By Maggie GraingerStaff Writer
“Don’t dream it – beit.”
– Dr. Frank nFurter
I lost my Rocky Horror virginity at my friend’s Halloween partywhen I was a sophomore in high school. All of us were crowded aroundher small television watching the rock opera epic unfold. My friendthought she was “way cool” because she knew all the participationlines and songs, while us mere “virgins” sat and anticipated whatwould happen next. I’m not sure what it was that drew me in, but Iknow one thing – I was hooked. I went out to the record store thenext day, bought the soundtrack and didn’t stop listening to it fortwo weeks straight.
Last year, a group of my friends went downtown to see the liveversion.
Many of them had never seen the movie, so it was great to seetheir reactions.
“The Rocky Horror Show” (Picture is only used in the movie title)was made to shock, and it definitely did. After the show my roommateasked me if it was OK that she found a guy in fishnets sexy. I justlaughedand said that is what the Rocky Horror experience is all about.
“The Rocky Horror Show” was written by Richard O’Brian in sixmonths. It opened as a stage play on June 16, 1974 and eventuallymoved to Los Angeles and New York. The film version was released inMarch 1975 and it was a bomb at the box office – a big, fat bomb.
In 1976, the first midnight showing of the movie premiered. It wasa success and a cult phenomenon was born. Soon people were dancingalong with the movie and casts began to form, acting out roles as themovie played.
Michael Reed is the head of the San Diego Rocky Horror VeteransAdministration. Introduced to the film in 1985 by a high schoolfriend, he has performed the role of Eddie numerous times during themovie experience.
“Some view their ‘Rocky’ experience as a phase they grew out ofand have no wish to revisit,” he said. “While I understand thosefeelings, my years doing Rocky are something I remember fondly.”
He compared the “Rocky” experience to high school as well. “We didsome stupid things and not everyone was cool all the time, but we hadfun and shared a common experience at a crucial period in our lives.”
On the Web site www.rockyhorror.org,the significance of the film is summed up in one sentence. It gives”the outcasts of society a place to go, interact and collectivelyrealize exactly how f**ked up mainstream society really is.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is no longer just for the outcasts,and this has many die-hard fans upset. “Rocky Horror” has become asuccess in its own right and continues to shock “‘Rocky’ virgins” tothis day.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show movie experience is shown everyFriday at midnight at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas.
