Rocky Horror Midnight Madness on Halloween Weekend

Ever since The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cult-film phenomenon in 1970s, Santa Cruz has become a city dedicated to midnight exhibitions of the film.

"We have a long standing tradition of doing the show at our theaters," states Scott Griffin, manager at the Del Mar Theater. While the show is now at the Del Mar, the Nickelodeon (another Santa Cruz movie theater locally owned by the same business) originally hosted the Rocky Horror screenings all the way back to the popular surge that began after the film was released in 1975.  In fact, the Del Mar is now one of a rare breed of movie theaters that manages to maintain a weekly midnight movie culture. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is best known for participatory interaction during screenings. The most devoted Rocky Horror fans will shout and heckle at the screen, reciting a whole new set of ubiquitous dialogue that completely transforms this particular film screening into an unparalleled night at the movies. During pivotal moments throughout the film, members in the audience will also have an opportunity to snap latex gloves, cover up with a newspaper, and even throw toilet paper behind them in ritualistic fashion. 

The plot follows an average couple who find themselves asking for help when their car breaks down in the woods. Instead of receiving help, they stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his fellow Transylvanians. The rest of the movie explores a complete lack of inhibition, with a story that blends horror, science-fiction and musical genres into one of the most popular cult films of all time.  

October and Rocky Horror seem to go hand in hand. In commemoration of the film's cult popularity, Twentieth Century Fox just released a 35th anniversary edition on Blu-Ray this month. And television audiences got a dose of the cult classic in time for Halloween with a Rocky Horror-themed episode of Glee on Tuesday night.  

In Santa Cruz, the spirit of The Rocky Horror Picture Show thrives with its own dedicated club of students. Slugs in Fishnets is a club at UC Santa Cruz that promotes, hosts, and acts out the entire Rocky Horror film in-sync. The cast of Slugs in Fishnets performs The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Del Mar every February and again in October. 

This year's cast features many returning individuals who are still "hooked" on the experience of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Co-director Allison Grant had weekly rehearsals at her home. With a DVD of the film on in the background, bike by the door and food on the coffee table, the living room connoted a casual and friendly atmosphere. 

But the cast does take the performance seriously. Cast member Bretagny Edge succinctly explains that the appeal, which brought everyone together, is something that cannot really be explained but must be experienced first-hand.  

"You don't know until you go, but you have to go that first time," Edge said. "And then you just never stop going. It's that much fun."      

Slugs in Fishnets will perform the movie in-sync with the screening on Friday and Saturday night. However, movie patrons can expect different cast members to play different roles in more than one way on both nights. Eva Gantz is a returning cast member from February's performance who has opted to trade gender roles instead of reprising her former role from last February. This is an essential part of Friday's screening, also known as "Tacky" or "Drag Night."

Eva relishes the opportunity to play the story's male protagonist, Brad Majors. 

"I love playing a different gender role," said Eva. "You learn all the little habits that you didn't realize: the way you walk and the way you sit.  You move so differently and everything, and it's super cool."

The cast members won't be the only ones in costume for the performance, and not just because it's Halloween weekend. Audience participation encourages patrons to dress up as characters in the movie, or just festively through creative ensembles of lingerie, corsets and fishnet stockings. The safe and open atmosphere at one of these screenings welcomes men to dress up in one of these creative ensembles as well.

Del Mar's grand auditorium could easily fill most of the seats for the upcoming performance and screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Co-director Kristina Acosta said she believes the convenient timing of "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" will influence people to experience the show for themselves.

Ultimately, the cast of Slugs in Fishnets unanimously agrees with co-director Grant, who said during a rehearsal that "Rocky Horror and Halloween go together like peanut butter and jelly."