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With the imminent arrival of Barry Bostwick to Midnight Mass HQ, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time pondering the phenomenon that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Created by Richard O’Brien and directed by Jim Sharman, the film with the longest run in theatrical history has blazed a bizarre, yet unparalleled trail through the history of cinema. Rocky Horror has throngs of fans who still crowd into movie theaters on a weekly basis, shouting and singing along in a fanatical fervor akin to religious devotion. For many creatures of the night, RHPS is more than a movie, it’s a way of life.
Of course, worshipping at the altar of a beloved film is not a foreign concept to me or my boss lady, Peaches Christ.
‘Tis the season when relatively new drag queens perform for a title that’s grown to become VERY important in the world of San Francisco Drag. The upcoming event marks the 13th annual Trannyshack Star Search, and it promises to be the biggest and fiercest competition yet.
Over the years many of the event’s past contestants have gone on to become legendary performers on the local drag circuit including Metal Patricia, Landa Lakes, Holy McGrail, Elijah Minnelli, Lady Bear, L. Ron Hubby, Kegel Kater, Pollo Del Mar, Faux Pas, Miss Rahni, Anjie Myma, Cousin Wonderlette, Sandra O. Noshi-D’int and many, many more.
Hostesses Heklina and Peaches Christ created the event to be a local talent search for new drag superstars. And the show has NEVER failed to deliver on that premise. Witness a brand new crop of fresh-faced, and attention-starved contestants compete for the Miss Star Search crown and be there to say “I saw her first”!
Much like Santa Claus, it’s been a whole year since I last saw Lewis Jackson.
However, considering the cause of the filmmaker’s notoriety, that we would be reunited at the holidays is fitting.
To the cult film community at large, Jackson is most well-known as the writer and director of Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out), a prototypical holiday horror film with a turbulent history that laid the foundation for a whole subgenre of killer Kris Kringles.
Long heralded by John Waters as the “greatest Christmas movie ever made,” Jackson’s film has travelled a long, strange journey from its initial release. Disavowed by the studio that produced it, and long held captive by bootleggers, the movie seemed destined for filmic obscurity. However, thanks to Waters’ constant championing and a small, but fervent fan base, the movie was resurrected and rediscovered by horror audiences the world over. Now, Christmas Evil is widely accepted by fans of fright as one of the single best and most important holiday horror films ever committed to celluloid.
For all of the film’s trials and triumphs, Lewis Jackson has lived through each bump in the road. Although the filmmaker admits the journey has been a bittersweet one, he also displays a twinkle of pride for how far his film has come.
When it comes to celebrating the majesty that is Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, I think that we here at Midnight Mass HQ have more than proven ourselves. My boss lady, Peaches Christ, has been mounting lavish spectacles worshipping the film for over a decade, and I personally consider the movie to be woven into the very fabric of my cult film identity. Search back in my articles and interviews far enough, and it’s a motion picture that invariably comes up.
Why?
Because it’s fierce as fuck.
Showgirls is an over-the-top cult spectacle. It demands to be seen. It begs to be worshipped.
It’s the perfect midnight movie.
…and, as such, we love it dearly.
Due to our undying devotion, we also have an intense love for those involved in making Showgirls the cult spectacle it has become. One such individual, Rena Riffel, who played Penny/Hope in Showgirls, has become a dear friend of the Midnight Mass family and has carried the torch for Verhoeven’s masterpiece since its release in 1995. Even when many of her fellow cast mates shied away from discussing the movie, Riffel held the banner high, knowing that she had been involved in something unique and special. Read More…
For those of you who missed the rare appearance of “Peaches Claus” last year at the fabulous Christmas Evil show, this month’s your chance to see her multiple times! Aside from our Holiday Spectacular at the Castro Theatre on the 17th, Peaches Claus will be making an appearance at The Academy of Sciences NIGHTLIFE party on Thursday, December 15th!
Have you been naughty or nice? Want to sit on Peaches’ lap? Do you have your list of presents ready? Are you prepared to have your vision of Santa Claus shattered? Your illusions of Christmas forever ‘altered’? Then hurry down to the Academy for NIGHTLIFE, and experience a Santa Claus that could only come from San Francisco…
Buy Your Tickets HERE! There’s a entire evening of winter wonderland events! Check it all out below…
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At The Historic Castro Theatre – 429 Castro Street
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BEARS*DYKES*DAGGERS*CUBS*CHUBS*HAWKS*COCKS*CHICKEN*PIGS*FURRIES*POSHIES*GARDEN
KEEPERS*SKIRTLIFTERS*TRANS*HOMOS*FAGS*HAGS*QUEERS*QUEENS*KINGS*TRADE*HUSTLERS*
DADDIES*PINKIES*ANARCO’S*CLOWNZ and a GOB OF YOU!
21 AND UP $5 GETS YA UP AND IN THIS SADDLE
“I just show up and do what I do. And for me it has to be real — anything I do, I don’t care what it is. On Halloween, I can remember, John Carpenter’s first and only real direction to me was, ‘I want people to believe this is a real person.’ All I care about is trying to make anything real — and then because I’m brave I’ll try anything.”
-Jamie Lee Curtis
It’s the Tuesday before Halloween. Perched on the balcony of my apartment, I’ve got a warm cup of coffee in hand and a less than expertly carved Jack-O-Lantern in the chair to my right. There’s an autumn chill, but I really don’t notice. I’ve been too busy musing over the upcoming holiday.
For horror fans the world over, Halloween is something sacred and celebratory. It’s the time when we’re not the minority, but the ruling class. The order of things may return to the squares on November 1st, but for one night, the freaks and beasts run the show. That such mirth also happens to occur amidst the wonderfully atmospheric scenery of fall is just the icing on the cake. Read More…
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Your hostess and host, Peaches Christ & Sam Sharkey, are ready to divulge the complete Festival program, promising to shake, rattle and roll the Victoria Theatre audience with premieres, musical madness and interactive delights.
Peaches Christ Productions is proud to announce the full program for the Fall 2011 San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival (SFUSFF), presented by Peaches Christ and Sam Sharkey. Dedicated to supporting underground cinema from Bay Area filmmakers, this raucously, thrilling evening will include 33(!) short films spread out over two programs. Read More…
Take a peek inside the main office over at Peaches Christ Productions. This short film stars all your favorites, including Martiny, Lady Bear, and L. Ron Hubby.
Ever wonder about how Peaches’ wigs are made? Or how she’s always able to keep up with the demand for her fabulous merchandise? What about this constant touring and relentless appearance calendar? How does she keep at it? Just who or what is behind the satanic machinery that is Peaches Christ Productions? What keeps it going? All these questions and more are answered in Children of the Popcorn. Watch, and become one of us!
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Like a specter rising from the grave, the always original, sometimes outrageous Elvira returns to television doing what she does best --- skewering grade B horror movies. Each week, Elvira's Movie Macabre presents a cult classic along with the Mistress of the Dark's unflinching, tongue-in-cheek commentary making the un-watchable: UN-MISSABLE.
Click below for current show times and stations and be sure to watch the episode sneak peeks! Airing now, and also available on DVD with 6 never-before-seen episodes!
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