It’s Just a Jump to the Left

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Rocky Horror Picture Show 2015 (Courtesy of CHARLES MIMS VIA FLICKR)

By SHAINA OPPENHEIMER

Come Halloween season, “Rocky Horror” fans gather dressed in vampish attire and over the top face makeup to thrust to the time warp. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” takes audience participation to a whole new level as members of the audience are called up to the front of the cinema, seduced by the live cast of characters and encouraged to yell, sing and dance throughout the show.

Making its premiere in London in 1975, the film follows the wholesome couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss who find themselves knocking on the door of Dr. Frank N. Furter after their car breaks down. On this rainy night,  Dr. Frank, a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, hosts the Annual Transylvanian Convention  and unveils his ultimate creation of manRocky.

The satirical B horror, science fiction film quickly acquired a large following. A year after its premiere, audiences started participating in the film at the Waverly Theater in Greenwich Village. At the same time, fans also started shadowcasting the film at King’s Court Theater in Pittsburgh, which turned into a tradition in which a live cast lip syncs the show with their screen counterparts playing in the background. The picture show with the live cast plays annually for several weeks around Halloween throughout many theaters across the country.

Jessica Son, Fordham Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, recently watched “Rocky Horror” for her first time. It was interesting to say the least. I had never seen the film either so it was nice to see it in context because I had heard the songs but never knew much about them,Son said. Before, I thought it was an actual horror movie. I was really surprised by how into it everyone was and how often people go to see it. You could tell that people had been to the show a lot cause they knew all the callouts.

Throughout the show cult fans crack jokes and mouth scenes word for word, some even throw rice and cards at certain parts of the movie. Even amongst the live characters playing the cast, who are more fans than actors, there is no standard of professionalism as they can be seen laughing at themselves and crawling on the floor to set up low budgeted props.

Having the live actors there added a lot of humor to the whole show. You can really get a sense of the love the fans have for ‘Rocky Horror’,” Son explained.

Seduction and outlandish characters brand the seasonal favorite. The humor of the whole thing never dies. Its a classic. Its a very Halloween-y movie with the murder and goer and that creepy vibe people love around Halloween,” Son said.

The low budget film has come a long way since its original release with many local theaters, putting on its own production of the show every year. Its increased fame comes with a herd of crazed followers who have turned dressing up and attending a live show into an annual ritual. There has been recent buzz about a Fox remake of “Rocky Horror” with Kenny Ortega assuming the role of director and Laverne Cox playing the role of Dr. Frank. The remake will be released next fall.

See the classic at your local theater, watch the remake next year or do both. In Manhattan, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is showing at AMC Empire 25 and Bowtie Chelsea Cinemas late at night on Halloween. You dont have to be a diehard Rocky fan to enjoy the comfort of eighty others outrageously dressed and screaming, tranced by Dr. Frank proclaiming, Dont dream it, be it.