Revolver Magazine Excerpt – Rob Zombie talks The Lords of Salem

A few days ago we showcased the new cover of Revolver Magazine which this month features a Rock! Shock! and Horror! issue with Twins of Evil co-headliners, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson on the front, emulating an infamous scene from Stanley Kubricks classic The Shining.  Now Revolver magazine have released an excerpt of that interview online where Rob Zombie speaks about his new movie The Lords of Salem.

To see the extract and find out how to get hold of your copy of the magazine 

In the new Rock! Shock! and Horror! issue of Revolver, our old pal Rob Zombie opens up about his lifelong love of horror movies. In this excerpt, Rob discusses his highly anticipated new film The Lords of Salem. For the full interview — as well as features on Marilyn Manson, Kirk Hammett, Corey Taylor and more — pick up the issue on newsstands on October 3, or in our online store right now.

REVOLVER You’ve described The Lords of Salem as a “slow mindfuck,” not a “scary movie.” What do you mean by that?

ROB ZOMBIE I don’t even like the term “scary.” A lot of these words get perverted by studios because “scary” means there’s this loud noise and the audience jumps. A lot of times, I’ll watch a movie and go, C’mon, enough with the fuckin’ loud cues every second! I’m not scared, I’m annoyed. You might as well lean over and yell in someone’s ear. Yeah, they’re gonna jump, but they’re not actually scared. They’re startled.

How is The Lords of Salem different?

There’s a weird tone to Lords of Salem that has a cumulative effect on the viewer as the film progresses. I’ve approached people after they’ve seen it and they’ve given me this blank expression. They don’t even know what to say. I assumed they hated it. Then they called me the next day and went, “Sorry I didn’t say anything, man. I was in a state of shock after watching it. I had to digest it. I was up all night thinking about it. I had nightmares about it.” That’s the exact response I want.

Can you compare it to any other movies by any other directors?

It’s kind of like if Ken Russell [the director of the Who’s Tommy and Altered States] directed Rosemary’s Baby.

Does the movie have anything in common with some of the classic witch films like Mark of the Devil,Witchfinder General, or the original The Wicker Man?

I like those films, but none of them inspired Lords of Salem. I literally bought a book on the Salem Witch Trials one day at a hotel I was staying at. I started reading it and it refreshed my mind on the subject. But the idea lay around for years and years. At one point, I thought I’d just make it into a comic book. But then the opportunity came up and I thought, Why not?

For the full story by Joe Hart, pick up the Rock! Shock! and Horror! issue of Revolver here.