One of the best parts of Spooky Szn (and trust me, I can name so many good parts) is that The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be playing in about three to five venues around your area at any given time this Oct. It is such a cult classic that has the ability to bring people of all backgrounds to a showing, and that’s arguably the best part of Rocky Horror!
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This year, I have been to two showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. One was a shadowcast (a type of showing that also features live actors in front of the screen acting out scenes from the movie) in a town around Geneseo as a first date with my boyfriend. The second was a showing of the film hosted by the Inter-Residence Council at Geneseo. I got to throw rice, dress up in a costume, call Janet a slut and scream all sorts of profanity at both showings and it was such a great time!
(Me at Geneseo’s showing of Rocky Horror! – picture credits: Kaitlyn Latorre)
One of the best parts of a Rocky Horror showing is the bond that you make with the rest of the audience. Unlike the usual movie theater atmosphere, where everyone is quiet and separate and isolated from each other, Rocky Horror facilitates a group activity where you interact with people you’ve never met before in the absolute joy of dancing to Time Warp and calling the Criminologist a no-neck. You laugh, you interact in call-outs and genuinely have a good time with complete strangers.
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There is the question that has been asked as of late, which is whether The Rocky Horror Picture Show should remain a celebrated part of queer culture and remain as prevalent in society as it is today. It was even brought up at the Geneseo screening, when they asked us to fill out a survey at the end, giving our opinion of whether they should play the modern version next year. I understand where people are coming from, but understanding the historical value of Rocky Horror is integral in accepting its place in modern day culture now. There is nothing wrong with appreciating something older that is a wee bit problematic if you acknowledge that it isn’t acceptable today, and if you’re appreciating it for its historical contributions. Of course, if you don’t like the original Rocky Horror because of these things, that doesn’t make your opinion invalid!
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One of the best pieces of advice that I can give anyone is to go to a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show this Halloween because it is truly an experience you have never had before.