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Fifty Years of fishnets and Fandom: How ‘Rocky Horror’ Redefined Halloween and Endures on Broadway
A half-century after its initial release,Richard O’Brien’s cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues to shock,delight,and inspire,with a Broadway revival and a wave of new content on the horizon.
The story of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of remarkable transformation. Debuting in 1975, the song-and-dance science fiction double feature was initially a commercial failure, but it quickly found a devoted audience and cemented its place in cinematic history as the quintessential “cult movie.” Now, 50 years later, the film’s impact extends far beyond the screen, with some arguing it single-handedly reshaped Halloween into the adult-oriented festivity it is indeed today.
“I put the fishnets into Halloween – that’s right,” says creator Richard O’Brien,proudly acknowledging the film’s influence on the holiday’s evolution from a children’s pastime to a night of uninhibited self-expression. “I’m glad that people are able to be who they are without too many problems these days.”
To mark the Golden Anniversary,fans have a wealth of new Rocky Horror content to enjoy. Two documentaries – Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror and Sane Inside Insanity: The Phenomenon of Rocky Horror – offer behind-the-scenes glimpses into the film’s creation and enduring legacy.A graphic novel sequel, an 8-bit video game, and a behind-the-scenes book are also in the works.Perhaps most excitingly, Luke Evans will take on the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter when the musical arrives on Broadway in March.
O’Brien himself describes his creation as a “lightweight” concoction, stating, “It was never intended to have any muscle.” Yet, ironically, the show has become a cultural powerhouse.”It does have some weight to it, but we mainly set out to send up B-movies and German expressionistic theater. We just got there several years ahead of everybody else. And as of that, it’s ironically become the most muscular piece of theater to ever come out! It had a very big social impact almost by default.”
the show’s themes, O’Brien suggests, tap into a deeper cultural anxiety. “If you really wanted to go down a pretentious road, you could say it’s really about the end of the American Dream,” he muses. “It’s packed full of Americana, and America owned the mid-20th century in terms of popular entertainments, from rock ‘n’ roll to B-movies – the stuff that’s in Rocky Horror. Gore Vidal once suggested that the American Dream ended in 1958; I was brought up during that time, and I think that’s true.”
A recent conversation with O’brien revealed a engaging “what if” scenario: Mick Jagger reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the film rights to play
