The Rocky Horror Picture Show

How does the Rocky Horror Picture Show link to The Bloody Chamber and Frankenstein? 12th Grade

Before it graced cinema screens in 1974, Richard O’Brien’s ‘the Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was originally a stage show titled ‘the Rocky Horror Show,’ which eventually spread from a small London theatre, to the West End, Broadway and theatres in Australia. Even in its infancy, Rocky Horror fans included big names such as Mick Jagger and Freddie Mercury. When the Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) was released in August 1975, it was a sleeper hit, and regarded as a flop for several months before finally being celebrated and appreciated in January 1976 with midnight showings. One reason that has been suggested for the films initial flop is its untraditional characters and somewhat taboo themes regarding sexuality and gender. In turn, its later success can be credited to these aspects, inviting those who identify with these themes to feel like they belong and feel celebrated for being different, as opposed to the outsiders that society has made them feel. Furthermore, sociologists have explored the breaking of boundaries between the film on screen and the audience for decades, with the audience creating their own script that almost brings them into the film, which may be a part of the reason that the film eventually trickled into...

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