Warning: Spoilers and expletives ahead
Rocky Horror Picture Show checks off practically every box that makes it a great film. Aliens? Check. Murder? Check. Music? Check. GOOD Music? BIG check. I could keep going.
There’s no surprise that this film has gained a cult following all across the country since its original American debut in 1975. At its time of release, it was considered to be a science fiction horror-comedy, and we thought the rom-com (romantic-comedy) was a mashup. Today its mainly described as a science-fiction comedy musical.
The film was created in the UK and had many attributes from Hammer Film Productions, a horror film company inspired by gothic fiction works, like Frankenstein, vampires, and other dark fictional concepts. The film had used many of Hammer’s props and it had, in fact, used locations and studios that had close ties to the company, like the castle the film is set at. In the US, the film was put on almost exclusively at midnight, deeming it a Midnight Film, a title given to low budget films only played at midnight. Many thought that Rocky Horror Picture Show was doomed and that it could never reach success.
It wasn’t until the midnight screenings at Waverly Theatre that some audience members started making interjections during Rocky Horror in 1976. If you don’t know Rocky Horror cult culture, during certain scenes, at certain lines, and with specific moments and interactions, the audience is supposed to react, do, or say something. After 5 months of a regular midnight screening at this theater, regulars began to yell “Buy an umbrella, you cheap bitch” when Janet places a newspaper overhead to protect herself from the rain. This began the real take-off for the film in New York City.
This “counterpoint dialogue” began to excel the film’s cult growth with the audience saying, “He’s got no fucking neck!” every time you see the narrator/criminologist, and throwing a literal piece of toast when Dr. Frankenfurter proclaims a toast, and yelling “Slut” and “Asshole”, accordingly, during the credits when you see Janet and Brad.
Many of these interjections create a conversation between the audience and the actual film, creating a new culture for the film. Even after a near established cult following began, “shadow casts” by fans started at the midnight screenings. This is when fans reenact the film as it’s played on the screen behind them. By Halloween of 1976, audiences began coming in costume to each screening.
After 1978, the film practically blew up nationwide with people coming in costume, shouting the dialogue, partaking in shadow casts, and bringing their own toast. Fast forward 43 years, every year around Halloween, theatres, usually obscure, non-traditional theatres, having showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and they even occur late night, usually midnight, sometimes earlier to introduce the cult classic to younger people.
So don’t forget your toast, cause damn it, Janet, we love Rocky Horror and don’t be afraid to just say it!
Wondering what all the callouts are? http://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/04/additional-doc/rocky-horror-picture-show-audience-participation-script
http://www.playbill.com/article/the-virgins-guide-to-rocky-horror-callouts
