Time Warp and Space Oddities: The Sci-Fi Horror Elements of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
As a general rule, the horror genre has always been about the way humans deal with their fears. The source of terror can be in any shape or form like monsters, ghosts, serial killers, sex, or perhaps death itself. When you put science fiction into the mix, you’ll often bump into futuristic wonders such as space colonization, humanoid robots, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and so forth. For example, The Fly and Frankenstein are all about the perils of scientific experiments gone too far; Invasion of the Body Snatchers is almost explicitly about the fear of communist infiltration into America; Forbidden Planet sends messages about the danger of unbridled teenage sexuality and absolute power; The Day the Earth Stood Still is a warning of nuclear disasters. With that in mind, the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Showis a little of everything mashed together into an oddly mesmerizing bowl of spectacles filled with ingredients taken only from the best source materials in the genre.
One of the most memorable aspects of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is how it unapologetically takes ideas from other sci-fi horror features and makes them into its own sci-fi horror plot elements. Even the opening number (Science Fiction Double Feature) alone is a clear tribute to a lot of science fiction and horror B-movies/serials released years and decades before it. Some of the most popular ones are (in order of appearance in the lyrics):
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Flash Gordon serial
The Invisible Man (1933)
King Kong (1933)
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
Doctor X (1932)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Tarantula (1955)
The Day of the Triffids (1962)
Curse of the Demon (1957)
When Worlds Collide (1951)
Once again, you find a bit of everything there from the 1930s, 1950s, and the 1960s. There’s no sci-fi horror feature from the 1940s because during the time of World War II, most films are about family values and people being super patriotic. Also note that most of the films being referenced in Science Fiction Double Feature are relatively short – King Kong has the longest runtime at 100 minutes, whereas The Invisible Man is the shortest at just 71 minutes – befitting the song’s title.
Back in the 1930s, a lot of horror films are about how we deal with the fear of our own animalistic, primitive side. Fast-forward to the 1950s after World War II, there’s a big shift in horror themes toward the more scientific objects, such as the development of atomic bombs, the threat of biological warfare, or basically uncontrolled technological advances. The excesses of the 1960s and the 1970s trigger another change in the sci-fi horror discussion – this time the subject includes the proliferation of (too much) sexual freedom and the overly permissive culture. While all those subjects can be found in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it stays true to the era and focuses mostly on the “sexual revolution” part.
Keen viewers should notice that the overarching theme of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is basically similar to that of Dracula, in the sense that both films explore and express our anxieties about sexual revolution and the rise of permissive culture. For instance, in Dracula, author Bram Stoker uses metaphors to talk about the prevalent changes in traditional women’s roles in Victorian England; they embrace more liberal clothing and yearn to have a greater independence in life. You might also notice how the film touches on the influx of immigrants or foreigners into England, as well as the concern about the implication of the increased acceptance of Darwin’s theory of evolution to society. The outlet for those fears is none other than the Count himself.
In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, all the explicitly visible elements are changed, but the general principle stands. Brad and Janet represent the traditional society with largely conservative views on sexuality and relationship. The foreigners are not immigrants, but a bunch of space oddities from a planet known as Transsexual under the command of a transvestite mad scientist, Dr. Frank-n-Furter. All the anxieties about sexual revolution are clearly presented, with Brad and Janet taking a bombardment of influences from Dr. Frank.
And let us not forget about the titular character, Rocky Horror, a humanoid created by the mad scientist in a Frankenstein-style story. Even the scene in the film that shows Rocky emerging from a water tank is a direct tribute to The Curse of Frankenstein (1957); apparently both films also use the same prop tank. And that’s a sci-fi horror element no one can miss.
We think you can’t possibly deny that The Rocky Horror Show is like a collection of multiple bits from other films arranged into a single feature. Its roots lie in horror and science fiction movies; that being said and regardless of the many elements it takes directly from other films, The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains a unique piece of cinema, and a cultural phenomenon even, to stand the test of time.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is by far the most popular midnight movie, but do you know what the first midnight movie is? What film do you think has the biggest cult following? We’d love to hear from you.
Other Things You Might Want to Know
Some of Bram Stoker’s most popular works:
The Primrose Path (1875)
The Chain of Destiny (1875)
The Snake’s Pass (1890)
The Watter’s Mou’ (1895)
The Shoulder of Shasta (1895)
Dracula (1897)
Miss Betty (1898)
The Mystery of the Sea (1902)
The Jewel of Seven Stars (1903, revised 1912)
The Man (1905); also known as The Gates of Life
Lady Athlyne (1908)
The Lady of the Shroud (1909)
The Lair of the White Worm (1911); also known as The Garden of Evil
Seven Golden Buttons (written in 1891, published in 2015)
How many Dracula film series are there?
There might be more than enough stand-alone films and series that feature Dracula as the main character, but at the very least, you need to know about these two:
Series
Title
Year
Note
Universal Pictures
Dracula
1931
Dracula’s Daughter
1936
Son of Dracula
1943
Some critics suggest that these three films are not actually part of the main series.
House of Frankenstein
1944
House of Dracula
1945
Hammer Film Productions
Dracula
1958
The Brides of Dracula
1960
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
1966
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
1968
Taste the Blood of Dracula
1970
Scars of Dracula
1970
Dracula A.D. 1972
1972
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
1973
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
1974
What is a midnight movie?
As the name suggests, a midnight movie is a movie that’s typically screened in theaters at midnight or late at night.
