The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Since Halloween is upon us and I'm feeling extra spooky this year, I felt that Tim Curry flaunting around in fish nets and a corset would fit the chilling mood perfectly.

A couple years ago, I saw an advertisement for a showing coming up on Halloween night for The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I'd heard of this movie before because of its cult-classic reputation, and along with being an avid viewer of classic films from the 1970s and 1980s, I decided that this was a show I couldn't miss.

The night fell upon my mother and I as we waltzed into the theater, and it's safe to say we were not prepared for what was approaching.  Viewing this movie is an entire engaging experience for the audience, from throwing rice in the air at the marriage scene between the two main characters, to squirting squirt guns at each other during a rainy scene (all while yelling profanities at the screen).

Not only is this film a theater experience from start to finish, this movie is also nothing less than a manipulation of the mind. 

We are introduced to our two (seemingly) conservative main characters and newlyweds, Brad and Janet, who come across a mansion after getting lost during a rainstorm.  They are introduced to mad scientist Riff Raff, who brings them into a whole alternate dimension ruled by the sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvania, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry).

Confused yet? Me too.

However, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is more than just a weird movie from the 70s, it also makes me feel like I belong, in a sense.

Let me explain.

This movie is riddled with an astounding amount of characters who are fluid with their sexuality and their gender.  For example, Brad and Janet start off as two conservative, heterosexual people in love who fall under Dr. Frank-N-Furter's spell of lust.  This shows to me that it doesn't matter the sex of the person, as long as they have a unique and desirable aura about them, they can make you forget everything else.  This is what makes me feel a sense of togetherness in the theater; being able to show love to everyone no matter who they are or what they identify as, with a group of people who celebrate it.

Over the years, I keep going back to see this film in theaters on or near Halloween to experience it all over again for what feels like the first time.  Although the act of going to a theater to watch a film and also engage in audience participation is sort of an outdated thing to do, at least in popular culture, this film challenges that idea.

This film has a timeless aspect to it that makes me count down the days until the next time I can experience it, even though sometimes during the movie I catch myself asking, "what the hell is happening here?"

I suggest you step out of this time era and experience it for yourself, you'd be surprised just how engaged the audience is every single time.