- IMDb page: The Lords of Salem (2012)
- Rate: 5.7/10 total 915 votes
- Genre: Horror | Thriller
- Release Date: 26 April 2013 (UK)
- Runtime: 101 min
- Filming Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Budget: $2,500,000 (estimated)
- Director: Rob Zombie
- Stars: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips | See full cast and crew
- Original Music By: Griffin Boice (original music by) John 5 (original music by)
- Soundtrack: The Spirit of Radio
- Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
- Plot Keyword: Salem Massachusetts | City Name In Title | Place Name In Title | Female Protagonist
Known Trivia
- Bruce Dern had to leave the production due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Bruce Davison.
- Richard Lynch didn't have to audition for his role as Reverend John Hawthorne.
- Actors considered for some roles were Richard O'Brien (he was not available) and Hammer girl Caroline Munro, finally replaced by another genre favorite, Judy Geeson.
- According to Sid Haig the actors where only given the parts of the script that featured their own scenes to prevent any leaks.
- Lisa Marie's first movie in over 11 years.
- Last film of Richard Lynch.
- Billy Drago is included in all cast listings for this movie despite his leaving the project before shooting began.
- Richard Lynch was cast as Reverend John Hawthorne, but due to his worsening health he couldn't perform the role properly. Lynch died few months before the open of the film.
- Rob Zombie described the film as "If Ken Russell directed "The Shining".
- Clint Howard, Camille Keaton and Udo Kier had supporting roles but all his scenes ended being cut.
Goofs: Revealing mistakes: Zombie released a still of Wayne Toth working on a charred corpse special effect. The corpse had clearly been burned at the stake, yet had long flowing hair. In reality, the hair would have been one of the first things to burn.
Plot: Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record -- a "gift from the Lords." The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts? Full summary » | »
Story: Heidi, a blond rock chick, DJs at a local radio station, and together with the two Hermans (Whitey and Munster) forms part of the "Big H Radio Team." A mysterious wooden box containing a vinyl record arrives for Heidi, a gift of the Lords. She assumes it's a rock band on a mission to spread their word. As Heidi and Whitey play the Lords' record, it starts to play backwards, and Heidi experiences a flashback to a past trauma. Later, Whitey plays the Lords' record, dubbing them the Lords of Salem, and to his surprise, the record plays normally and is a massive hit with his listeners. The arrival of another wooden box from the Lords presents the Big H team with free tickets, posters and records to host a gig in Salem. Soon, Heidi and her cohorts are far from the rock spectacle they're expecting. The original Lords of Salem are returning and they're out for blood. Written byUHM
Produced By:
- Sheri Moon Zombie known as Heidi Hawthorne
- Bruce Davison known as Francis Matthias
- Jeff Daniel Phillips known as Herman 'Whitey' Salvador (as Jeffrey Daniel Phillips)
- Judy Geeson known as Lacy Doyle
- Meg Foster known as Margaret Morgan
- Patricia Quinn known as Megan
- Ken Foree known as Herman Jackson
- Dee Wallace known as Sonny
- Maria Conchita Alonso known as Alice Matthias
- Richard Fancy known as AJ Kennedy
- Andrew Prine known as Reverend Jonathan Hawthorne
- Michael Berryman known as Virgil Magnus
- Sid Haig known as Dean Magnus
- Bonita Friedericy known as Abigail Hennessey
- Nancy Linehan Charles known as Clovis Hales
- Flo Lawrence known as Sarah Easter
- Brynn Horrocks known as Mary Webster
- Suzanne Voss known as Elizabeth Jacobs
- Susan Gray known as Martha Bishop
- Torsten Voges known as Count Gorgann
- Niko Posey known as Cerina Hooten
- Julian Acosta known as Priest
- Lisa Marie known as Priscilla
- Brandon Cruz known as Ted
- Gabriel Pimentel known as Amon
- John 5 known as Halvard The Guardian
- Piggy D. known as Butcher Olaf
- Roger W. Morrissey known as Beezlebub
- Barbara Crampton known as Virginia Cable
- Michael Shamus Wiles known as Jarrett Perkins
- Dustin Quick known as Masie Mather
- James Messersmith known as Drug Dealer
- Troy known as Troy (the dog)
- Ernest Thomas known as Chip McDonald (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Carlos del Valle known as Interviewer (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Clint Howard known as Carlo (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Camille Keaton known as Wench Girl (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Udo Kier known as Witchhunter (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Richard Lynch known as Reverend Hawthorne (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
- Daniel Roebuck known as Frankenmonster (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter)
Production Companies:
- Alliance Films
- Automatik Entertainment
- Blumhouse Productions
- Haunted Movies
- IM Global
- Anarchy Post audio post production
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera cranes
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera dollies
- Dolby Laboratories sound mix
- Hip-O Records soundtrack
- LightIRON Digital digital intermediate
- Stone Management product placement
- Universal Music Enterprises soundtrack
- Alliance Films (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Momentum Pictures (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
- Momentum Pictures (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
- Anchor Bay Films (2013) (USA) (all media)
- Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2012) (Switzerland) (all media)
- Aurum Producciones (2012) (Spain) (all media)
- Momentum Pictures (2013) (UK) (DVD)
- Mongkol Major (2013) (Thailand) (all media)
Special Effects:
- Terminal FX (visual effects)
Visual Effects by:
MPAA: Rated R for disturbing violent and sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use
Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database
If you're not a fan of Rob Zombie beware and maybe even so if you are afan. Rob Zombie's latest trek into genre territory is a bag of mixedresults that mostly work in my opinion. Centering on a radio host inSalem, Heidi Hawthorne who is sent a record from a local band named theLords. As soon as the music comes on a odd, seductive trance sets uponthe towns female inhabitants. And Heidi herself begins to experiencestrange occurrences such as horrific visions and strange going ons inthe apartment next to hers. The movie you see is about witches. But notthe YA witches that have populated screens and literature as of latethese are old school hardcore, ugly, supremely evil, dirty, medievalwitches. It all culminates in a lurid, fever dreamesque finale thatwill disturb and even make you giggle a little. Rob Zombie prideshimself on creating a thick, smoky aged atmosphere. The film issaturated in grainy film making it feel like an old school late 70'shorror flick and is saturated with mood dripping colors from neon redsto electric blues. The film is shot beautifully with smooth panningshots and fantastically inventive angles and it's all mixed togetherwith a trancey well fitted score. But it's not all great and most of ithas to do with the films limited budget. Zombie strives with making lowbudget films work but at a mere 2.5 million it's too much of a featindeed and although ambitious you can sense the inevitable budgetarylimitations that stunt his creative workload. So although freakish andcreepy in spots you can't help but snicker at the films larger specialeffects sequences that come off hammy and fake looking. As usual theperformances are pretty solid across the board. Many people havecomplained about his wife being in the lead but she does well enoughwith it although she is a bit limited by her characters development andher overall experience. The real standout here besides the wonderfulwitch sisters Dee Wallace Stone, Patricia Quinn and Judy Geeson is MegFoster as the lead witch. She is horrid looking a long cry from herstrange but alluringly seductive roles in the 80's as Evil Lynn inMasters of the Universe and They Live but she commits whole heartedlyto it. She is in a word absolutely terrifying. And overall the filmfilm manages to stand up fairly well. It starts off particularly strongand keeps it up. But the film's last third when it recedes into asomewhat expected hallucinatory state is just a little too weird andgaudy looking. That being said with more of a budget, who knows. Stillwhat stands is original with appreciated homages to the works ofItalian horror maestro Dario Argento and etc. and that is somethingtruly commendable nowadays. For better or worse you will and have neverseen a movie like this and that's why I'll always show up and buy aticket when Zombie's name is attachted to something. 3.5/5
ReplyDeleteRob Zombie's movies divide movie fans. Even admirers of his output willsingle out a particular movie that just doesn't work for them (in mycase it's 'Halloween', which for me is an utter waste of time). But Iwould bet that virtually every Zombie buff would list 'The Lords ofSalem' as one of his very best movies.
ReplyDeleteIt's a brilliant exercise in unease and paranoia that has loses none ofits power with repeated viewings. It is still one of the mostdisturbing movies ever made, and manages to evoke an atmosphere filledwith dread and fear without resorting to obvious shock tactics. SheriMoon Zombie is perfect as a beautiful and disturbed girl slowly lost todelusion and phobia. This is arguably her most memorable role alongwith Tobe Hooper's equally brilliant 'Toolbox Murders '. The rest ofthe cast is interesting, and includes Maria Conchita Alonso ('Predator2'), underrated Brit character actor Sid Haig ('Galaxy of Terror').
All the cast are excellent, but Shaerri Moon Unit's unforgettableperformance is what really sticks in your mind long after the movie isover. That and Mr. Zombie's accomplished and tense direction make thismovie essential viewing for all movie buffs. One of the most importantand impressive movies of the 2010s, and one of the most chilling horrormovies ever made.
Rob Zombie has really outdone himself with The Lords of Salem. The filmplays like a throwback to the psychedelic satanic Horror Movies of theearly 70s. The movie starts out with a slow build getting to know thelead character, Heidi. Heidi, played by Sherri Moon Zombie, is arecovering addict that works for the local radio station as a DJ for apopular late night radio show. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts, whichis famous for its witch trials during the 1600s.
ReplyDeleteWhen Heidi arrives at the radio station for her show she receives ademo record from a band called The Lords. Thinking the album must befrom a new and upcoming band, the DJs play it on the show. When thesound goes out over the radio, many local women go into a trance, verymuch like when the tape is played in Evil Dead! Heidi has severeheadaches when the album is played and from that point on starts havinghallucinations. There are many flashbacks to the 1600s, when a coven ofwitches were having their Sabbath or Black Mass, dancing around a firenude, praying to Satan, and playing music. The local Salem Authoritiescatch all the witches and put them on trial. Found guilty ofwitchcraft, they are burned alive at the stake. While dying, the leaderof the coven curses her accuser, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and all of hisancestors.
Heidi lives in a historic building with an older lady that lives in theapartment below her. She invites Heidi for tea with her friends, butright away you can tell the older ladies have something to hide. Heidistarts a slow decent into madness after hearing the Lords of Salemalbum again. And that's when we get the flashbacks to the ancient evilwitches and their strange satanic rituals.
Sherri Moon Zombie does her best acting to date, but she is still nomatch for the older scream queens that play the witches…Dee Wallace,Patricia Quinn, Judy Geeson, and Meg Foster steal all the scenes. MegFoster and Dee Wallace especially shine in their roles. One of things Ilike about Rob Zombie is that he casts a lot of familiar faces from thehorror genre and Lords of Salem was no exception.
Lords of Salem has a real art-house artistic feel to it, which Zombie'sprevious films did not have. There are several shots that remind me ofclassic Argento films like Suspiria. The use of colourful architectureand background scenery is almost like another character in the film.The movie was visually stunning and it owes a lot of its influences toclassic Horror films like The Devils, The Sentinel, Eraserhead and TheShining. The only part of the film I was not all that keen on was thepsychedelic ending. It just seemed out of context, but maybe I willlike it better on a second viewing. It also had way too many gratuitousshots of Sherri Moon's backside which was a little distracting from thestoryline in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't think Lords of Salemwill appeal to the general public and will probably not get a widerelease the way his previous films did.
In the end, I think this movie will get very split reviews from horrorfans. If you can appreciate an art-house independent horror film youwill enjoy it. If you prefer a grindhouse style gory action movie, youwill hate it. I am sure this movie will surprise and divide Rob Zombiefans. Up until now, Zombie has earned a very well-deserved reputationfor films that push the limits of good taste. For the most part I haveenjoyed most of his films (yes, even Halloween 2!) For me, Lords ofSalem showed that he is not a one trick pony when it comes to hiswriting and I really appreciate that. I highly recommend you go and seeit when it comes out and form your own opinion about it.