Let’s Do the Time Warp Again!
Celebrating the camp, chaos, and queerness of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Well, folks, it’s that time of year.
And I don’t mean Halloween — I mean the time of year when local bars, theatre groups, and film societies put on showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: the best time of year!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released on September 26, 1975, by film director Jim Sharman, starring the legendary Tim Curry as the “sweet transvestite” Frank-N-Furter. The film is a chaotic, glitter-drenched glam rock fever dream that follows Brad and Janet, who end up in the mansion of Frank-N-Furter after getting a flat tire in the woods. While in the mansion, they’re met by a ragtag gang of servants:
Riff Raff: the barely-living butler with a bad bleach job.
Magenta: the sultry – yet scary – goth maid.
Columbia: the heartbroken, tap-dancing pin-up girl.
Rocky: a living Ken doll in a gold Speedo – not a thought behind his eyes.
Eddie: the frozen Elvis-wannabe with a love for Columbia.
And the plot is just as camp as the characters — think fishnets, Meat Loaf, and science fiction. It’s every horny theatre-lover’s dream! The film has become a cultural touchstone, grossing roughly $340 million, holding the record for the longest continually running movie release, and producing musical hits like “The Time Warp.”
Decades ahead of its time, the film’s subtext celebrated fluid sexuality and gender nonconformity, with characters who embraced queerness unapologetically. Through its glamour, artifice, and theatrics, it resonated deeply with members of the queer community. The film’s midnight showings drew large LGBTQ+ crowds, creating safe spaces for people to come together. And that feeling — of being surrounded by people like you and bonding over something you all love — is pretty damn amazing. I know I feel that way every time I go see the show.
I “popped my cherry” (iykyk) three years ago when I went to my first screening of the iconic queer film, and I haven’t missed a year since. Every time I go, entering a room full of freaks and geeks and gays (and boyfriends, their girlfriends dragged along), I feel right at home. Seeing everyone’s own interpretations of costumes from the cult classic fills me with immediate joy. And I — of course — love to dress up, too.
Midnight showings began about a year after the film’s release — the first taking place on April 1, 1976, at the Waverly Theater in New York City. By 1979, the film became a nationwide cult-classic phenomenon, with midnight screenings still happening today (most often during autumn). The screenings are interactive, meaning audiences shout “callbacks” like calling Janet a “slut” and Brad an “asshole” — lovingly, of course — and throw props like rice, toilet paper, and toast. Many showings also include “shadow casts,” where actors lip sync the dialogue and perform the musical numbers. It adds just a little more camp to the experience — as if there wasn’t enough already!
So, if you’ve never been to a Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight screening, it’s about time you lose your “virginity” and find a showing near you. I suggest checking with local theaters or film clubs — and don’t forget your fishnets.
