Cult Cinema Closet

Video Credit: Sensual Daydreams Youtube Channel Author's note: This article contains terminology that is now considered outdated and offensive but is used within the context of the film. The author condemns the use of slurs towards any group of people, including the transgender community and any transphobic responses to this article will be deleted and the poster blocked. For nearly fifty years, Milwaukee residents have flocked in droves to the historic Oriental Theater just before midnight, clad in unusual outfits and waiting to purchase strange kits containing toilet paper . One might say they’re unconventional conventionalists, arriving in the dead of night wearing strange costumes or even lingerie. And once the show starts inside, they call out jokes to the screen with near religious devotion, as live performers from Milwaukee’s own shadow cast, Sensual Daydreams, act them out time and time again If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, here's a ...

Nell Campbell as Columbia in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).  Image Copyright: 20th Century Fox Not much is known of Columbia’s life before meeting Frank-N-Furter, despite being the only human living in his castle prior to the arrival of Brad and Janet. But if we look closely at her wardrobe choices, we may be able to understand a lot more about Columbia. Columbia’s style is playful and eccentric; who else could pull off her iconic sequin overcoat or her Mickey Mouse ears and striped pajama outfit? But of the four outfits Columbia wears in the movie, her most easily recognizable one is her outfit during the time warp. Nothing about an outfit covered in sequins (especially in such bold colors) is subtle, and her eye-catching bowtie, rainbow striped shorts, and her gold top hat all point to a delightfully gaudy Vaudeville influence, borrowing from a genre that’s far from understated. All of these style choices indicate that Columbia is someone desperate to be seen, and this is ...