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Why ‘Rocky Horror’ resonates 50 years later
Filmmaker Michael Varrati says ‘queer persistence is an act of resistance’
As the Halloween season approaches, many queer horror fans will surely be revisiting “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” And given its 50th anniversary, the timing couldn’t be better, with a new restored version in 4K courtesy of Disney, and events and screenings happening around the country.
To discuss the many merits of “Rocky Horror,” you’d be hard pressed to find somebody more passionate than screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Michael Varrati (credits include “Christmas with You,” “The Wrong Stepmother” and “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula”). He’s also the co-host of the biweekly podcast Midnight Mass alongside Peaches Christ, where they dig into their favorite cult movies and bring on guest stars.
Varrati sat with the Blade and recalls the first time he watched “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in his rural hometown, dishes on the film’s specific impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and explains why 50 years later, we’re still talking about Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
BLADE: Where did you first discover Rocky Horror, and how did that influence your career and overall taste in film?
MICHAEL VARRATI: When you think of cult fandom, especially in the film space, in the movie space, Rocky Horror is very singular. In so many ways, it led the charge. My first sort of interaction with Rocky was when MTV was doing coverage of one of the anniversaries — I imagine it was probably for the 20th or around that time. I was a teenager living in rural Pennsylvania and I would see this coverage around Halloween, and I was fascinated as much by the movie as I was by the fact that people were dressing up and going to the cinema to participate. And when you’re living in small town America where there are no theaters to be found doing that, there was some sort of sense of the forbidden, or it was just out of reach. But I obsessed about it, so I got a copy of the movie on VHS, and I used to gather friends — probably the theater kids, the drama club, any associated weirdos. And I say this lovingly, because I was one of those weirdos. And we would watch it in friend’s living rooms and in basements, and we would try and do our own version of celebrating the movie in a theater style at home. It wasn’t until I went to college at Kent State University that I started going to the midnight screenings in Cleveland at the Cedar Lee Theatre, and I immediately connected with the vibe of what was going on. I loved that this was more than just a movie to the people who gathered. In many ways, that fundamentally helped me understand that the art we connect to can be so much more than a passive experience.
I actually recently graduated from Ithaca College, and they always had midnight screenings around Halloween. I got to go to one of those and it was really fun. I’ve never quite had an experience like that.
They really are one of a kind. Obviously, midnight movies existed before Rocky, and now exist sort of in the wake of Rocky. I believe the original midnight movies were “Night of the Living Dead,” “El Topo,” “Pink Flamingos.” But Rocky was sort of the first time when that programming became a tangible experience. People were going to the movies, they were dressing up as the characters, they were shouting at the screen, and people weren’t getting mad about it. They were shouting too! And it created this interesting economy of celebration that we see a lot of other places and films try and mimic. … I think the reason Rocky is singular is that it was totally organic. You can’t manufacture the experience after the fact. People found the movie and the movie found them.
BLADE: Especially knowing the iconic place it has within the LGBTQ+ community, and the aspect of people dressing up and going to see these shows in full costume. Could you speak to that?
VARRATI: When I think about the significance of Rocky, I, of course, love the movie. But I think one of the most powerful things about it, especially for a particular moment in time, was that it provided a communal space a lot of people didn’t otherwise have. It’s really easy in the modern era, even in rural places, to use the internet to connect with your community if you know where to look. We know now about queer spaces and platforms and sites, but at a specific time when those were not readily available — and in many places, it was very scary to go looking for those things because you didn’t know how you were going to be met — there were few places that felt like safe harbors. And when “Rocky Horror” started becoming that space, I think that became really significant to its history because it became a gathering point for LGBTQ+ people. For punks, for goths, for anyone who felt marginalized or othered by society. When you walked through those theater doors, you belonged, and everybody accepted you, and the thing that made you feel like a freak was celebrated. You got to let your freak flag fly, and so I think for so many people of a certain generation, Rocky was the first place where they got to go find chosen family. They got to find and develop a sense of community. Because for so many, it was not a viable option. And to the outside world who maybe didn’t connect with that aspect of the movie, it was a good way to fly under the radar if you didn’t want people to fully know why you were going because you’re just going to a midnight movie. It’s not like you’re going to the gay bar that everyone in town knows or vilifies… you’re just going out with some friends to a movie. But secretly, you’re finding your community.
BLADE: I think that’s a great way of putting it. The movie is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and there are quite a few events happening, including an Academy Museum screening on the 26th with some of the cast. Could you speak to the legacy of this film over time and why people are still finding so much enjoyment in it?
VARRATI: In so many ways, it is as bold as ever. There are aspects of it, of course, to the modern audience that maybe haven’t aged as well or are problematic. But nonetheless, there are things about the movie that are so celebratory. This movie isn’t just a place where outsiders can celebrate — the movie itself, in the pantheon of film, is sort of an outsider. It is this subversive anomaly. It was a critical failure, and it was kind of a commercial failure, yet somehow it persisted. Its persistence is, in a lot of ways, akin to resistance. The idea that queer joy is an act of resistance. Queer persistence is an act of resistance. By being the strange movie, by thriving in spite of an industry that said it couldn’t, it’s something people really appreciate that history of and continue to gravitate to. But then for newer audiences who see it, the music’s fun, the characters are fun, and it still feels pretty audacious as ever. But also, the message of “Don’t dream it, be it,” is timeless.
BLADE: I’m curious to hear about this movie’s relationship to camp, because now I think that word gets overused a lot, and some films try to manufacture it. And as you said, this film was able to capture an experience so organically.
VARRATI: There is, to some folks, a prevailing idea that you can’t intentionally make camp. But I don’t know that that’s entirely true, because we see people like John Waters — he can intentionally make camp. There are folks who get the DNA of what camp is. But a lot of times, camp happens by accident. Because I think most camp, all camp, in a lot of ways, is born out of earnestness. And I think that’s what happens when people try to manufacture camp and it fails because they’re missing the fundamental element of earnestness. If you look at any of these movies that have become camp classics, they’re not winking at you. They’re not trying to say, “Hey, this is so bad, it’s good!” They’re not trying to make you know that they’re in on the joke. They’re presenting something with their whole chest and they believe in what they’re putting out there, and it just is what it is. And we find the ridiculousness through the heightened presentation. Rocky is really special in that it is truly camp, because it is, in so many ways, an homage to classic monster movies, classics and drive-in cinema. It is through the experience of these two small town people who are sheltered and are now experiencing something that they consider to be so other and overwhelming — but for everybody inside the castle, that’s every day. A really fun way to experience Rocky is understanding that the camp is not necessarily intentional, but also absolutely intentional. It’s sort of a lampooning of the normalcy of the world outside, because the truth is normalcy is the ultimate camp, because it’s a fallacy.
BLADE: Recently, there was a CBS Sunday Morning Special featuring Tim Curry, but of course not all of the actors are with us to promote the anniversary. What do you think of the cast’s relationship to this film over the years and what performers like Curry are able to do for new generations?
VARRATI: I love that Barry Bostwick, when he speaks about this movie, says there’s no happier place to be than a midnight screening of “Rocky Horror.” I think that there’s something significant about somebody who made this, who can see that it has gone beyond him, but has created so much love, community, and celebration for people. A couple years ago on Midnight Mass, we had Patricia Quinn, who plays Magenta. But of course, when you’re talking to Patricia Quinn, “Rocky Horror” invariably comes up. From my perspective, it seems that she is constantly amused and grateful for the fact that this movie rings perennial in her life. It is a constant. The cast’s overall embracing of this film has been crucial to its success as well. We often see folks who make these movies that are initially rejected by culture at large (Faye Dunaway and “Mommie Dearest” is a great example) not get to appreciate the celebration and reappraisal as it’s happening. And so I almost feel bad because they miss out on this thing that has become important and meant so much to so many people. It’s really great to know that so many cast members of “Rocky Horror,” from the beginning, saw the movie didn’t do super great, and then became a thing within five years, and they just said, “Hey, it’s going to be what it’s going to be, and we’re along for the ride.”
BLADE: Lastly, as someone who loves film, what are some other projects that you feel have been especially inspired by “Rocky Horror” and authentically embraced its spirit?
VARRATI: You know what’s funny? I think about the influence of “Rocky Horror” in the landscape of cinema, especially cult cinema, often because — I think directly or indirectly — we see the film’s impact through the work of people who were probably at one time audience members. For example, Darren Stein, the writer and director of “Jawbreaker” (which itself is a cult classic) is a huge fan of “Rocky Horror,” and has spoken openly about Rocky‘s influence on him and how it creeps its way into his work. And when you watch Jawbreaker, Courtney, the character played by Rose McGowan, has an energy akin to Frank-N-Furter, and some of the lines that she delivers are verbatim Frank-N-Furter lines. I’m sure that was intentional on Darren’s part, but there’s so much of that in pop culture.
I know that when Richard O’Brien was doing voices on “Phineas and Ferb,” of all things, something that’s so far from “Rocky Horror,” when they would do Halloween episodes, the creators — themselves “Rocky Horror” fans — would include commentary and Easter eggs into this Disney show that relate back. And so whether it’s through direct cast involvement or creators, I see the level of influence it’s had. And even in shorthand, I remember talking to someone recently about the movie Showgirls and the comment came up that Elizabeth Berkley’s commitment to performance was a Frank-N-Furter level commitment — that’s become a shorthand for how we describe certain performances. And that, to be clear, was a complimentary comparison. For people who are invested in these kinds of movies, to be compared to something like “Rocky Horror” with its longevity is maybe one of the greatest compliments of all, because no one’s ever going to make a cult film like “Rocky Horror,” right?
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Award-winning D.C. chef reaching new culinary heights
Anthony Jones of Marcus DC competing on ‘Top Chef’
In Anthony Jones’s kitchen, all sorts of flags fly, including his own. Executive chef at award-winning restaurant Marcus DC, Jones has reached culinary heights (James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, anyone?), yet he’s just getting started.
Briefly stepping away from his award-winning station, Jones took a moment under a different set of lights. Recently, he temporarily gave up his post at the restaurant for a starring small-screen slot on the latest season of “Top Chef,” which debuted in March. (The show airs weekly on Bravo and Peacock).
Before his strategic slice-and-dice competition, however, Jones, who identifies as gay, draws from his deep DMV roots. In the years before “Top Chef” and the top chef spot at Marcus, he was born and raised in Sunderland, Md., in southern Maryland, near the Chesapeake.
Early memories were steeped in afternoons on boats with his dad bonding over fishing, and wandering the garden of his great-grandparents spread with fresh vegetables and a few hogs. “It was Southern, old-school ethics and upbringing,” he said. “Family and food went hand in hand.” Weekends meant grabbing bushels of crabs, dad and grandma would cook and crack them. Family members would host fish fries for extra cash. In this seafood-heavy youth, Jones managed time to sneak in episodes of the “OG” Japanese “Iron Chef” show, which helped inspire him to pursue a career in the kitchen.
Jones moved to D.C. after graduating from college, ending up at lauded Restaurant Eve, and met famed chef Marcus Samuelson, who brought him to Miami to be part of the opening team for Red Rooster Overtown. After three years, Jones moved back to D.C., where he ran Dirty Habit, reinventing and reimagining the menu, integrating West African flavors and ingredients.
Samuelson, however, wouldn’t let a talent like Jones stay away for too long. Pulling Jones back into his orbit, Samuelson elevated Jones to help him open his namesake restaurant Marcus DC, which has been named a top-five restaurant by the Washington Post. Since then, Jones has been nominated as a semifinalist for the RAMMYs Rising Culinary Star in 2026 and won the Eater DC’s Rising Chef award in 2025.
Samuelson’s Marcus is a tour de force interpreting the Black Diaspora on the plate, from the American South to West Africa, along with his signature “Swedopian” touches. Yet it’s Jones who has deeply informed the plate, elevating his own story to date. Marcus DC is primarily a seafood restaurant, which serves Jones well.
“Where I’m from is seafood heavy, and as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved away from meat.” Veggies and fish are hero dishes. His own dish, Mel’s Crab Rice, was not only lauded by the Washington Post, but is framed by his youth carrying home the crustaceans from Mel’s crab truck. It’s a bowl of Carolina rice, layered with pickled okra, uni béarnaise, and crab. Jones also points to a dish on the opening menu, rockfish and brassica, paying respect to a landmark D.C. institution, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Jones reverse engineered a favorite bowl of chili that’s seafood instead of meat forward, leveraging octopus and rockfish along with different riffs of cauliflower: showing his intellectual, creative, and cultural sides.
While “Top Chef” is showing Jones’s spotlight side, he also lets his identity show at work. “In the kitchen, I make sure we’re inclusive. We don’t tolerate discrimination. Everyone that’s here should feel confident to express themselves. There are so many different flags in the kitchen.”
Jones says that he didn’t fully express his gay identity until fairly recently. He felt reluctant coming out to certain family members, “you’re scared to tell them about being different,” he says, and while that anxiety ate at him, “I’m lucky and fortunate to have unconditional love and that weight off my shoulders.”
Today, “I’m me all the time, Monday to Sunday. I’m honest with people, and my staff is honest with me.”
“Being a chef is hard,” he says, “and being a chef of color is even more difficult.”
Yet his LGBTQ identity is a juggling act, he says. “I need to keep that balance, because once someone finds out something about you, their opinion can change, whether you want it or not.”
Being on a whole season of TV cooking competition, however, might mean millions more might have an opinion of him (Jones has appeared on TV already, on an episode of “Chopped”). To prepare, he says, “I’ve just kept a level head. It’s just an honor to be on top chef with amazing people happy to be there.”
Plus, this season is set in the Carolinas, and Jones attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s a full story of my life, now a monumental moment for me.”
Jones also recently was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. “JBF has been a north star, a dream for so long. I always had this goal on my wall.”
Being at the top spot at Marcus DC, making waves through his accolades, and cooking on Bravo means that Jones is highly visible. “I think that if someone has a similar background to me, and can see our story, trajectory, and success, they can have more ability to be themselves. This is my goal.”
Back at Marcus, Jones has plenty up his chef’s white’s sleeves. A new spring menu is in the works. He’ll be launching a new tasting menu “dining experience,” he says, and has plans to work on more events and collaborations with chefs and friends to bring in new talent and share the culinary wealth.
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Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (they/she)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriquez (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Founder of NBJC, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Board Chair - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Collective - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
a&e features
D.C. springs back to life with new, returning events
Cherry blossoms, Rehoboth season kickoff, and more on tap
Longer and warmer days are back meaning: It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy Washington D.C.’s many events. Below are a few to check out this spring.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host “Making their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection” until Sunday, July 26. This exhibition illustrates women artists’ vital role in abstraction, considers historical contributions, formal and material breakthroughs and intergenerational relationships among women artists over the last eight decades. For more details, visit. NMWA’s website.
Art in the Attic will host a pop-up on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at 1012 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. There will be a variety of vendors selling products across different modes of art. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Play Play will host “Indoor Recess – The art of play” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. This event will embody classic recess energy, including opportunities to build and experience community and connections through games, movement, art stations, and creative freedom. Tickets are $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Spark Social will host “Gay Bar Crawl on U Street” on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a fun night out in gay D.C. with other gay people, whether you’re visiting D.C., new to the area, or just looking to expand your social circle. Many crawlers have formed lasting friendships and even romantic relationships after just one night out. Tickets are $35.88 and are available on Eventbrite.
Creative Suitland Arts Center will host “EFFERVESCENT: House of Swann” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a gay, good time where we will celebrate love, joy, wellness, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tickets start at $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
SWAG Works DC will host “Unapologetically Her” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at 701 E St., S.E. This event is a powerful celebration of womanhood, resilience, creativity, and self-expression in honor of Women’s History Month. This all-women exhibition highlights the diverse voices, stories, and artistic perspectives of women who create boldly, live authentically, and stand confidently in their truth. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. There will also be a “Donna Summer Power Hour – The Queen of Disco” segment during this event. It’ll be one hour of music with no skips. Tickets are available on 9:30 Club’s website.
Harder Better Faster Stronger will host “Heated Rivalry Rave” on Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. at Howard Theatre. This event is open to all ages. Tickets are available on the theater’s website.
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 25th annual Women’s+ FEST, April 9-12 in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Entertainers include headliner Mina Hartong, a comedian, storyteller, and founder of Lez Out Loud; and singer Yoli Mayor. There are dances, dinners, pickleball, and much more. Details and tickets at camprehoboth.org.
Also in Rehoboth Beach, the Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is set for Friday, May 15 featuring Ashley Biden, who will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau. State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall will also speak. More speakers and the venue to be announced soon.
The annual D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 21 at DAR Constitution Hall and culminates with Petalpalooza on April 4, the day-long, outdoor street party with music and art, stretching across Navy Yard, and ending with fireworks over the Anacostia River.
How Pepper the courthouse dog helps victims of abuse
Women’s FEST returns to Rehoboth Beach next week
Belarusian lawmakers approve bill to crackdown on LGBTQ rights
Calendar: April 3-9
How new barriers to health care coverage are hitting D.C.
‘Out for McDuffie’ event held at D.C. gay bar
Thousands attend ‘No Kings’ protests in D.C.
Ghanaian president welcomed to Philadelphia amid backlash over anti-LGBTQ bill
PHOTOS: ‘No Kings’ rally and march
