The Lords of Salem (2012)

The Lords of Salem (2012) – 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?

The Lords of Salem is written and directed by Rob Zombie. Whilst not having heard much of Zombie’s music, I am a fan of his films. The Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses and Halloween I & II were all good films (yes I’m in the minority by liking Halloween II, but aside from undoing the great ending in his first story I liked what he did with part II) and so I have been eagerly awaiting The Lords of Salem. In a rare turn of events, whilst only just showing in US theatres, the film is actually out on dvd here in the UK, and I couldn’t wait to sit down and check it out.

The DJ’s aka The Odd Squad

My thoughts then……..well, it’s different!! If I didn’t know better, I would never have this down as a Rob Zombie film (aside from the casting of his wife!) It was a really pleasant surprise, and although I liked his previous more violent films, this one veers away from that approach and gives us something more old school 70’s horror. Clearly influenced by movies such as The Shining, Suspiria and Rosemary’s Baby for example, Zombie clearly is doing something he loves here.

Sheri Moon Zombie as Heidi Hawthorne

Flashing back and forth between 1696 and the present day, The Lords of Salem attempts to connect ancient black magic with modern possession and a coven of modern witches. Heidi (played by Sheri Moon Zombie) is a rock chick radio DJ who receives a mysterious LP from a new band, The Lords which, when played, invades her mind with creepy hallucinatory memories of the town’s past. Soon Heidi is channelling negative energy which local writer Francis (Bruce Davison) recognises as linking to legendary witch Margaret Morgan (Meg Foster) and the curse she placed on her killers.

The movie mostly follows Zombie’s character as she slips deeper and deeper into delusion, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality by subtly suggesting that the in-recovery DJ may be in a self-induced paranoid drug haze.

Sheri Moon Zombie did a great job in the lead role here. I’ve seen some complaints about her not being able to carry a movie, but I liked her and thought she was more than capable of doing the role justice. She was in pretty much every scene, and aside from the obvious positives like seeing her in various shades of nudity, she made me believe in her journey and I really did have a lot of sympathy for her character and what she was going through. There was also some inspired casting in the forms of Judy Geeson, Patricia Quinn and Dee Wallace as the modern-day coven of three sisters. They add some humour and creepiness, and were a joy to watch.

Judy Geeson, Patricia Quinn and Dee Wallace – The “Three Sisters”

Unusually for a Rob Zombie film, there isn’t that much blood and violence on show here. There are some weird scenes with strange rituals and sacrifices, but nothing is ever gratuitous. Early on there are a couple of really good jump moments, which I wasn’t expecting at all. In just those two scenes there were more scares than in the entire The Innkeepers movie! It then ventures briefly into a sort of Twin Peaks style with crazy characters and imagery, before the full on madness and reasons are all revealed in their insane glory.

Visually, it was absolutely stunning. Gorgeous cinematography, coupled with some very creepy, weird imagery, and there were no digital effects used at all in the film. The atmosphere, again, was very well done. It has a real art-house artistic feel to it, which Zombie’s previous films did not have. The Lords of Salem was just unsettling the whole way through, really creepy, again, added to by the visuals. Throw in some eerily effective music and all done on a rumoured $2.5 million budget. Such a refreshing change and proof horror is not all remakes and sequels, and there are some original ideas still in existence.

It’s not perfect, and it loses a few marks in my final rating purely down to a few niggling points. The pacing felt a little slow, and whilst it started with some action and scary scenes, the second act just seemed to drag the movie down for me, until the final 20 minutes ramped up the crazy and finished the movie on a strong note. I also felt Bruce Davison’s character Francis was finally getting to the best bits and his revelations were going to be exciting, but it just didn’t play out like I had hoped.

Rob Zombie describes his film as “if Ken Russell directed The Shining”. Whilst not being anywhere near The Shining’s standard, there is a lot of fun to be had with The Lords of Salem. Definitely not a film for everyone though, and don’t go in expecting Zombie’s usual over the top violence. This is a much more restrained effort, and more a labour of love than anything I’ve seen from him so far. I doubt he will care about the criticism this film is getting from some parts. It seems to be quite divisive, as his fans either love it or hate the fact he has deviated so much from his usual style. Film-makers evolving and changing their style can be tricky for fans to get used to, but more importantly it’s just good to see a horror film that is unique and original. The Lords of Salem has blood, scares and is a throwback to the good old days of horror. Whilst I’m in no rush to see it again (due to the serious subject matter, not because it’s bad!), it was powerful enough to stay with me and keep me thinking about what the hell just went down! Don’t be fooled by a 6, it’s a very high 6 and if you’re interested in your horror a little different and less bloody then this could be a perfect match for you.

Posted by Tysoncarter182 on April 26, 2013

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