The Lords of Salem (DVD Review)

The Lords of Salem is the latest movie from Rob Zombie who is known for his work on Halloween, The Devil's Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses. Rob Zombie has directed some great horror movies, but The Lords of Salem is not one of them.



The film is a cross between two classic movies: Rosemary's Baby and Suspiria. The grindhouse film focuses on a cast of protagonists headed by Sherri Moon Zombie who don't know what is happening to them. The film manages to put the viewers into the shoes of the characters and help them experience what they are going through in this psychedelic story. The Lords of Salem is a continued story of violence which started with the Salem Witch trials. The viewer watches as several older women who are completely stark naked are burned at the stake while Sid Haig's character reads them their last rites. While the women scream out in agonizing pain, there is a slight moment you feel for them, until maniacal laughter ensues showing that they really are demon worshipping witches.

Flash forward to present day, we are introduced to the disc jockey Heidi played by Sherri Moon Zombie and her two co-workers Whitey (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Herman Jackson (Ken Foree). The chaos starts when Heidi decides to play a new LP entitled "The Lords" which was left for her by an unknown group. As the music plays, all the female listeners fall under a strange spell which doesn't seem to impact the males. It doesn't take long before Heidi starts to sense something strange is happening although she can't put her finger on what it is.

A local historian who specializes in the occult named Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison) appears on Heidi's radio show during a replaying of the music. After leaving the show and doing his own research, he realizes something is happening and he may be the only one who can stop it. In the meantime, Heidi is being visited more frequently by demons and starts to act out more erratically. Since Heidi is an ex-drug addict, those around her think she is on the edge of using again, and don't investigate the situation further. Viewers struggle alongside Heidi for the course of the film as they endure the painstakingly slow pacing and unknown reasons for what lies ahead. We are never given a reason for what is happening or any real information at all. The story takes place over a week's time while Heidi gets closer to the film's end and the witches' big reveal.

The Lords of Salem is a disturbing film full of sleaze and repulsive content which focus on shocking its viewers with non-consexual oral sex with a priest, horny demons and naked old women that frankly shouldn't be naked. The film looks like something an indie film maker would do for under $500 with its poor effects and wonky camera angles. While The Lords of Salem stars an incredible cast of actors who have appeared in some of the best horror classics, however, the film still somehow manages to suffer horribly from subpar performances. All-in-all, The Lords of Salem is a terrible movie that isn't even worth checking out for a $1 through Redbox. Avoid this film at all costs and spend your money elsewhere.

Score: 1 out of 10


Movie Information
Production Year: 2013
Country: Rest of the world
Runtime: 101 mins
Directors: Rob Zombie
Rated: R
Cast: Bruce Davison, Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Judy Geeson, Ken Foree, Sheri Moon Zombie