Review of The Lords of Salem (2013) by Simon G — 09 Aug 2013

Rob Zombie's fifth horror flick, The Lords of Salem, takes the stance that the Salem Witch Trials did in fact prosecute and burn a coven of actual witches led by the Master witch Margaret Morgan. When radio DJ Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie) - part of a late night trio called The Big H team - receives a strange wooden box containing only a vinyl record by "The Lords" the women of Salem start to fall under the hypnotic spell of its music.

...Salem isn't a terrible movie by any means but it's not a particularly good one either. Zombie creates a palpable atmosphere in the early scenes but by the third act these subtleties give way to some bizarre imagery as Heidi descends into a nightmarish trip which could be real or could all be in her head. There's no real pay off and the explanation comes during the credits which actually ties up nicely what Bruce Davison's town witch historian, Francis, uncovers through the course of the film - admittedly one of the stronger elements on offer here.

This should please Zombie fanatics and might peak the curiosity of casual viewers but 'Salem' does give one a new appreciation for the likes of The Devil's Rejects which while pandering to Zombie's need for gratuitous violence and nudity displays a rawness sorely missing here.