English
If you have never heard of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” cult movie and its audience participation, you are missing one of the most fun and crazy parties worldwide… So let me introduce you to the Rocky phenomenon and its presence in Barcelona.
“Rocky Horror” was born in the first seventies as a british musical, parody of the classic pulp terror and science fiction movies, but adding a glam-camp touch that created an atmosphere of joy, fun and lack of inhibitions. The musical was a great success, and so in 1975 the movie version was filmed, with the presence of Susan Sarandon in her first starring role. The movie may not be a masterpiece cinematographically speaking, but it radiates imagination, humour, catchy songs, and transgression spirit. It was also the first movie to include a transvestite character, Dr. Frank´n´Furter (depicted by Tim Curry – photo above) that was not included in the movie as comic relief, as was the Hollywod habit those days, but presented as a strong and likable character inmediatly loved by the audience.
The movie became a commercial failure but a cult classic, and it was projected over and over again worldwide, normally at midnight late shows in little cinemas. That was the perfect atmosphere in which a new form of movie watching could be born… The audience started to interact with what was happening on screen! Dressing like the movie characters, throwing rice in a wedding scene, talking directly to the characters, dancing during the “Time Warp” or “Sweet transvestite” songs or shooting with water guns in all directions to mimic the rainy scenes. The incredible Rocky parties had just started…
There are at least two or three places in Barcelona where you can assist to “Rocky Horror Picture Show” projections and parties. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Unofficial Fan Club holds monthly projections of the movie in the Casablanca cinema, with audience participation (guided by the hosts and hostesses) and other activities depending on the day, like karaoke, dance or previous projection of other cult movies. Also, in the Scorpion´s Nest (“Nido del Escorpión”), a non-profit cultural association located in the Raval quarter, each couple of months a Rocky Horror event is held, not only with participative movie projection, but also with an afterparty quite abundant in music, exotic costumes, noisy laser guns and general craziness. You can contact them at enelnidodelescorpion@gmail.com.
So if you want to enjoy a truly different movie night, prepare some galactic costumes and makeup, rent apartments in Barcelona and be ready to join the party!
