Put on your makeup, grab some popcorn, and get ready to celebrate the Halloween season with Richard O’Brien’s cult classic movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy/horror film written by Richard O’Brien and directed by Jim Sharman. O’Brien is one of the first openly queer people to produce a movie showcasing their experiences. O’Brien has been very open about his relationship with gender, saying that he feels as if he is “70% male and 30% female.” He is under firm belief that gender isn’t a binary, but a spectrum. To convey this feeling, he wrote his masterpiece, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The movie follows the story of a newly engaged Brad and Janet, who decide to make a trip to visit their old high school science teacher, Dr. Scott, whose class they first originally met in, to announce their engagement. It’s a dark and stormy night in which Brad and Janet quickly get stuck in after their rear tire gets a flat in the middle of the road on their way to find Dr. Scott. Brad declares that he is going to walk a few miles up the road, where he saw a castle, and ask whoever’s inside to use their telephone. Janet gets upset at this, and demands Brad take her with. Upon being greeted by the seemingly disturbed Riff Raff and Magenta at the door, Brad and Janet quickly learn that the castle is full of aliens from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania. Terrified and confused, Brad starts questioning these strange creatures and demeaning him using their phone. Amidst the commotion, the so-called leader of the pack, Dr Frank-N-Furter, makes a dramatic entrance to greet his guests and tell them of his plan to create human life. However, creating his perfect man doesn’t exactly go as Frank-N-Furter planned. His creation, Rocky, seems to have little to no interest in him, and instead takes interest in Janet, and in the process of creating Rocky, he murders his ex lover Eddie. After a sequence of steamy affairs, Dr Scott makes an impromptu appearance to investigate the disappearance of Eddie, who just happens to be his nephew. Brad, Janet, Dr Scott, and the Transylavians discuss the matter over dinner, which is revealed to be the Eddie’s remains cooked to perfection. Frightened and confused yet again, Janet runs to the security of Rocky’s arms. This angers everyone at the table, leading to a big altercation between everyone in the castle. Magenta and Riff Raff decide that they are fed up with always being treated as second priorities, so they devise a plot to return to their home planet. In order to return, they need to eliminate their opposition. They do this by shooting Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Rocky, and other Transylvanians caught in the crossfire, leaving Brad, Janet and Dr. Scott to die. The movie ends with Riff Raff And Magenta blasting off their castle  into space to never be seen again.

While this movie may seem absurd and convoluted on its surface, it’s one of the most influential pieces of media in queer history. Dr. Frank-N-Furter serves as a mockery of the classic queer coded villain trope so often seen in Hollywood, with his over-the-top manner of speech and dress. And, at the end of the day , Frank-n-Furter is searching for a place in which he is accepted for who he is, regardless of gender, sexuality and appearance. His character serves as representation for all the queer and transgender youth in the world looking struggling to understand how they fit into society.

Although being released in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues to be an influential piece for queer youth and elders alike. Throughout the year, you can catch shadow cast screenings, where the movie is played on screen and live actors lip sync along to it,  at various local theaters. All those in attendance are encouraged to dress up, be loud, and interact with the performers as much as possible to create a unique viewing experience every time you watch the movie. This has led to each theater having  its own unique traditions that resonate with their audience. It is beloved by the masses with the unique ability to bring those together through one shared identity.