A classic film back on the big screen for the entire family to enjoy… if you’re 17 and older.
The cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues on. Poster from Google Images
On the last Friday of every month, the Esquire Theater hosts a special event. They play the classic musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show for people to come and watch and make fun of the movie, and themselves. I however, had never heard of the movie before. When my dad told me what was in store for me, I felt a little nervous. But afterwards my mind was completely blown away.
Rocky Horror came out in 1975, and over the years, it still hasn’t lost its touch to make people laugh though this racy and music-filled film. The movie starts off with Brad (Barry Bostwick, Finding Joy) and Janet (Susan Sarandon, Snitch) who seemingly fall in love with each other and run away together. While on the road, their car breaks down in a dark forest during a horrible rainstorm. When they happen to stumble upon a creepy-looking castle, they are greeted by Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien, Phineas and Ferb) who is the caretaker for Dr. Frank-N-Furter ( Tim Curry, Young Justice), a mad scientist whose main ambition is to make Brad and Janet’s visit a living hell and tear their relationship and lives apart.
After the release of the movie in 1975 and dismal box office receipts, it was later released as a midnight movie in New York City on April 1, 1976. Over time, people began to shout responses to the characters’ statements on the screen. Soon midnight showings became a national sensation. What gained the film a lot of popularity was the fan participation. There are referred to as “shadow casts” because some of the diehard fans would want to get up on stage and act out the entire movie below-or in most cases in front of-the screen. The movie Perks of Being a Wallflower, (Stephan Chbosky, 2012) adapted the idea and showed what it was like for someone in the audience, and what it was like for someone who had never been to the shows. This is why it seems that there are a lot of people going to the show again, because of how Perks made the movie more popular.
Before the movie starts, the audience members are supplied with props that tie into different scenes to the movie. Moviegoers are supplied with toilet paper, party hats, newspapers, and a glow stick. Back in the day, when these performances were really popular, people used to get rice and toast. But when the theater staff complained that the rice would ruin the movie screen, they stopped handing out rice. In one of the scenes from the movie, Dr. Frank-N-Furter proposes a toast to everyone, and after that is said people were once aloud to toss pieces of toast at other audience members. Now that it is to hard to clean up after it has been stepped on over and over, someone from the staff now just dumps water on audience members as an alternative.
While waiting in line, people who have never seen the movie or been to the performance are branded with a large V on their forehead with red lipstick. I wasn’t the only one there that had one. Mostly everyone in the theater was marked when they walked past me to find an available seat. The other people, who had seen the movie countless times, were dressed very strangely. The guys were in drag, while the girls just dressed up in doctor outfits and suits. It was quite a shock, but I got a huge kick out of it.
Looking back, going to see that performance was one of the most fun things I have ever done. The people who dressed up didn’t care what others thought of them, and the fans were just nice and went to go see the movie to have a good time with friends and family. So on the last Friday of every month, I am going to see the show and maybe I might be able to catch onto what the other people are saying in the movie, and become a bigger fan. I’m hooked!
