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As a life-long devotee of cinema, part of what fascinates me about the Rocky Horror phenomenon is it’s unique place in film history. It breaks the conventions of the dominant paradigm, wherein information flows in one direction; from the creator of content to a passive, receptive audience. It’s a relationship of maker and consumer, in which the maker holds considerably more cultural and social capital by virtue of their position and the nature of mass media. In this case the audience organically began to integrate themselves into the film through responsive dialog, and within a year or so of its release, there emerged a practice of costumed pantomime of the action on screen, which was the beginning of what we now know as “shadow casts.”

Though there are other films that inspire fanatical devotion, Star Wars for example, this is the ONLY one with a participatory subculture of this complexity and longevity. Not only is it unique in that sense, but even more exciting from a theoretical and critical perspective is that the cult phenomenon is now an inextricable part the film and it’s history. Rocky Horror will always be known for, and defined by its fans, and that is truly revolutionary.

This pic: Tristan and Tom as Janet and Brad in New York’s Chelsea Cinemas (NYC RHPS)