The Rocky Horror Picture Show - A 50th Anniversary Celebration
“Don’t dream it, be it.”
By Talia Ryckman-Klein
A celebrated campy, cult classic, a theatre kids' dream show, a comfort film, and a beloved piece of celebratory queer storytelling, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Jim Sharman holds a varied and unique place of importance to those who love it. This year marks 50 years since its release, and it is arguably more beloved now than ever, but amidst the camp, fun, and chaos of much of the film. The thesis statement: “don’t dream it be it” has resonated deeply with audiences for fifty years, and is one of the reasons why film (as with all art) is not only important but necessary. It’s one of the reasons why, after all these years, audiences (myself included) keep coming back to it.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a musical starring Tim Curry (Dr. Frank-N-Furter), Susan Sarandon (Janet Weiss), Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), Richard O’Brien (Riff Raff), Patricia Quinn (Magenta), and Nell Campbell (Columbia). When the film begins, after an iconic opening number (showing only a mouth with bright red lipstick), we are promptly introduced to Brad and Janet, a newly engaged young couple who discover a foreboding mansion in the middle of the woods whilst embarking on a trip to visit an old high school teacher. After stopping at said mansion for help, upon entering, they quickly come to meet a slew of people and embark on a series of events that change their lives as they know it.
Originally known as The Rocky Horror Show, with the book and lyrics by Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show premiered on London’s West End in 1973 and was adapted for the screen in 1975. Initially canned by critics after its release (such is the case with many cult classics), at the same time, it was also quietly selling out cinemas amongst its steadily growing fanbase, and by 1976, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was being re-released in cinemas with a new time slot of midnight. This pattern of screening the film at midnight quickly became a trend as more and more cinemas across the United States, and then all over the world, began to screen the film at that time. As the midnight screenings increased, so did the opportunities for audience participation, allowing fans to show up in costume, with props, and even shout various phrases at the screen. The tradition remains to this day, and having attended a few midnight screenings myself, I can attest to the fact that it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had at the cinema.
I watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the first time as a young teenager with a good friend. Both of us being theatre kids, we were (and are), inherently big fans of musicals. Having no idea of the plot or what to expect, I went in totally blind and in all earnestness - it shaped the type of films I sought out, changed for me all that a film could be, and was my first example of queer cinema. Up until that point, I had never seen anything that was so openly celebratory of one's individuality and queerness. The Rocky Horror Picture Show celebrates and embraces one's differences, whatever they may be. Whether I was hyper-aware of these themes while watching it initially is debatable; nevertheless, it was something I subconsciously took in and carried with me (aside from falling in love with the performances, music, and costumes). It’s a film that has remained a constant source of comfort and joy for me and so many others over the years, and understandably so. The film, and subsequent midnight screenings of the film, are perfect demonstrations of safe spaces. In the film, there is an excess of wild plot points to the point where it’s nearly impossible to accurately summarize the film to someone who’s never seen it. However, this only works in the film's favor; one has to simply see it to understand why it is so beloved. Despite the insane plot twists (i.e., incestuous, murderous aliens?), it all works, and you come out loving all of the characters and wanting nothing more than to do an immediate rewatch or listen to the soundtrack on the car ride home.
Similar to that, midnight screenings of the film also act as one of the things that add to why the film is as iconic and beloved as it is. To be amongst a group of people where, much like the characters in the film, everyone gets to celebrate who they are is nothing short of moving. It’s an opportunity to let loose, have fun, be loud, be yourself, find community, and take comfort in the fact that you will only be embraced. It’s an opportunity for people of all ages to come out in
droves and do the time warp together, or hold a newspaper over their heads during ‘Over at the Frankenstein Place’ and cherish that without fear of judgment. The film celebrates everyone, and the midnight screenings celebrate everyone, and it is a tradition that I believe will continue to withstand the test of time.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a variety of things; it’s an incredibly fun and unique film from start to finish, has catchy songs, incredible performances from the entire cast, and has one of my favorite on-screen performances by Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and celebrates individuality and queerness in a way that was especially rare for its time (and even today). But more than that, the film itself, and subsequently the fanbase that has been created because of the film, speaks to the power that art can have and why art is necessary. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a celebration of many things, but at its core, it is a celebration of uniqueness and queerness. For me, as a teenager, it was my first time seeing a queer film in general, let alone a film where being queer was celebrated rather than punished. As cinema is, and can be for many, it’s both an escape and a comfort, and whether you’re watching it alone in your living room or in an auditorium filled with hundreds of people, it is bound to be just as much fun as the first time you watched it. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a celebration, so in honor of the 50th anniversary, let's celebrate, shall we? And above all, don’t dream it, be it.
Photo: IMDb
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