I am participating in a 30 day challenge. This time it is all about horror! If you know anything about us here at the Fort you would know that we are hard core horror fans. Each October we watch a movie each night in what we dub as “The 31 Nights of Horror.”
Day 2: Best Sex Scene Murder
I have chosen Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007). Zombie has always had a knack for going over the top. He did this to the extreme with the sibling rivalry between Michael and Judith.
Who ever said rock is dead? It may be close with all these horrid singing competitions like The Voice, X-Factor and American Idol wanna-be’s searching for the next Justin Bieber. These shows are full of lame cover songs and remixes of Top 40 hits from yesteryear–but you know what you never hear a good rock tune on these shows. You know why? It takes real talent and a bit of an evil mind to play a good rock tune. Not just melody that you learn in your mom’s bathroom singing into a hairbrush in the mirror.
That brings me to Rob Zombie’s Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor. It plays like a super-twisted, energy-packed journey into the sick mind of a true metal master. This music is fun, dark, macabre and as it plays out, it is like watching a collection of B movies on old time TV.
Rob Zombie shows once again why he has turned out to be not only a superbly talented musician and show man, but also one of the most talented directors in movies today. His latest movie, The Lords of Salem, is sure to scare the shit out of you just like his previous movies have.
Now back to the music:
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor is by far Zombie’s most ambitious musical demonstration to date. The release is strong from start to finish. As we all know, Zombie’s musical brilliance goes back decades and to say this is his best material is saying a lot. I grew up on Zombie. I was listening to him in high school when others were grovin’ to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. True, Soul Crusher (1987) is a much different Rob Zombie than today but you could tell then that this guy would stick around for a while.
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor shows maturity in all aspects of the recording: songwriting, musical delivery and production that come together to make a truly powerful metal recording and back is the campiness of Hellbilly Deluxe that has been lost in the last couple Zombie releases. Back is the thrashing guitars of John 5, the thumpin’ bass of Piggy D and new to the line up is the pelting drums of Ginger Fish formerly of Marilyn Manson.
The song titles alone allow us a look into Mr. Zombie’s brain as the music itself. With lyrics like: “Strapped behind the wheel of a flat-bed truck / A payload of pussy and Peking Duck / High on the fumes and high on the gas / Rally round the girl with the skull on her ass,” how could you go wrong?
Tracks
Teenage Nosferatu Pussy
Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown
Revelation Revolution
Theme for the Rat Vendor
Gong Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga
Rock and Roll (In a Black Hole)
Behold! the Pretty Filthy Creatures
White Trash Freaks’
We’re an American Band, and yes this is a great cover of the Grand Funk Railroad cut.
Lucifer Rising
The Girl Who Loved The Monsters
Trade in Your Guns for a Coffin
While I will still have to listen to this CD a few more times for it to really sink in, after the first couple times it is beginning to grow on me. As you listen to the tracks it takes you down a winding path that is prevalent through his musical career. Whether is is the crunching guitars you heard on Astro Creep, to catchy little tunes you hear on Educated Horses to Techo-thump on Mondo Sex Head. Zombie may not be for everyone but if you are a fan of his style you are sure to enjoy this one.
Tonight’s film was the follow up to The House of 1000 Corpses. It is Rob Zombie’s film, The Devil’s Rejects (2005).
In Rejects we return to the scene of the crime in rural Texas where a family of crazed misfits lead by Otis and Baby and a demented clown that goes by the name Captain.
The Devil’s Rejects is a sick, ruthless, grab you by the throat and don’t let go horror movie. Which is exactly what it sets out to do and it succeeds brilliantly. While the movie is sadistic and violent, the characters are extremely well developed and the movie is extremely well written. I’ve always felt that Rob Zombie would make a good horror director and while Corpses wasn’t so well received it was only his first film. This is something else altogether.
What is your favorite scary movie?
Welcome to the demented world of Mr. Rob Fu**in’ Zombie! House of 1000 Corpses (2003) was the directorial debut of the #1 horror fan and rock god, Rob Zombie. Filmed in 2000 but not released until three years later, in part because of pressure from the distributors not to release the film because of the content, Zombie was constantly filming two versions of the movie to appease the studio.
Did you know that Zombie considered appearing a few seconds into the film as Dr. Wolfenstein. However, after deciding that he would look “normal” no matter what make-up effects were used, he chose not to. Instead, he took on the brief role as Dr. Wolfenstein’s assistant (for about 2 seconds) and can be seen in the background and then smashing a pumpkin with a sledgehammer.
Also did you know that Zombie filmed some of the scenes, like the one with (clearing throat) Baby playing with the skeleton, and Otis torturing the cheerleaders, in his basement after principle filming wrapped up. He would invite cast members over to his house on the weekends and shoot the footage himself with a 16mm hand-held camera. With the exception of the shot of a setting sun, he created the opening credits the same way.
This is by far one of my favorite horror movies. It is just so viseral and in your face that it stands the test of time with all the great slash ’em up flicks like Psycho and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
What is your favorite scary movie?
Every year we have a tradition in the Forto house where we celebrate the greatest month of the year, October, with scare your socks off, hide under the covers, turn on all the lights, sleep with one eye open, fright fest, movie marathon everynight of the month! We call it 31 Days of Horror.
This movie rocks! It has to be one of the best re-makes in the history of film. At least in my humble, slanted opinion. Not only am I a hugeRob Zombie fan but mixing that with horror, Halloween, KISS and the classic slasher flick and you end up with a great flick.
I remember seeing this film on opening night in Boulder, CO with my wife Michele after dinning on some awesome garlic fries at a restaurant in the Flatirons Mall. Garlic fries soon became my new obsession.
The movie starts with the KISS song God of Thunder in the background, pan to Michael Myers wearing the classic KISS t-shirt from theDestroyer album (I had that shirt when I was about seven) then the ultimate white trash breakfast…
In an early scene in the film, the movie White Zombie (1932 and 31 Days of Horror Movie: Day 4) is playing on the TV. The band ‘White Zombie’, whose name comes from the film, is where Director Rob Zombie first gained attention in the 1980s and 1990s
There is said to be a Halloween III in pre-production with a 2011 release with Scout Taylor-Compton reprising her role as Laurie and the horror master John Carpenter (The original Halloween and 31 Days of Horror: Day 20 Movie) to be on board too.
Interesting Facts
The movie’s production was delayed due to the death of Moustapha Akkad, the producer of all eight previous movies. Akkad died of severe injuries as a result from the terrorist attacks at Jordan in 2005.
Before deciding to go with Rob Zombie’s version, the studio was about to green light “Halloween: The Missing Years”, which would have been a prequel, set within Michael Myers’ early days at the Asylum.
Before reinventing the legendary Halloween (1978), Rob Zombie made the wise choice to inform John Carpenter about it. In response, Carpenter encouraged Zombie to “make it [his] own”.
Plot: The residents of Haddonfield don’t know it yet… but death is coming to their small sleepy town. Sixteen years ago, a ten year old boy called Michael Myers brutally kills his step father, his elder sister and her boyfriend. Sixteen years later, he escapes from the mental institution and makes his way back to his hometown intent on a murderous rampage pursued by Dr Sam Loomis who is Michael’s doctor and the only one who knows Michael’s true evil. Elsewhere a shy teenager by the name of Laurie Strode is babysitting on the night Michael comes home… is it pure coincidence that she and her friends are being stalked by him?
What is your favorite scary and/or Halloween movie? I would love to hear from you!
