This past Halloween night, I went to go see a live performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (as is tradition) in Emens Auditorium. The film, released in 1975, featured a number of characters and themes that set it apart from most other films of the time, and most films today for that matter. In fact, in spite of some of its outdated language (for instance, the word ‘transvestite’ isn’t as charming and endearing as Tim Curry led us to believe), the film is still very popular and influential to this day, having gathered a cult following and established itself as a Halloween tradition for many.
The first thing that newcomers to the Rocky Horror cult following should know is that the film was intended from the beginning to be goofy and over the top, mocking the campiness of classic Science Fiction and Horror B-movies, and this is not lost on audiences of live performances, who routinely shout out lines during the film, dance along with the song numbers and sometimes bring props to throw on stage. This kind of fan enthusiasm is what lends the movie so well to live reenactments, and the performers Saturday night knew just how to play into the audience’s excitement by playing along with the games and having dancers and performers run through the crowd.
The story starts off at the beginning like many of the SciFi/Horror movies that it is playfully satirizing. Brad and Janet, a young couple, go on a trip to see an old high school professor, but on the way, they encounter stormy weather and their car tire blows out, so they seek refuge, and hopefully a telephone, in a mysterious castle, belonging to an eccentric scientist named Dr. Frank N. Furter. Inside, they are greeted by a party of “unconventional conventionalists” who are there to see Dr. Frank N. Furter reveal his latest experiment, Rocky; a man that he has created to satisfy his sexual desires. By this point in the story, most every audience member has come to the realization that Rocky Horror Picture Show is no ordinary B-movie, and by the time the progressively-growing-weirder storyline has come to an end, the audience will be convinced it is a movie like no other.
The film’s risqué musical numbers, flamboyant characters and not-so-subtle nods to Middle America’s squeamishness about unconventional sexuality make it a treat for members of the queer community to see embraced in the mainstream. When Rocky Horror Picture Show came out, themes like homosexuality, transsexuality and passionate promiscuity were not making their way onto the big screen for the very first time, but what was so different about this movie was the overt, unconcealed way in which the matters were presented. The typical precedent for these topics in film was a much more subtle discussion, and rarely one with positive connotations. This movie, however, was a natural hit with LGBT youth by embracing human sexuality (and in musical fashion too!). Its influence on queer culture remains strong today, especially with the growing acceptance of queer identities and themes in mainstream culture. As such, it’s only fitting that Ball State have its own production of Rocky Horror Picture Show, along with colleges all over the country, and judging by the size and excitement of the audience on Halloween, it’s clear that students agree.
Though certainly not for everyone, Rocky Horror Picture Show is a film that has earned its status as a cult classic, a staple in queer culture, a tradition for Halloween-lovers, and a performance piece for theater lovers. It’s a forward looking view of proudly embracing all aspects of sexuality combined with a nostalgic throwback to the SciFi and Horror classics of the 1950s, and thankfully, Ball State Rocky Horror fans won’t need to do the Time Warp in order to see the show live and get the full experience.
