The Rocky Horror Picture Show wasn’t popular when it was first released back in 1975. It wasn’t until the movie found a new audience as a midnight movie, where viewers would make jokes, throw toilet paper, and sing along to the movie, that it became a cult classic. Now, on its 50th anniversary, Linus O’Brien (son of Richard O’Brien—the original creator of Rocky Horror) is releasing a documentary film called Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, looking back at how this small movie in the 70s became a worldwide phenomenon.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel appears in the documentary to discuss how influential the musical was in her journey of self-discovery. The world-famous drag queen expanded on her origin story a bit more in the documentary and said she embraced the name Trixie after performing in Rocky Horror. “It went from like the worst thing I could think of to a name given to me by my first chosen family,” she says in the clip. “I feel like my drag name got picked for me by Rocky.”
In a 2017 interview with Milwaukee Magazine, the drag queen explained that she grew up with an abusive stepfather who would call her “Trixie” when she was acting too gay or feminine. “Fast forward to when I was 19 years old doing the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Oriental Theatre. It was a drag role, and the name of this character was Trixie.”
Mattel credits her life now to this culturally important musical. “Every Halloween, I reflect on like ‘Wow, so much of what I have came from my experience of finding this film in a Shopco in Marinette, Wisconsin, for $5.”
According to the official logline, the documentary plans to traverse the “joyful and wild ride through the tale of the cultural juggernaut that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
It continues, “From its humble origins as a London fringe theater play, the documentary tracks its meteoric rise, fall and resurrection to become the biggest cult film of all time. With intimate access to its creator Richard O’Brien and other major players such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Lou Adler, the documentary explores what makes the play and film so singular: Its groundbreaking and transgressive themes, iconic performances and epic songs that took over popular culture.”
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror will be released in select theaters on September 26.
This article originally appeared on Out: Here’s how a queer classic inspired Trixie Mattel’s drag career (exclusive)
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