(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Rob Zombie [IMDB]
Rob Zombie is hit or miss in my book. I really loved Devil's Rejects, but I hated House of a 1000 Corpses. When I saw the trailer for The Lords of Salem a few months back, I gotta admit, I was really interested in checking it out. I may not love everything Mr. Zombie cranks out, but he's currently one of the more unique voices in horror working today, so I'll give him my time.
Synopsis: Heidi is a radio DJ who stumbles across a record that plays the hypnotic tune of the Salem witches. After a few plays she starts to fall into its spell.
Before watching this film I had heard a lot of mixed reviews on it, more than I normally get for most films. It seemed that most people either liked it, or hated it.... for me it was a slam dunk. It's not perfect, but it's pretty awesome for what it is. Rob Zombie definitely doesn't hide his influences on this. You get a heavy vibe from Kubrick, Lynch, Jodorowsky, and Polanski in the film. The Lords of Salem feels very unlike any of Rob's other films, but in a good way. It gives off the feeling that he's growing as a film maker and this is a step in the right directions for me. Visually it's a mind fuck and it packs some amazing shots. There's a few scenes that raised the arm hairs a little.
I can't really think of much I didn't like about this film. Maybe the story could have been cleaned up and made a little stronger... but I'd say for fans of horror, especially of the psychological sub genre, get on this. It's a winner in my book.
