50 Years Later, The Cult '70s Movie That's "A Classic For a Reason" Is Taking an Encore on Streaming Actorsvaultpro

Arguably, the most iconic cult movie of the 1970s is making a comeback on streaming. “They just don’t make ’em like they used to,” is what your grandparents probably say. But sometimes, they’re right. And in the case of this cult-classic from the ’70s, they’re definitely right. The 1970s gave us some of the greatest films ever made, including the likes of Jaws, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and so many more. But, while all those movies are lauded in their own right, none have had such a distinct impact on pop culture and gained as devout a cult following as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is making a comeback on streaming.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has done the Time Warp and found itself a roaring success on Hulu, 50 years after it was first released in theaters. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is currently the seventh most popular movie on Hulu this week. Even as you read this article, one of the many classic songs from Rocky Horror has probably wormed its way into your brain. Directed by Jim Sharman and written by Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Picture Show followed Barry Bostwick as Brad and Susan Sarandon as (Dammit) Janet, who are stuck in the middle of nowhere after their tire gets a flat. Forced to knock on a creepy house, they find themselves caught in a scandalous intergalactic feud. The official synopsis reads:

“In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O’Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named ‘Rocky.'”

The Rocky Horror Picture Show featured an all-star cast. Alongside Bostwick and Sarandon, the film also starred Tim Curry as the iconic Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Richard O’Brien himself as Riff Raff, and Meat Loaf as the biker Eddie. To call Rocky Horror a cult-classic would be an understatement. The film has gained a die-hard fandom that watches the movie repeatedly and attends the multiple sing-along screenings that happen across the globe. 50 years later, that fandom is as strong as ever. “It is a classic for a reason. It really looked great on the big screen,” wrote one Rotten Tomatoes user who attended a re-release screening. That love also extends to the stage musical, which is almost always on tour, and encourages R-rated heckling from the audience. If you love Rocky Horror but have never seen it live, do yourself a favor and change that now!

‘Rocky Horror’ Has a Much Worse Sequel

20th Century Fox

Like many classics, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has a sequel. And like the sequels to many classic movies, it’s absolutely rubbish. Released in 1981, Shock Treatment saw Sharman and O’Brien reunite for the new musical, which reunited audiences with Brad and Janet (albeit with Cliff DeYoung and Jessica Harper playing the couple).

In Shock Treatment, the couple is forced to be contestants on the crazy TV game show “Marriage Maze.” The film was torn apart by critics, holding a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film has found an audience, as it holds a 62% user rating. Although it’s safe to say that it’s nowhere near as popular as The Rocky Horror Picture Show.