“When heaven’s in the music, Hell is in control.” So Richard O’Brien once wrote, and Dave Grohl carries that duality forward with Studio 666. Rock stars and comedians work together to drive a serious slasher film. It’s about rock and roll, but that music building the tension is often orchestral. And though Foo Fighters need to finish their 10th album, if they complete the central song, it will open the gates of Hell. Or at least propel their career into something higher (or lower, depending on your point of view).
Like any movie truly starring a band as themselves, being a fan helps. Grohl and his bandmates worked with screenwriters Jeff Behuler and Rebecca Hughes to poke fun at themselves, as they often do in their videos. They’re serious about their music, but not their images. So a key joke is about Grohl’s grilling habits, taken to grotesque extremes. Rami Jaffe amps up his new age spirituality, eagerly awaiting a sound bath from Whitney Cummings’ nosey ex-groupie neighbor. And on and on. It’s funny except when it isn’t, with director BJ McDonnell threading the needle between humor and horror.
Studio 666 starts cleanly on the side of horror, flashing back to 1993 when another rock band faced the forces of evil and failed. Hot off of the latest Scream, Jenna Ortega appears as the first victim we see, taken down by the mysterious “Caretaker” (Marti Matulis). Her album is never finished, but the session tapes still await.
Looking for a special place for Foo Fighters to record their 10th album, their label executive Shill (Jeff Garlin) suggests the mansion in Encino where the rock and roll murders had happened almost 30 years before. (And is there a better name for a record label executive than Shill?) Once they tour it, Grohl can see the possibilities. Not even an overenthusiastic delivery driver (Will Forte) can dull his enthusiasm.
And then the murders begin…
The first one looks like an accident, but there are mysterious dark figures lurking about, reminiscent of the ghost pirates in John Carpenter’s The Fog. The movie does slow down for a bit to let Foo Fighters rock out — and sure enough, one of their sound engineers actually is John Carpenter. This is a movie that knows its influences and pays the proper homage.
Once the supernatural activity accelerates, Studio 666 settles into a good rhythm. At times a little hokey, the movie doesn’t back away from where the plot leads it.
Though genuinely scary at points, it still flies on the charm of its cast. None of the band are great actors, but man, Pat Smear screams better than Barbara Crampton. Regardless of thespian skill, they’re charismatic. Teamed with comedians like Garlin and Cummings, they move fast enough past the occasional flat line reading. And everyone gives it all they’ve got.
After watching Studio 666 through a press screener, I immediately wished I felt comfortable going to see it with a crowd. It’s the kind of movie that would only get better with that energy. It’s not just scary; it’s fun. It lived up to my expectations. Now about that 10th album…
