"It was 10 p.m. at the Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles, and Kayla Discoe-Creveling was hunting for virgins. "We have a little tradition in Rocky Horror where we mark our virgins with a big old V." A Rocky Horror "virgin" is someone who's there for the first time. "We love consent," Discoe-Creveling said. "Cheek, forehead, or chest?" She drew a large "V" on a young woman's forehead."
"The film opens with Brad proposing to his girlfriend, Janet, played by Susan Sarandon. They get caught in a rainstorm and are welcomed into a derelict castle by a weird butler who is also an alien. The couple's buttoned-up, traditional world is blown wide open when Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry, struts past the stunned couple and throws off his cloak, revealing fishnet stockings, a garter belt and a black sparkly lace-up corset."
Midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show sustain an active, inclusive cult community through ritual, camp, and audience participation. Attendees perform traditions such as marking first-time viewers with a large "V," and callbacks, costumes, and consensual interactions reinforce belonging. The 1975 film's bizarre characters, flamboyant choreography, and rock-infused soundtrack created space for queer expression and outsider identity. Iconic moments—Brad and Janet arriving at a derelict castle and Dr. Frank-N-Furter's revealing entrance—expand viewers' perceptions of gender and desire. Performers like Tim Curry and Barry Bostwick helped popularize the film's erotic, exotic, and neurotic musical energy. Weekly screenings worldwide continue to provide a home for marginalized audiences.
Read at www.npr.org
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