A sci-fi, comedy, cult-classic musical that has garnered a huge following because it’s one of those movies “that’s so bad, it’s good,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has attracted audiences and pushed boundaries for years.
The movie follows a prudish couple who gets lost and stumbles across the cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s lair. They encounter the bizarre inhabitants of the castle who live with Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The couple are immediately sucked into this odd adventure involving a mad scientist who is unveiling his new man-made boyfriend, Rocky Horror.
Throughout this sexually kinky, rock-opera, the innocent couple begin to embrace the seduction forced onto them by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who is actually a cross-dresser from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.
This movie is a prime example of B-horror and science fiction movies. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is considered to be the pioneer of midnight showings of campy horror movies.
The movie helped introduce the concept of transsexuaity into film in 1975, when anything other than heterosexuality or cisgender was frowned upon and criticized.
The musical is spooky, bizarre, full of oddities and humorous scenes that try to add to the horror aspect of the film. Even the song “Time Warp” is a Halloween party soundtrack essential.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” plays every Friday at midnight at the Plaza Theatre. It is put on by Lips Down On Dixie, a non-profit LGBTQ+ organization.
When you walk in, a Lips Down On Dixie cast member asks you if you’re a virgin, meaning you have never seen the show before, and if you say, “Yes,” you get big red “V” written on your forehead. After this, you go find a seat and prepare for the show to start.
There is an “opening act” before the performance starts, which teaches the audience about Lips Down On Dixie and also makes the audience laugh. The members of the shadowcast walk around with “riffle” tickets in order to raise money for the organization. “Riffle” tickets are Lips Down On Dixie’s version of raffle tickets.
While the movie plays on the big screen in front of you, there is a live shadowcast performing with extreme screen accuracy. The cast and the audience were in sync with the movie the entire night. People came prepared with water guns, newspapers, confetti and more props known for making an appearance at “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
Audience members came dressed up in outfits similar to the characters in the movie, cast members walk around and interact with the crowd and the crowd yells specific “callouts” at the screen depending on the character or line happening at that time.
“Audience participation is the heart of the show,” Athena Moore, a Georgia State student and a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” cast member, said.
She claims that the audience participation is what kept her coming back before she decided to join the cast, because the jokes were so funny to her.
With this being their Pride show, the Plaza Theatre was packed. Audience members came ready to laugh, dance and sing along with the movie and the performers.
