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Studio 666
(Open Road Films)
By Lucas Allen
For nearly 30 years, the Foo Fighters have continued to rock hard for the Gen X crowd and beyond with 10 studio albums and two top 20 hit singles. After making it through 2020 releasing their recent album “Medicine at Midnight,” the band turned some of their experiences in making the album into a horror film. Lead rocker Dave Grohl puts his talents behind and in front of the camera to good use with his original story “Studio 666.” The movie comes to us from veteran horror director B.J. McDonnell of the cult horror sequels “Hatchet II” and “Hatchet III.”
The Foo Fighters (playing themselves) are preparing to record their next studio album and Dave wants to do something different than what they’ve done previously. Their manager (Jeff Garlin) decides to have the band stay at a big house in Encino that was left abandoned mysteriously since the mid-1990s. Dave, Pat, Taylor, Nate, Chris and Rami set up their studio space at the house after buying it from the kindly realtor (Leslie Grossman). But things got off to a rocky start after one of the band’s crew members is tragically killed and Dave is having a hard time coming up with new riffs and lyrics.
One night, Dave finds a recording in the basement and becomes entranced by the devilish metal beats. Soon enough, he and the band start coming up with a new song based on what Dave heard in the recording, but then end up spending a lot more time than anticipated recording the demo. It doesn’t help that according to their beautiful next door neighbor Samantha (Whitney Cummings), the house has been haunted by evil spirits. Worse, Dave becomes possessed, turning him into an out-of-control monster with an appetite for barbecue meat and ranch dressing. It’s now up to the rest of the bandmates to try to find a way to save their lead singer’s soul before the body count starts rising.
Since it’s a low-budget horror film (not to mention, shot in secret during the pandemic), they didn’t have many resources available to make a movie in the same quality as “A Quiet Place” or “Malignant.” What we get is a DIY production that is at least trying to bring such creepy atmosphere to their film. Some of the time, the foggy and unsettling feel of the film is still there amidst the chaotic story. The filmmakers could’ve benefitted a different look of the film like a 1970s grindhouse-style horror film with reddish colors and digitally enhanced film scratches.
For what it’s worth, the movie nicely mixes horror with comedy like it’s “Spinal Tap” in a gory “Exorcist” knockoff. The humor from the band members lightens the mood, while the gory violence from some amazing practical effects makes it a wonderful 80s horror throwback. The only real negative thing about the story is its overlong third act, which needlessly over-explains everything while cutting back-and-forth with the action. Another pass in the editing room would’ve helped the film more.
The acting is a mixed bag to say the least. Grohl brings such charismatic viciousness to his performance that he’s surely capable of being an actor. However, the rest of the bandmates aren’t capable of good line readings beyond simply playing their instruments. It’s worth noting that legendary horror filmmaker John Carpenter co-wrote the film’s main title theme with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies as well as a cameo role as a sound designer.
With enough laughs, hard rock, and buckets of blood; “Studio 666” works best as a midnight movie for its cult fanbase. But while not much of the band has a future in Hollywood, the Foo Fighters still made a movie that perfectly encapsulates them as a modern rock band.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong bloody violence & gore, sexual content, and pervasive language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
