10 Horror Musicals You Need To See

Based on the successful British fringe musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s mix of sex and rock n roll was never going to appeal to matinee audiences accustomed to watching Chuck Heston save the day, and the movie bombed on its initial release.

As a midnight attraction, though, it had everything: the songs encouraged audience participation, the dialogue was tailor-made to be quoted and fancy dress aficionados could arrive wearing the costume of their favorite character. The film challenged the passive nature of moviegoing, which is what midnight cinema is all about.

You didn’t have to be a fan of the genre that was being sent up, know that Charles Gray’s character was a parody of 1950s True Life crime shorts or even understand the references in the opening song (“Science Fiction Double Feature”) to have a good time. A good movie is only half the experience; the rest hinges on a receptive audience.

If any one film can be called the gold standard of “cult” movie musicals, then it’s Rocky Horror, which unfolds with one memorable scene and quotable song after another. In an era where humorless corporate product splurges across multiplex screens with all the grace of a train wreck, it’s reassuring to remember that movies like this exist.