Colin Fitzpatrick

Since this movie’s release totally fell under the radar of popular media, and I really loved it, I thought it would be fun to try and write up a serious review praising the film to give it some nice DIY press. Also, I have a lot of downtime this week, so you know… why not practice my writing? Enjoy the below:

Lords of Salem is a rarity in modern horror, and thank the deity of your choosing Rob Zombie is making these kinds of films. With a plot that references the original Wicker Man and Rosemary’s Baby and a whole lot of visual inspiration from Italian horror cinema (I couldn’t help but think of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond while watching), Zombie has accomplished a rare horror film that feels both original and contemporary while rooting itself in storytelling tradition that only serves to enrich its ideas. If there was a horror movie Hall of Fame, Lords has won Zombie both entry and this year’s MVP award.

The film follows a shock jock DJ named Heidi Hawthorne after receiving and listening to a mysterious record from a band called ‘The Lords.’ The recording contained in the mysterious package sent to the Salem local radio station slowly drives her deeper into a series of satanic and pagan themed hallucinations throughout the week. While following a descent into madness is a familiar trope of the horror genre, Zombie complicates the plot with mystery. Is Heidi’s madness a result of backsliding into her junkie past or the manipulations of Salem’s hidden satanic cult?