20 Things You Didn't Know About The Rocky Horror Picture Show
45 years on, this cult classic still rocks.
Tough though it might be to believe, the big screen adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show has just turned 45 years old, proving that to true classics, age is nothing but a number.
Richard O'Brien and Jim Sharman translated their own 1973 stage show to a new medium with exceptional wit and filmmaking skill, aided of course by an incredible cast, topped by the inimitable Tim Curry in the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
It won't surprise many to learn that the movie's production was a wild ride of happy accidents and near-misses, with much of the film's anarchic energy indicative of its utterly chaotic shoot.
Yet without that turmoil The Rocky Horror Picture Show may never have resonated with misfits and weirdos everywhere quite as deeply as it has over almost five decades.
And though its popularity has only grown thanks to continuous screenings on the midnight movie circuit, there's still so much about its creation that you're probably unaware of, from on-set conflicts to insane Easter eggs and everything in-between...
20. It's The Longest-Running Movie Release In Cinema History
Incredibly, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been on continuous theatrical release since its original release date of August 15, 1975.
Due to Fox granting cinemas access to every movie in their archive, it was able to flourish as a midnight movie in the years following its original bow, and 45 years on it continues to screen in cinemas around the world, making it the longest-running film release in cinema history.
The Museum Lichtspiele cinema in Muenchen, Germany has screened the film continuously every week since June 1977, even giving out special gift bags to attendees containing props relevant to the movie's songs, and also a sheet of paper with instructions for the Time Warp.
This was all almost put to an end in 2019, however, when Fox was acquired by Disney, who began withdrawing access to Fox's back catalogue.
However, amid fan protest they decided to make an exception for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, perhaps serving as the ultimate indication of just how much of a cultural monolith the film has become.