a classic film appeared in the 1975 collection of assorted titles, including Jaws, Barry Lyndon, and One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a theatrical version of the television show of the same name, was released in the United Kingdom on August 14, 1975. It came out later in the United States on September 28th of the same year. A collection of ideas stemming from both LGBTQIA+ culture and music in the 70’s, the movie immediately became a fan favorite, and fans flocked to the film in droves. Fifty years later, Rocky holds a place in our hearts as an epic monument to the cult-like fun of movie theater participation.
Similar to modern titles like The Minecraft Movie and Barbie, watching the movie is more than just an experience. It is a trip, in all meanings of the word. Fans gather ahead of time to dress in the customary garb: stilettos, high heels, and golden corsets, like the main character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. They would also be encouraged to participate in certain traditions, such as yelling, “THIS ISN’T A KISSING MOVIE” every time two characters kiss, or throwing toilet paper in the air after Brad shouts, “Great Scott!” (a reference to the famous toilet paper brand Scott).
“Realistically, I don’t think you can intentionally create something like that. I think it becomes something that, with Rocky Horror, it was considered so bad that people loved how bad it was, and then they started adding things to it,” said Christopher Connor, Monte Vista’s Drama teacher. “There’s certain movies that are just more fun when [there is] a collective energy to it. There are other movies I don’t mind seeing at home, but I think people, especially students, are used to streaming things, so naturally that tends to be the first direction one looks for when one wants to go see a movie.”
One of the most famous examples of fan participation is dancing to the “Time Warp” when the song plays on-screen. Fans are encouraged to follow the instructions of Richard O’Brien and to enjoy the utter chaos.
Even today, fan clubs hold midnight showings, usually on Halloween. Camp movies inspired by the comically scary Rocky remain popular today, including titles such as The Addams Family, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Scary Movie. It could even be argued that Rocky Horror inspired the practice of cosplaying while attending a movie or show, a trend that continued in much more prevalent films such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit series. These two sagas remain popular to this day. Fans sometimes dress up as characters in those films, but the costumes for Rocky also reflect the queer culture of the 70’s. Dressing up in a general sense remains a staple for many in the LGBTQ subculture, and attending a showing of Rocky amplifies this popular trend. Characters in the movie represent various forms of sexuality. For example, Frank-N-Furter is pansexual, Brad is initially straight, but Tim Curry’s character seduces him, and Janet remains straight throughout the film. Columbia and some of the groupies are shown as Lesbian, and the rest of the cast are all in some ways allies.
In 1970, the world was much different from what it is today. But the people that lived in that time mostly still live today, so someone could ask a parent if they experienced Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now, any movie fan can go and see this movie, but it may be a little different experience than it was in the 70s. Hopefully, movie-going culture can return to how it was when Rocky came out, and in the future, this movie will remain a cult classic.
