Editorials
[Editorial] The Musicality of Rob Zombie’s Films, From ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ to ’31’
The influence of horror in Rob Zombie‘s musical endeavors is unmistakable. From homages to German expressionism in Living Dead Girl to The Munsters references in Dragula (not to mention the band name White Zombie, itself borrowed from the homonymous 1933 classic), it was quite clear that the man was a spooky cinephile long before he directed his first film.
While Zombie’s movies eventually turned him into the cinematic equivalent of a rock star even among folks who don’t enjoy heavy metal (after all, he only became one of my favorite musicians after he was already one of my favorite filmmakers), little has been said about the influence that music had on the stories he decided to put on film, and I think that’s worth looking into. Zombie’s filmography has often been criticized for being repetitive, almost always relying on the same “Hellbilly” aesthetic that his solo career is known for, but at this point, I believe it’s more of a personal style than an artistic crutch (and I’m not the only one, with even Stephen King insinuating that Zombie did the faux-70s shtick better than Tarantino).
Born in 1965, Zombie’s infatuation with the strange and macabre began almost immediately. His parents worked at a carnival, and even after settling down in Massachusetts, young Rob would attempt to stave off boredom by consuming copious amounts of television. This led to an infatuation with late night monster movies, rock music and the cultural zeitgeist of the 1970s. Everything from New Hollywood to serial killers and our morbid fascination with their murderous exploits would eventually become inspiration for Zombie’s music.
It’s not surprising that these ideas would reoccur in his films, the first of which would be the infamous House of 1000 Corpses, released in 2003. The film shares a name with a song from 2001, and both deal with a creepy house inhabited by murderous members of a sadistic family. While it may initially seem that the movie is based on Zombie’s song, the film was actually completed in 2000, having been shelved for three years due to its questionable content. Zombie actually states that the idea for the story came to him after working on a Halloween attraction that would later be revised into The American Nightmare.
Rather than the film having inspired the song, however, it’s more than likely that both just share a common origin in Zombie’s lifelong fascination with these monstrous characters that inflict so much suffering on others but are still somehow so compelling. Fittingly enough, the original song actually features samples from Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS, and is also used in the film’s soundtrack, blending rather nicely with the movie’s score, also composed by Zombie. In fact, some scenes feel like prolonged music videos (which makes sense, considering how Zombie began his directing career with music videos), though the experimental editing wouldn’t look out of place in an actual 70s production.
At this point, it was clear that Zombie’s approach to filmmaking was similar to his approach to music. His work can be loud and crude, but he’s got something to say, and by God, he’s gonna make you see/hear it on his terms. Whether you like this style or not, it takes a lot of guts to make movies this way.
Zombie would later revisit the idea of a murderous family unit (almost certainly inspired by his interest in the Manson Family affair) in the long-awaited sequel, The Devil’s Rejects. Here, Zombie would continue his exploration of just how far these characters could go without making us hate them, and this sympathetic view of horrifying figures would become a recurring theme throughout nearly all of his work.
This film would also be accompanied by a homonymous single, though this one is much vaguer, literally dealing with deranged individuals deemed too evil even for hell. Nevertheless, the song doesn’t even play during the film (it’s not even featured on the soundtrack), as this movie’s influences are much closer to latter-day westerns and road movies than the slashers and monster flicks that inspired its prequel and much of Zombie’s musical work.
In general, The Devil’s Rejects’ soundtrack feels a lot like a love-letter to classic Americana, featuring heavy doses of Terry Reid, Joe Walsh and, of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd, in an attempt to match the Western-esque imagery. Naturally, the Freebird montage as the Firefly family faces the music (pun very much intended) is one of the film’s most memorable scenes, though it does spark a trend in Zombie’s filmography, as he’d develop a habit of ending his movies on an emotionally-charged moment accompanied by an iconic tune from the 70s.
That being said, a lot of people miss the fact that the movie means to question the celebration of the American Outlaw, and not necessarily contribute to it. Zombie’s attempts at humanizing Michael Myers in his Halloween remake and sequel seem to be an extension of this idea. Once again, these films don’t feature much of Zombie’s own tunes, instead continuing to rely on an oldies marathon, featuring classics like Nazareth’s Love Hurts and Alice Cooper’s Only Women Bleed, fitting in with the movie’s overall themes. Strangely enough, the same attention to detail doesn’t quite extend to John Carpenter’s musical cues, which frequently end up misused; and they’re almost entirely absent from the sequel.
Around the same time as Halloween II, Zombie also released The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, an animated adaptation of his comic-book series of the same name. Of course, the protagonist’s name was lifted from Zombie’s insanely popular single Superbeast, and the song’s music video also featured a robot remarkably similar to Murray, another character within the film. While this animated venture had a lukewarm reception, it also comes the closest to capturing the spirit of Zombie’s musical career. Featuring countless references to classic horror and a plethora of cameos, this Haunted World ends up feeling very much alive as a commemoration of rock and schlock. The movie also benefits from a hilarious soundtrack, though most of the original songs were written and performed by the comedy band Hard ‘n Phirm instead of Zombie.
We’d only see Zombie’s work on the big screen again in 2012, with the release of The Lords of Salem, a film that literally uses the eldritch power of music as a plot point. While the film’s name is derived from a 2006 track meant as a spiritual sequel to a previous single, American Witch, the connection between the film and song is mostly thematic, and the song once again isn’t featured on the film’s soundtrack.
Nevertheless, this is Zombie’s most serious exploration of music in film so far, with the story revolving around a DJ that becomes involved in a Satanic conspiracy after playing a cursed record. Lords of Salem is a surprising shift in tone when compared to Zombie’s previous work, and the unique soundtrack reflects this as well. Not only was the eerie score composed by Rob’s guitarist John 5, but the film also features heavy usage of The Velvet Underground & Nico’s hauntingly beautiful All Tomorrow’s Parties.
As a whole, Lords of Salem even resembles an ambient album in its structure and atmosphere, which might be why it’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of movie. Even so, Zombie’s next film would be even more divisive, feeling like a best-of compilation, rehashing some of the director’s greatest hits instead of presenting us with something new. After a few years digesting the film, I actually enjoy 31 a lot more now, but it still pales in comparison to the director’s previous work.
The 70’s grindhouse aesthetic is still fun, if expected by now, and so is the accompanying jukebox soundtrack. The highlight of the film, however, lies in the ending, which, ironically, features both the best and worst of Zombie’s filmmaking talents and vices. Aerosmith’s Dream On builds to a crescendo just as you thought the coast was clear on deserted road, and then spoilers ensue. I’m still not sure if the rest of the film deserves such a powerful final scene, but I’m glad it’s there, as it reminds us that even Zombie’s lesser attempts at storytelling still have merit.
With that in mind (not to mention Three From Hell looming on the horizon), I’m excited to see (and hear) what Rob Zombie has in store for us during the next stage of his heavy metal filmmaking career. In the past, he’s said that he hopes that every one of his films features at least one song that you can never hear the same way again after experiencing it in the movie, and I think it’s safe to say that, for better or worse, he’s kept that promise so far.
Editorials
Before ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Alien Autopsy’ Showed How Real Found Footage Could Feel
The line separating artist from con man is a lot thinner than you might initially believe. While I think we can all agree that lying for the sake of profit is actively malicious behavior, isn’t it also true that the faux documentary aspect of The Blair Witch Project is half the reason why that film became such a cultural phenomenon? After all, if there’s one thing filmmakers have in common with stage magicians, it’s that misleading and misdirecting audiences is simply part of the job.
That’s why I’ve developed a habit of mostly ignoring the moral quandaries behind many of film and television’s biggest “hoaxes” in favor of appreciating the narrative elements that drive productions like Mermaids: The Body Found and even Animal Planet’s highly underrated The Cannibal in the Jungle. However, if there’s a definitive case of a highly publicized broadcast fooling the world into taking it seriously, it has to be Fox’s infamous 1995 TV special Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction.
It’s been over three decades since that eerie footage first haunted television screens right at the peak of the ’90s ufology craze, and in that time, the video has taken on a life of its own. From countless parodies and references in everything from The X-Files to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as well as John Dower’s recently released tell-all documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, which I’d highly recommend to genre fans everywhere), there’s no denying the legacy of the Alien Autopsy video. However, I rarely see the tape discussed as what it truly is: a highly convincing found footage film directed by a passionate stage magician and brought to life by masterful practical effects work.
That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me on a deep dive into one of the most infamous broadcasts of all time in an attempt to reevaluate the footage as a fascinating narrative experience rather than a complete hoax.
The TV Special That Convinced Millions It Was Real
Ray Santilli next to Extraterrestrial replica in ‘The Alien Autopsy Scandal’
For starters, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was in fact an extraterrestrial crash in Roswell during the summer of 1947 and that some form of autopsy was performed on the victims, the producers behind the black & white recordings, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield, insist that their video was a “restoration.” Though I’d argue that the proper word is “remake”of genuine footage that was too damaged to air on television. That’s why the duo went on to recruit filmmaker and eccentric magician Spyros Melaris and sculptor/monster designer John Humphreys to bring their version of the autopsy to life and sell it to the highest bidder.
This is where the story of the Alien Autopsy as a narrative experience really begins. Melaris claims that his approach to the faux recording consisted of striving for extreme period accuracy in both shooting equipment and setting while also planting subtle details that would initially seem like mistakes but could later be revealed to actually fit the time period. That being said, the filmmaker was under the impression that the short would be released for free as a PR stunt, with the team later producing and selling an informative documentary chronicling exactly how the footage was faked and commenting on how easy it is to manipulate public perception with a good old-fashioned magic trick.
This obviously isn’t how things went down, and that’s likely the reason why Melaris has since distanced himself from everyone else involved with the project. Yet, no amount of behind-the-scenes drama can undermine the genuine effort that went into making the short as impressive as it is. From the sourcing of real animal organs from a local butcher to make the organic part of the creature more lifelike to the highly detailed sculpt that made use of a hollowed-out underlayer that could be filled with fake blood and assorted viscera, there’s a reason why so many Hollywood specialists are still impressed with the artistry on display here.
Of course, the believability is only half the story, as I think that the best part of the autopsy is how Melaris builds on the existing tension by obscuring certain details and often embracing the chaos of what a real examination of extraterrestrial life could feel like. The camera often goes out of focus at just the right time to make certain effects hit even harder, and we can only speculate as to what the hazmat-suited doctors are gesticulating about during the operation. There’s a real air of mystery to the whole thing that almost makes it feel like a cosmically terrifying, cursed film containing forbidden knowledge that civilians were never meant to see.
So when Fox’s Fact or Fiction brings in the specialists to comment on the film and its otherworldly subject, it’s no surprise that we end up with one of the most memorable mockumentaries of all time – albeit one where the participants are unaware that the footage they’re commenting on is basically a large-scale practical joke. A joke that the network was obviously in on, as many participants claim that the TV special cut out significant portions where guests point out that they believe the footage to be an elaborate hoax.
The Lasting Impact of the Hoax Turned Cultural Event
Regardless, I remember going to bed terrified after watching reruns of the special and thinking about the respected pathologist who claimed that the body was almost certainly inhuman, with even effects maestro Stan Winston commenting on how difficult it would be to recreate some of these visuals through practical puppetry. That’s not even mentioning Jonathan Frakes’ dramatic hyping up of the disturbing imagery as if he was talking about the tape from The Ring, with his spooky demeanor here likely being responsible for his later role as the host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction a few years later.
Personally, I’d argue that the Alien Autopsy phenomenon had just as much of an impact on me as a horror fan as The Blair Witch Project, a film that was almost certainly influenced by the success of this immensely popular hoax (to the point where they even produced their own TV special commenting on Heather’s found footage). Even if Fox didn’t intend to produce a narrative feature about the aftermath of the Roswell crash, the end product still holds up remarkably well as a highly entertaining mockumentary exploring the idea that we may not be alone in the universe.
While neither Santilli nor the rest of the production team has ever commented on this, I also think it’s very likely that the idea of a faux Alien Autopsy could have been influenced by Dean Alioto’s The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction. I’ve already written about how this granddaddy of found footage was co-opted by rogue ufologists who began selling bootlegs of the tape at conventions as if it were real evidence of a close encounter, so it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that Santilli and company could have heard about this phenomenon and been inspired to come up with their own highly profitable hoax.
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that the Alien Autopsy film is recreating any real footage from Roswell, but I can still appreciate the short and the accompanying television event as a standalone horror story that still influences the way we see found footage to this very day.
After all, the possibility that something could be real is often much scarier than finding out for sure – and that’s why I think Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction is still worth revisiting three decades down the line.
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