Cult Classic fans have an opportunity to “do the time warp” and watch the original screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in anticipation for the live adaptation of the classic which airs Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
Students and locals are invited to attend a screening and discussion of the movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the LGBT Center on Friday at 4 p.m. The event is part of the series, Queer Hollywood, which frequently hosts LGBT-themed movies on the third floor of Baker.
“(The series) is an opportunity to raise awareness about LGBT characters in films, as well as raise awareness about films that are dedicated to LGBT themes or content,” delfin bautista, the director of the LGBT Center, said.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was chosen for the series not only because of the current relevance with the TV production soon airing on Fox, but also because of the impact it has had on LGBT media.
“When the original came out, more than 30 years ago, it was revolutionary,” bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, said. “It pushed a lot of boundaries in terms of sexuality and gender.”
The movie, which came out in the '70s, was at first extremely unpopular and criticized for its controversial character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who identifies as a “transvestite.”
“For 1975, this movie was probably one of the most progressive things that was out there in terms of queer representation,” Loran Marsan, visiting assistant professor in women’s gender and sexuality studies, said.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was eventually popularized in the LGBT community through midnight showings of the film along with the growing phenomenon of live performances, Marsan said.
Brock Zahler, a freshman studying communication studies, is interested in the growing acceptance of the once heavily-criticized film.
“It’s actually my favorite movie,” Zahler said. “I like it because I think it’s campy and I really like the songs. I just think it’s really interesting, it's not something that you see everyday. It's not like most movies.”
The discussion following the screening will be partially led by questions presented by bautista and others, as well as feature open conversation on topics that students feel are necessary to address relating the film and the LGBT representation within it. While many people have expressed excitement over the remake, controversial issues regarding the casting are anticipated to come up in the discussion, bautista said.
Laverne Cox, an actress who is transgender, will star as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show Live. Some members of the LGBT community have raised concern with the idea of a transgender woman playing the role of a cross dresser in the production, according to the Washington Post.
“Laverne Cox being cast in the role as a trans woman, part of me is really excited at the playing of gender and the playing of the character,” bautista said. “At the same time, given where we are in our movement, especially around trans awareness, I’m concerned that it will lead to a lot of confusion.”
Queer Hollywood encourages such discussions of films presented in the series and hopes to help students voice their opinions on LGBT representation in the media.
“An opportunity to see the original and then see the remake just as part of our history as the queer community and how many ... LGBT folk really resonate with The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” bautista said. “It’s just an opportunity to expose folks to an aspect of our history and of our culture as a community.”
