This is where today's review spawns from. Music artist and director Rob Zombie finally broke away from Hollywood's greasy, grubby grasp and made a film completely independent of their control. That film is The Lords of Salem. Despite the fact that it opened to widely negative reviews, this film takes steps to be different, interesting, and original where ninety percent of other films in the genre fall short. In my own personal opinion this is one of the finest horror films to grace the audience in many years. I was completely overwhelmed in how awe inspiring the visuals, the acting, and the storytelling managed to be.
The Lords of Salem tales the story of Heidi, a radio DJ for a local station in Salem, Massachusetts. Although she appears as an energetic and spunky personality on the radio, she is in reality a recovering drug addict who is just trying to straighten out her life. When she is sent an obligatory record only labeled as "The Lords" her world begins to collapse in and outside of herself. The music on the record makes it so Heidi sees visions of the past, of the witches of the Salem Witch Trials. She also sees visions and dreams of satanic rites. Finally it is revealed that a modern coven of witches, in connection with the long dead Lords of Salem, are using Heidi as a vessel to deliver Satan into the world.
These analytical themes of culture and humanity are just a few elements that most modern horror films miss completely. The cinematography is some of the very best I've seen in a modern horror film. The dreams and images of hell are simply unnerving and beautiful. It is a hard movie to truly explain or describe to someone without simply showing them the film.
Summing it Up
Deaths: Women of Salem
Language: 4
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 5
Scare Factor: 4
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 5