Rocky Horror Picture Show Secrets: Inside the New 50th Anniversary Documentary

This week on The Sounds of Film, host Tom Needham speaks with director Andreas Zerr about his new documentary, Sane Inside Insanity: The Phenomenon of Rocky Horror. The film arrives just in time for the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the cult classic that transformed midnight screenings into a worldwide cultural ritual.

Zerr’s documentary goes far beyond nostalgia, tracing Rocky Horror’s unlikely journey from a scrappy stage production in London to the longest-running theatrical release in cinema history. Featuring candid interviews with Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Barry Bostwick, Jim Sharman, Richard Hartley, Sue Blane, and many others, the film uncovers never-before-heard stories from the cast, crew, and the fans who kept the phenomenon alive for five decades.

On The Sounds of Film, Zerr discusses the decade-long process of making the film, the challenges of capturing such a sprawling cultural story, and his surprising personal journey from casual observer to passionate chronicler of Rocky Horror’s impact. Sane Inside Insanity opens in North America on September 25, 2025.

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