ROCKY HORROR's close call

Halloween-time screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show have been a long-standing tradition at the Tower Theatre. This year, it almost didn't happen.

According to an account by the Salt Lake Film Society on its Facebook page, Rocky Horror's distributor decided to change the exhibition rights it was offering. Projected DVD screenings were finished; theaters could license DCP (digital cinema package) "prints" or 35mm prints. But the Tower isn't equipped for digital projection, and 35mm prints are scarce enough that many of the older theaters like the Tower that traditionally do Halloween screenings would be fighting over them.

Fortunately for SLC, the Tower's history of packed Rocky Horror screenings sold the distributor that this was one of the locations worthy of a 35mm print. That means Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Brad, Janet, Rocky, Riff Raff, Magenta and crew will be Time Warp-ing and being-it-rather-than-just-dreaming-it, as planned, with screenings Oct. 26, 27 and Halloween night at 8 p.m. and midnight. A toast! (You know what to do at that point ...)