Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Dave Grohl Shreds Bodies In Horror Extravaganza “Studio 666”


 

Legendary rock band Foo Fighters move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock and roll history to record their much anticipated 10th album.

Lovers of self-aware, gory-as-fuck throwback horror rejoice! BJ McDonnell’s gloriously unhinged “Studio 666” delivers the gore in buckets. Centering around the legendary The Foo Fighters — fans of the band may as well add a star to my review — the plot takes a stab at making a not-so-subtle statement on the kind of demonic inspiration it takes to create art, as well as the relevance of rock-and-roll. The results may be mixed at best, but that won’t stop gorehounds from appreciating every ludicrous, blood-soaked minute of it.

The plot takes place in an old mansion in Encino. After a brutal opening, wherein a young woman’s face is pounded into pulp with a hammer, The Foo Fighters move in, intending to use the place as a makeshift studio for their 10th album. Expectations are high: their swine-like manager (Jeff Garlin) — who incidentally set them up with the house (“It’s to die for,” wink wink) — is breathing down their necks, and the inspiration is just not there, Grohl finding himself rehashing old songs. “It’s gotta be so great,” one of the members says about the album, “it’ll blow your own dick into your mouth.”

Before long, folks start dying. Hallucinations and nightmares abound. Grohl discovers a skinned raccoon, along with a demonic tape, in the basement. Light bulbs fill with blood. The band leader becomes possessed, pushing his increasingly wary friends to make the ultimate, 30+-minute song. “Let’s just buckle down, give him what he wants, and get the fuck out of here,” the band agrees behind his back. If only it were so easy.

Folks get chainsawed in half during the peak of coitus. Intestines are pulled out of still-alive bodies. Heads roll — a decapitation-via-cymbal may be my personal favorite. The film doesn’t pull back when it comes to graphic violence, but it counterbalances the grisliness with tongue-in-cheek humor. Some of it comes courtesy of celebrity cameos: the band’s chirpy, quirky neighbor, Samantha (Whitney Cummings, chewing scenery), who recites their own songs back to them and half-heartedly warns them about the house; and a hapless food delivery guy / die-hard fan (an always-hilarious Will Forte).

Grohl’s having a blast. “He’s totally fried,” he intones about a just-electrocuted crew member. “Did you just say ‘no’ to Dave Grohl?” he snarls later. The musician does most of the heavy lifting, and though not a pro actor by any means, he’s clearly enjoying it all so much his prowess as a performer becomes irrelevant. Plus, it’s Dave Grohl. He’s got screen presence. The rest of the band is game, going along with every ridiculous thing McDonnell throws at them.

Sadly, the all-over-the-place plot fails to cohere. Aside from some creepy moments involving red-eyed humanoid creatures, the film is never frightening. While the make-up effects convince, the few digital effects are poorly executed. A little more effort could have made this little B movie a cult classic filled with sensational music. As it stands, “Studio 666” is a halfway-pleasant diversion, and a real treat for those who could care less about coherence, seeking only cinematic blood splatter. For the rest of us, the sight of Grohl meeting Lionel Richie alone may be worth the price of admission.

 

In Theaters Friday, February 25th

 

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Alex Saveliev

Alex graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a BA in Film & Media Arts and studied journalism at the Northwestern University in Chicago. While there, he got acquainted with the late Roger Ebert, who supported and inspired Alex in his career as a screenwriter and film critic. Alex has produced, written and directed a short zombie film, “Parched,” which is being distributed internationally and he is developing a series for a TV network, and is in pre-production on a major motion picture.