Earlier this month news broke out that Rob Zombie’s next project would be Lords of Salem, funded by the Paranormal Activity crew’s new production house. This was great, except the same news broke months before and literally the only new piece of information was that the film would “shoot in spring.” I skipped that particular story for that reason (though I couldn’t help but tweet a bitchy little notice), but today brings something a little more substantive in the form of an actual interview with Zombie.
Speaking with Empire, Zombie gives the most complete synopsis we’ve yet heard about the film, which is an old idea of his that has spawned a grammy-winning song in the years before someone grabbed onto the movie pitch.
“There were twenty people that everyone knows about – obviously all innocent – executed as witches in Salem… The basic premise of the film is that there were a further four who actually were witches, who were killed secretly, and vowed one day to return to wreak havoc on Salem’s descendants. That’s when the movie jumps ahead to the present day and things start to go wrong…”
He also mentions that Tyrannosaurus Rex, which he hopes to do after Salem, is a “violent, 1970s crime biker movie” that gave way to The Blob remake, a film he ditched after tiring of the response to his Halloween films. He goes on to explain why you can’t win with remakes, recycling a lot of what he’s said before about the response to his films. Zombie has had to develop a thick skin for critics, along with the usual kind of spin that turns negativity into tacit endorsement…
“The thing I find with my music and especially the movies, is that people either love it to death, or hate it like it’s the worst thing they’ve ever, ever seen, which to me shows I’m on the right path! You forget about a lot of movies practically before you’ve left the cinema. If I got no reaction at all then I’d know I’d failed.”
I don’t begrudge Zombie his talking points when it comes to critics- there’s only so much shit you can listen to when you’re trying to do your own thing. That said, his career and creative choices have been suspect at best and completely fucking terrible at worst, and he’s yet to prove that the nasty promise of The Devil’s Rejects was more than a fluke. There seems to be an overwhelming backlash of apathy towards that film –completely understandable considering his output since– but I think it’s misdirected as Rejects remains uncompromisingly mean and uniquely old school. It’s still a favorite, and the reason that I’ll give Zombie enough benefit of the doubt to catch at least another original film from him before writing off his value entirely. My hope is that his arrangement with Haunted Films will put him back into the modestly-budgeted, fast-paced, creatively free scenario that he was in with Lionsgate for Rejects.
Rob’s plan is to complete his current tour and get shooting in April, do another tour leg over summer, edit during fall, and release in early 2012. With him busy rocking and rolling until shooting starts, expect more details about the project (character descriptions, casting..) a little closer to summer.
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2 comments
There were twenty people that everyone knows about…well, i wouldn’t know that exact number without having to Wikipedia it, but I’ll take your word for it… – obviously all innocent… obviously, because witches don’t really exist or at least not ones with actual magical powers… – executed as witches…well, for being suspected of witchcraft, they weren’t actually dressed up in costume and killed “as witches”… in Salem…the place with all the witch trials? what a coincidence!… The basic premise of the film is that there were a further four who actually were witches…before you said “obviously all innocent”, but if there were actual witches than their innocence would not be so clear, which means the people who were on the witch hunt, definitely had a reason to be scared. Maybe they weren’t the best and brightest, but apparently they had good reason to be worried, and if they found the witches and eliminated them they would be heroes… who were killed secretly…ummm why? wouldn’t history treat this event differently if they killed the real witches and could prove their existence? Again, they would be heroes, the term “witch hunt” would be a more positive term, and people would look back on their achievements fondly and with pride. Plus, their knowledge in identifying and eliminating witches would be invaluable to the survival of future settlers…, and vowed one day…can you give me a rough estimate when you’ll be back? Do my kids have to worry, or just their kids?… to return to wreak havoc…Get’r done!!!… on Salem’s descendants… because, of course, the people that had no knowledge of what their ancestors did must suffer for their crimes. Why does this sound so familiar?… That’s when the movie jumps ahead to the present day…and over the shark below it’s spinning wheels… and things start to go wrong… you mean like not casting Adrienne Barbeau as a saucy radio DJ? or seeing the words “written and directed by Rob Zombie” at the start of the movie?
Nice dissection of Rob Zombie’s words. And Adrienne Barbeau should be in all of Rob’s films.
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