The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Where it left its mark

Vera Dika compares the fan experience to a religious ritual, noting the compulsive cycle of returning to the screen each weekend. That comparison holds up in the shadow-cast troupes that play along with the film in full costume. The Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee claims the longest continuous run since 1978, while the Studio Galande in Paris asserts it was the first cinema to show the film continuously in 1978. These claims sit alongside annual conventions like Tucson’s El Fishnet Fiesta. The audience call-outs mirror responses during a mass. It is less a movie and more a habit.