Happy Halloween! Time for another dinner and a movie. Picture this, 1985 at the old Grandin Theater. I was asked to go see a movie with a dental hygiene classmate, Brenda. She was one of the outgoing students and I was a nerdy introvert. I had no idea what kind of movie I would be going to see but she said it would be fun. What did we go see? The Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you haven’t seen this 1975 B-movie classic about the story of…well, there’s no easy way to describe the wild ride that happens in this movie. The movie bombed when it was released but has become famous for the audience participation during screenings. Still in limited release in 2024, 49 years after its premiere, it is the longest-running theatrical release in film history. I asked around the office and almost everyone has seen it once, twice, or yearly.
The audience participation was a shock to me on that first viewing. Newspapers came out to put over our heads while water guns sprayed to simulate the storm the main characters get caught in. The rice thrown during a wedding, and the pieces of toast tossed up in the air as Dr. Frank N. Furter offers a toast to absent friends. There is one point in the Rocky Horor Picture Show when Brad threatens Dr. Frank N. Furter during one of the musical numbers. One of the lyrics he sings is “You’re a hot dog/ but you better not try to hurt her, Frank Furter.” This is when the hot dogs started flying around the theater.
I was stunned. Who throws food around a theater and talks out loud during a movie? I was mostly worried about who had to clean up the mess after the movie was over. I completely missed that other audience members were dressed up as the characters. Only as we were leaving did I notice all the tights and sunglasses.
Through the years I have watched this movie every Halloween. This horror musical comedy suits me better than the blood and gore of other movies. I don’t throw food during screenings but I can recite lines along with the best of them. In case you need a prop bag here’s a list for you. Rice-To throw at newlyweds Ralph Hapschatt and Betty Munroe at the beginning of the show. Newspaper- When Brad and Janet are caught in the storm, Janet covers her head with a newspaper, and you should do the same. Flashlight or glow stick- Light up the place during the “There’s a light” verse of Over at the Frankenstein Place. Refrain from using lighters — you have a newspaper on your head. Rubber glove- During and after the creation speech, Frank snaps his rubber gloves three times. Do the same in synch each time for an awesome sound effect. Water gun- To mimic the rainstorm Brad and Janet are caught in. Good thing you have a newspaper on your head! Toast- when Frank proposes a toast at dinner, folks throw toast. Bell- During the song Planet Schmanet — Wise Up Janet Weiss, ring the bell when Frank sings “Did you hear a bell ring?” (Shaking keys also work.) Noisemakers- At the end of the creation speech, the Transylvanians respond with applause and noisemakers. Go for it.
How does our recipe go with this movie you ask? Well, music Legend Meat Loaf plays Eddie, the motorcycle delivery boy. One of the first audience callbacks, from the dawn of Rocky Horror’s audience participation, was “Meatloaf Again?” in reference to the dinner scene where his character is served as the main dish. So, here is my recipe for meatloaf, the main dish not Meat Loaf, the singer.
Eddie’s Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
3 slices bread, toasted and crumbled
7 buttery round crackers, crushed
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 ½ tablespoons sour cream
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided
¼ cup milk, or as needed
3 tablespoons ketchup
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Gather all ingredients. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Combine onion and garlic mixture, beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 can tomato sauce in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Gradually stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until mixture is moist, but not soggy. Transfer the mixture to a 5×9-inch loaf pan. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Continue baking 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and continue baking for 10 minutes.
Courtesy photos
