Fifty years ago, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ was turned into a movie, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, and since then, it has become a cult classic and an iconic queer film. Fans of the movie, actors, and creators haven’t let this anniversary fade with time; They have kept the Rocky Horror spirit alive, even 50 years later.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) is an adaptation of the stage production, The Rocky Horror Show (RHS). On September 26th, 2025, the Academy Museum hosted a 50th anniversary event for RHPS, which was attended by original cast members: Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick, and Nell Campbell. A special appearance was made by Tim Curry, who played the infamous lead role of Frank-N-Furter in the original 1975 film.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is about a newlywed couple, Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), whose car breaks down on a stormy night. The couple looks for a place where they can call for help when they stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s mansion. In this mansion, they meet a wide selection of strange characters. As Dr. Frank-N-Furter goes out of his way to corrupt Brad and Janet’s innocence, he also shows them his new creation, a blond, buff, boy-toy named Rocky. Junior Jayden Paulson, “This movie is a staple in the queer community and largely affected its media by changing how movies can be made and what the movie industry can do.”
The RHPS is most celebrated through the screenings of “late night picture shows”, which are also called midnight showings. When fans get an itch for a “rose-tinted world,” they can enter the “time warp” of the RHPS. Locally, RHPS has a handful of showings at multiple theatres, but especially more this year because of the anniversary. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Raleigh is doing the ‘time warp’ again on October 24th and 25th at 9:00 pm. Like most showings, they don’t just want fans to come see the movie, they encourage them to get involved. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema wrote on their website, “Patrons are encouraged to engage with the film and performance by coming to the show dressed up.”
The Rialto and the Carolina Theatre are also having local anniversary showings. The Rialto in downtown Raleigh had a showing on October 17th and have two on October 31st. This showing includes a shadow cast, The Low Down Cheap Little Punks, performing live. The Carolina Theatre in Durham has two showings of their 8th Annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball on October 30th and 31st. The theatre describes the showings as more than a movie screening that “presents a full-theatrical, FX-driven, light show-blazing, fog-blowing, call-backing, motion picture extravaganza!”
Special merchandise was released to promote the anniversary, including the 50th anniversary red/gold vinyl. This vinyl is available for pre-order and includes the full soundtrack. There has also been a release of The Official Rocky Horror Late Night Double Feature: The 50th Anniversary Two-Volume Collector’s Edition. This book features “the original theatrical script with rare images of the original cast, and an oral history of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
There are also RHPS Funko Pop collectible figures and a documentary releasing about the play and movie’s success.
While this film wasn’t big amongst many groups of people at the time, it specifically has a bold meaning for the queer community. When Sophomore Finlay Marshall was asked about the impact of the film on queer media and the community, she said, “For the time the movie came out, I think it did a lot for the queer community. Although some of the jokes and lines did age rather poorly, it overall gave a lot of visibility to the trans and queer community.” This movie gave queer and trans people a space to feel seen but also a movie that was about their community that they could laugh with and enjoy the jokes. Fans consider this movie to be very “camp” and surrounds queer culture.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is celebrating its 50th year of song, dance, and community, and is having a successful year of doing so.
