A mysterious castle. The Time Warp. A mad scientist and his creation. A floor show. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has it all, wrapped up into a musical-comedy-sci-fi movie. Arguably the most beloved cult classic film of all time, Rocky Horror premiered on the screen in 1975 to little fanfare. Nearly fifty years later, it’s the longest running theatrical release in film history. If you’re a Rocky Horror virgin (and if you don’t know what this means, continue reading), this article will outline a basic synopsis and history of the movie, Rocky Horror fan culture, and prepare you for your first viewing. But enter at your own risk…
What is Rocky Horror?
Rocky Horror follows newly-engaged high school sweethearts, Brad Majors and Janet Weiss. When their car breaks down on a stormy night, they seek help at a castle off the road. Unbeknownst to them, the castle is home to the enigmatic Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and Brad and Janet’s arrival coincides with the unveiling of Frank’s latest creation: a handsome “man” for his personal use. For Brad and Janet, models of chastity, Frank-N-Furter’s hedonistic lifestyle is a shock. A night of chaos ensues as Frank and his crew tempt Brad and Janet to give themselves over to absolute pleasure. I will admit, it’s not for everyone, but for many it’s totally weird, fun, and pure camp.
Originally a stage production in England, The Rocky Horror Show was adapted into The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the screen. Despite the initially slow reception, the movie has gained a devoted, and notably (but definitely not exclusively) queer fanbase — something I can attribute to its quintessentially camp extravagance, Gothic backdrop, and thematic emphasis on transgressive sexuality. Tim Curry stars as Frank in maybe the best cinematic performance ever; he’s joined by Susan Sarandon as Janet, and Richard O’Brien, the play’s music and book writer, as Frank’s butler Riff Raff.
Midnight Screenings & Shadow Casts
Rocky Horror has gained a rich culture, largely in part to the film’s midnight screenings. In addition to traditional screenings, theater groups often perform shadow casts. In a shadowcast performance, the movie is screened and a cast performs on stage, alongside the film (“shadowing” the movie). The cast acts out the movie with costumes and props; the only difference is that the live performance is lip synced, and the sound comes entirely from the movie. Some shadow casts replicate the movie as much as possible, whereas others throw in their own twists. Alongside the performances of the shadow cast actors, it’s the energy of a live production that makes it such a memorable tradition.
Audience Participation
It’s tradition for audience members to come to Rocky Horror screenings dressed up. This may mean dressed as a character, wearing something sexy, or in sweats — there’s no dress code, so the audience can wear whatever makes them comfortable. At a show, there’s an assortment of pre-show rituals: most importantly, the virgin ceremony. The ceremony is a fun (and often embarrassing) game to initiate Rocky Horror virgins (someone who has never seen a live show before) into the culture and entertain the audience before the movie begins.
Another aspect of Rocky Horror culture is call outs. Call outs are audience-yelled lines delivered during the movie, either responding to a moment or line of dialogue or prompting a response from the movie. It’s totally fine if you don’t know any callouts, because plenty of other audience members will, and some experienced fans know call outs for the entire movie. The most common and easiest to learn callouts: when the movie says “Brad Majors,” yell “asshole!” and when the movie says “Janet Weiss,” yell “slut!” Be warned: most call outs are crass, crude, vulgar etc, but that comes with the territory.
If you’re interested in checking out The Rocky Horror Picture Show, there are multiple amazing shadow casts in the Davis area: Amber Sweets at the Colonial Theater in Sacramento, Bawdy Caste in San Francisco, and right here on campus — the UCD Rocky Horror club puts on monthly shows in Rock Hall! I recommend watching the movie beforehand, because shadow casts can be a hectic introduction, but there’s no harm in waiting to be surprised.