The Lords of Salem

Art horror wannabe that is actually a very empty movie with a shiny coat; simply disappointing. The visuals are brilliant and some scenes have their charm, but overall it was nothing. The fact that almost every “scary scene” ends with Rob Zombie’s weird looking wife waking up highlights how autotelic it all is (and the more scenes like that the more ridiculous it gets). House of 1000 Corpses was also autotelic, but at least it was fun. Lords of Salem is not fun, quite the opposite – its showy ambitions end up being annoying. And Sheri Moon Zombie might be a good wife, but putting her in a relatively demanding main role (a character standing between reality and her terrifying dream visions) wasn’t a very good idea, her performance is unconvincing. The Lords of Salem is also proof that too much creative freedom can sometimes hurt – at least the viewer. Written as someone who’s not a fan of Zombie. 5/10 (04/24/2013)

With all due respect to Rob, for me, this is a "no!" I appreciate the aesthetic games with the scenery, which I admired in the second Halloween film but I am not able to digest this plot even with all my will. The first two-thirds do exactly the way we like from Rob, which is to say the atmosphere is very evil and the characters are dragged through hints of physically unpleasant experiences. The final third, however, is an escape into another dimension, in which you try to decipher what is at stake, only to find yourself completely clueless at the end, which is the worst possible calling card. Rob doesn't make audience films that are for everyone, but I thought we had a perfect rapport over the years. Apparently not. 2 and a ½. (04/25/2013)