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IMDbPro

The Lords of Salem

  • 20122012
  • RR
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
30K
YOUR RATING
Sheri Moon Zombie in The Lords of Salem (2012)
Heidi, a radio station DJ living in Salem, Massachusetts, receives a wooden box containing a record -- a "gift from the Lords." The bizarre sounds within the grooves immediately trigger flashbacks of the town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords returning for revenge on modern-day Salem?
Play trailer2:08
6 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Horror
  • Thriller
Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record - a "gift from the Lords". The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lo... Read allHeidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record - a "gift from the Lords". The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record - a "gift from the Lords". The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
30K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rob Zombie
  • Writer
    • Rob Zombie
  • Stars
    • Sheri Moon Zombie
    • Meg Foster
    • Bruce Davison
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rob Zombie
  • Writer
    • Rob Zombie
  • Stars
    • Sheri Moon Zombie
    • Meg Foster
    • Bruce Davison
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 222User reviews
    • 245Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Videos6

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:08
    Theatrical Version
    Teaser Version
    Trailer 1:41
    Teaser Version
    "Goat Walking"
    Clip 0:46
    "Goat Walking"
    "The Red Cross"
    Clip 0:35
    "The Red Cross"
    "The Doctors"
    Clip 1:03
    "The Doctors"
    "Fresh Pot of Tea"
    Clip 0:28
    "Fresh Pot of Tea"

    Photos134

    Meg Foster, Judy Geeson, Nancy Linehan Charles, Bonita Friedericy, Flo Lawrence, Patricia Quinn, Suzanne Voss, and Susan Gray in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Sheri Moon Zombie in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Ken Foree, Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Torsten Voges in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Meg Foster, Judy Geeson, Nancy Linehan Charles, Bonita Friedericy, Flo Lawrence, Sheri Moon Zombie, Patricia Quinn, Suzanne Voss, Dee Wallace, and Susan Gray in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Sid Haig as Dean Magnus
    Sid Haig in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Rob Zombie at an event for The Lords of Salem (2012)
    The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Sheri Moon Zombie in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Sheri Moon Zombie in The Lords of Salem (2012)
    Sheri Moon Zombie in The Lords of Salem (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sheri Moon Zombie
    Sheri Moon Zombie
    • Heidi Hawthorneas Heidi Hawthorne
    Meg Foster
    Meg Foster
    • Margaret Morganas Margaret Morgan
    Bruce Davison
    Bruce Davison
    • Francis Matthiasas Francis Matthias
    Jeff Daniel Phillips
    Jeff Daniel Phillips
    • Herman 'Whitey' Salvadoras Herman 'Whitey' Salvador
    Judy Geeson
    Judy Geeson
    • Lacy Doyleas Lacy Doyle
    Patricia Quinn
    Patricia Quinn
    • Meganas Megan
    Ken Foree
    Ken Foree
    • Herman Jacksonas Herman Jackson
    Dee Wallace
    Dee Wallace
    • Sonnyas Sonny
    Maria Conchita Alonso
    Maria Conchita Alonso
    • Alice Matthiasas Alice Matthias
    Richard Fancy
    Richard Fancy
    • AJ Kennedyas AJ Kennedy
    Andrew Prine
    Andrew Prine
    • Reverend Jonathan Hawthorneas Reverend Jonathan Hawthorne
    Michael Berryman
    Michael Berryman
    • Virgil Magnusas Virgil Magnus
    Sid Haig
    Sid Haig
    • Dean Magnusas Dean Magnus
    Bonita Friedericy
    Bonita Friedericy
    • Abigail Hennesseyas Abigail Hennessey
    Nancy Linehan Charles
    Nancy Linehan Charles
    • Clovis Halesas Clovis Hales
    Flo Lawrence
    Flo Lawrence
    • Sarah Easteras Sarah Easter
    Brynn Horrocks
    Brynn Horrocks
    • Mary Websteras Mary Webster
    Suzanne Voss
    Suzanne Voss
    • Elizabeth Jacobsas Elizabeth Jacobs
    • Director
      • Rob Zombie
    • Writer
      • Rob Zombie
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      There are no digital effects in the film.
    • Goofs
      On her web biography page, Heidi's name is spelled Adelheid Elizabeth Hawthroen instead of Hawthorne.
    • Quotes

      Sonny: [Observing a bloated body] What a waste of a good man.

      Lacy Doyle: Yes, such a pity. And he was never gonna be able stop anything.

      Megan: [sighs] Anyone care for a fresh pot of tea?

      Lacy Doyle: Lovely darling.

    • Crazy credits
      The closing credits appear over gloomy images of Salem.
    • Connections
      Featured in Half in the Bag: Oblivion and the Lords of Salem (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Blinded By The Light
      Written and Published by Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)

      Performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

      Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc. and Creature Music Limited

      By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

    User reviews222

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Fear and loathing in Salem
    The Lords of Salem is a picture that replicates Rob Zombie's style in such a way that it will live up to his indelible, trashy standard he has made his films so often center around. I'd be foolish for neglecting to mention it, but I'd be lying if I said the film was a solid entry in the horror genre. Too often does Zombie seem to be taking the story in alternate directions, that he has made witches, what the film seems to be wanting to focus on, products of the background. In the foreground are mildly amusing, but forgettable characters and loads of pretty satanic imagery.

    The story revolves around Heidi (Zombie's wife Sheri Moon), a local-girl DJing at a radio station with two close friends, both named Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ken Foree). One day, a mysterious wooden package housing a strange vinyl stating "a gift from the Lords" shows up addressed to Heidi. Assuming it's a band's attempt to make it big, she plays the record, which responds by playing itself backwards, making her flashback to traumatic life events and incomprehensible, jumbled visuals. Soon, the track becomes a hit with the listeners when they play it the way it should be played, but it isn't long before we discover the Lords aren't a rock band, but a ghastly group of depraved witches looking to claim the land as their own.

    If this picture is supposed to be about witches and the resurrection of demons, it does a pretty poor job at staying focused. As stated, Zombie can't help but find different ways to make his imagery grossly trashy (not a derogatory remark) and deliciously depraved. He keeps getting caught up in ways to make Heidi's trances seem more and more questionable and disturbing, rather than emphasizing the significance this story has. By the time we reach the hour mark, and have not had any of our witch cravings fulfilled, the remaining thirty-two minutes become drab and uninteresting.

    Sheri Moon, once again, does a wonderful job at portraying a character that is a few tires short of a car. Her work in The Devil's Rejects showed she truly has an affection and a talent for playing the kind of dirty, deranged roles her husband has in mind, and to be costarring alongside the likes of Bill Moseley and Sid Haig - two greats and frequent Zombie collaborators - only showed that she could hold her own. Here, without the help of Haig and Moseley, she is left to carry almost the entire film with her empty character and this poses a grave problem for the way the story conducts itself. Heidi very rarely does anything remotely intriguing, and her actions are confusing and seemingly inert. Often we see her randomly walking, hallucinating, losing and regaining consciousness, and being victim to the likes of witches and we do not sense any form of sympathy or sadness. There's just a looming feeling of emptiness on the narrative's part. Who is this woman and why should we care? It should come as no surprise that the framing, aesthetics, music choices, cinematography, and placement of the picture are all top-notch. The set design, which really kicks in during the last twenty-minutes, is beautifully presented in all its twisted, oddball glory. The inclusion of heavy metal music and astute framing also adds to the film's overall deranged-beauty. I've recently become acquainted with Rob Zombie's music (especially his nineties work, which is the kind of heavy metal I crave) and once you get his taste in music down, his films become a bit more accessible. I kind of wish The Lords of Salem was a cool, ten-minute long rock song rather than a film. I think Zombie could've gotten his expression of witches, depravity, and the witchcraft subplot more originally and less monotonously through the likes of music and loud riffs rather than cinematic redundancy.

    This is Zombie's sixth directorial effort in about ten years now, with his first picture, House of 1000 Corpses, dating all the way back to 2003. It was an interesting, stylistically potent piece of work, and was followed by the likes of the terrific Devil's Rejects, the tolerable Halloween remake, the loathsome sequel, the lukewarm Haunted World of El Superbeasto, and now the mixed bag that is The Lords of Salem. The last thing I want Zombie to do is quit the horror game when he has already made three truly well-done films that show off the insanity, dirtiness, and complete and total lunacy of the horror genre. The first thing I want him to do is find a story that compliments his style greatly and pursue it in a manner that doesn't distract him.

    NOTE: Rob Zombie released two new albums recently, one of them the soundtrack to The Lords of Salem and, the other, his latest solo work Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor. Both of them I strongly recommend picking up for their wonderful contributions to the genre of guttural, disturbing rock and roll. I suppose, in the case when a director's work suddenly slips, when one door becomes cracked another one optimistically opens.

    Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Ken Foree. Directed by: Rob Zombie.
    helpful•16
    13
    • StevePulaski
    • Apr 25, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 18, 2013 (Russia)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Повелителі Салема
    • Filming locations
      • Salem, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Alliance
      • Automatik Entertainment
      • Blumhouse Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,165,882
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $642,942
      • Apr 21, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,544,989
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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