This past Saturday night was new experience for me. Although I have been to other midnight movies (well, one other midnight movie (Bill Murray's fantastic Where The Buffalo Roam)) and I have been around for a good number of years...this was still new.
My wife and I and some friends went to see/experience....
I must admit I had seen the movie once in the comfort and sanity of my own home. This was just within the last 8 or 10 years. Oddly, back in the heyday of my youth, I never really knew anybody that was in the fanatically insane who attended this movie somewhere, at midnight, every week. Never even had the desire to check it out.
Twenty years ago my wife (then just my live in squeeze) and I would go to a local theatre close to where we live, that had the RHPS playing every Friday night at midnight. We usually went to a later showing of whatever we were going to see, generally around 8 or 9PM. Whenever we came out, there were the weirdos gathered out in front of the theatre like some group release from a mental hospital. We didn't gawk for fear we would be eaten by the mob of 30 or so people and just kept walking to the car.
But Saturday night ended all speculation of what I imagined happened on those midnights 20 years ago...I was smack dab in the middle of it.
After a very late dinner down the street we walked to the Inwood Theatre and proceeded to stand in line with the wacky and the normal. All ages. There was a bar in the theatre as the general state for seeing this movie involves alcohol before and during. The line stretched up the stairs from the lobby and we were positioned to watch all the activity below us. The costumed players and devotees wandered everywhere. The cast was mingling with the crowd...marking people like myself (first timers) with a large red lipsticked "V" (yes, for virgin), selling various trinkets and the necessary prop pack. Not long before the line started moving an elderly couple (probably in their 70's) entered the theatre to a rousing round of cheers, and took their place in line. They weren't made up in any way but I guessed they had done this many times over the last 35 years.
We got into the theatre and there were no seats...only couches and foot stools! THAT was great...and comfortable. The music was playing and many of the audience that were dressed for the occasion raced to the front and began dancing on stage. Ten or 15 minutes later the music stopped and the two MC's got up on stage and proceeded to outline the nights activities. The lights finally dimmed and the movie started.
The entire show is an interaction between the audience, the cast (performing the movie live on stage as the movie is running), and the two MC's at the back of the theatre interspersing sharp and witty satire and comments through out the movie. Funny stuff and great timing. It was the most unique experience I have had in a while. All in all a good night...except for the fact that I realized that staying up until 3:30AM on a Saturday night is no longer in the cards for me. Sad.
If you have no clue about this subject and want to experience it for yourself, here are a few pointers:
1. Watch the movie at home first so you hear all the dialogue and get the real story. Many of these theatrical versions speak over the dialogue and there were a few people there that really did not know what to expect and had never seen the movie...they were pissed off, to the concern of no one.
2. Take a nap before you go.
3. Buy the prop pack. You get stuff to throw and act with during the show.
4. Take a loaded squirt gun...small and concealable not a super-soaker.
5. Have a few beers or shots or whatever before you go.
6. Don't admit you have never seen the show. Some "virgins" are picked to perform.
7. Pratice the Time Warp.
8. When they tell you it's going to be offensive...believe them. Didn't bother me in the least but it's not for the prudish.
That's it! Go enjoy the show. If you have been before feel free to relieve some memories and drop it in the comments.
To all the sweet transylvanian transvestites, I leave you with....
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| Tim Curry - as Dr Frank-N-Furter |
