Read the books. Bookmark the website. Check Fandango as often as possible to find the movie date. Then buy the tickets months in advance for the midnight release of the much anticipated movie. These devoted fans are participating in the newly popularized way of supporting their favorite films through the midnight movie release.
The midnight movie release originated in the 1970s, with the opening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a musical comedy that parodies horror films with science fiction. Previewed in New York, this film company proposed this idea in hopes of increasing social interaction between cultures with this new movie genre. Although it began only in one state, the success and popularity midnight movies gained was recognized and quickly adopted by cinemas throughout the country. Through its success, The Rocky Horror Picture Show gave the name of a “cult classic” to all midnight movie releases, spurring the same pattern for many popular movies.
November 21st brings the arrival of the long anticipated film Twilight, based on a book from the popular author Stephanie Meyer. Put on the New York Times bestseller’s list multiple times, the popularity of this book spurred the decision for it to be made into a movie, and thus, the release of it at midnight. Devoted Tabb fans and avid readers everywhere have already bought their tickets and plan to attend opening night.
Novels that run in a series have sparked a pattern for the midnight movie upon their release. The ever-popular trilogy Lord of the Rings, and the magical Harry Potter series have increasingly gained popularity, inspiring movie-makers everywhere to transform these best-sellers into feature-length films, and thus, their midnight debut .