I believe the tradition of audiences shouting out responses to the film started about a year after its release, thus reviving the prospects of what had until that point been a box-office flop. And the rest is history, with full-costumed "midnight screenings" well underway everywhere by the late 70s.
But suppose no one had ever got the idea to start shouting at the screen. We can probably assume that the film itself continues to languish in obscurity, somewhere in the general vicinity of Phantom Of The Paradise as forgotten 70s rock operas go.
But what about some of the personalities involved? Does Susan Sarandon still have a notable career? Or Tim Curry(he's mostly a character actor OTL, but still gets in some pretty prestigious stuff)? I'm guessing Meat Loaf continues on pretty much as he did in real life, since I don't think that movie had much influence on his overall career(though he did appear in a few musically oriented films after that).
And what does a failed Rocky Horror do to the whole concept of "cult films" and "midnight movies"? According to wiki, Pink Flamingos was already being given the midnight treatment before Rock Horror, but anyone who has seen John Waters' masterpiece knows that it's a rather specialized taste, not something likely to encourage a whole new cultural movement.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I have only ever seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show once, at a decidedly non-cult screening on a VCR in my mother's living room.)
But suppose no one had ever got the idea to start shouting at the screen. We can probably assume that the film itself continues to languish in obscurity, somewhere in the general vicinity of Phantom Of The Paradise as forgotten 70s rock operas go.
But what about some of the personalities involved? Does Susan Sarandon still have a notable career? Or Tim Curry(he's mostly a character actor OTL, but still gets in some pretty prestigious stuff)? I'm guessing Meat Loaf continues on pretty much as he did in real life, since I don't think that movie had much influence on his overall career(though he did appear in a few musically oriented films after that).
And what does a failed Rocky Horror do to the whole concept of "cult films" and "midnight movies"? According to wiki, Pink Flamingos was already being given the midnight treatment before Rock Horror, but anyone who has seen John Waters' masterpiece knows that it's a rather specialized taste, not something likely to encourage a whole new cultural movement.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I have only ever seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show once, at a decidedly non-cult screening on a VCR in my mother's living room.)