The Lords of Salem

2013

The Lords of Salem

Critics Consensus

The Lords of Salem has lots of atmospheric portent, but it's unfortunately short on scares.

46%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 65

30%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 13,896
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Movie Info

From the singular mind of horror maestro Rob Zombie comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood. The Lords of Salem tells the tale of Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie), a radio station DJ living in Salem, Massachusetts, who receives a strange wooden box containing a record, a "gift from the Lords." Heidi listens, and the bizarre sounds within the grooves immediately trigger flashbacks of the town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the "Lords of Salem" returning for revenge on modern-day Salem? (c) Anchor Bay
  • Rating:
    R (for disturbing violent and sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use)
  • Genre:
    Horror, Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Rob Zombie
  • Written By:
    Rob Zombie
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $1,000,000
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Anchor Bay Films

Cast

Sheri Moon Zombie
as Heidi Hawthorne
Bruce Dern
as Francis Matthias
Bruce Davison
as Francis Matthais
Bruce Davidson
Jeff Phillips
as Herman "Whitey" Salvador
Billy Drago
as Judge Samuel Mather
Judy Geeson
as Lacy Doyle
Dee Wallace
as Sonny
Ken Foree
as Herman Jackson
Maria Conchita Alonso
as Alice Matthias
Michael Berryman
as Virgil Magnus
Meg Foster
as Margaret Morgan
Patricia Quinn
as Megan
Richard Fancy
as A.J. Kennedy
Andrew Prine
as Reverend Jonathan Hawthorne
Christopher Knight
Sid Haig
as Dean Magnus
Bonita Friedericy
as Abigail Hennessey
Nancy Linehan Charles
as Clovis Hales
Flo Lawrence
as Sarah Easter
Brynn Horrocks
as Mary Webster
Suzanne Voss
as Elizabeth Jacobs
Susan Gray
as Martha Bishop
Torsten Voges
as Count Gorgann
Niko Posey
as Cerina Hooten
Julian Acosta
as Priest
Lisa Marie
as Priscilla
Brandon Cruz
as Ted
Gabriel Pimentel
as Amon
John S.
as Halvard the Guardian
Piggy D.
as Butcher Olaf
Roger Morrissey
as Beelzebub
Barbara Crampton
as Virginia Cable
Michael Shamus Wiles
as Francis Matthias
Dustin Quick
as Maisie Mather
James "Jammers" Messersmith
as Judge Samuel Mather
Wayne Toth
as Puppeteer #1
Brian Rae
as Puppeteer #2
Ernest Thomas
as Chip McDonald
Carlos DelValle
as Interviewer
Clint Howard
as Carlo
Camille Keaton
as Wench Girl
Udo Kier
as Witchhunter
Richard Lynch
as Reverend Hawthorne
Daniel Roebuck
as Frankenmonster
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Critic Reviews for The Lords of Salem

All Critics (65) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (30) | Rotten (35)

  • Polished and calculated, this is a nerve-shattering fright fest bolstered by immaculate technique.

    Apr 25, 2013 | Full Review…

    Drew Hunt

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • It's a credit to Zombie's interest in growing as an artist that he's drawing from more mature inspirations here, but it's also part of why the movie doesn't work.

    Apr 19, 2013 | Rating: 4.5/10 | Full Review…

    Ian Buckwalter

    The Atlantic
    Top Critic

  • It's all meant to be monstrous, unspeakable, blasphemous horror but it comes across more like a slightly dirty drawing, passed in seventh-grade religion class.

    Apr 19, 2013 | Rating: 1.5/4

    Stephen Whitty

    Newark Star-Ledger
    Top Critic

  • Movies by Rob Zombie, the goth rocker turned cult filmmaker, aren't for everybody. But he couldn't care less.

    Apr 19, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    V.A. Musetto

    New York Post
    Top Critic

  • Considerable care goes into establishing the premise, but the film eventually abandons psychological subtlety for hallucinatory garishness, which is too bad.

    Apr 18, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

    Neil Genzlinger

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • "The Lords of Salem" will make you feel bad. But it's supposed to.

    Apr 18, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

    Mark Olsen

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (65)

Audience Reviews for The Lords of Salem

  • Jun 03, 2016
    The best music video I've seen in ages.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Apr 13, 2015
    Atmospheric and compelling, Zombie is in full-frontal flair with Lords and proudly presents a far more distuingished side to his directorial work and general approach to film. Whilst the story is odd and some of the choices in character design such as how he chose to depict the Devil are really quite bizarre and probably only make sense to Zombie himself. Whilst I love Zombie, I've never found his wife to be of much substance in his films especially when it comes to emotional scenes and I find her to fare better in the role of a psycopath (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects...), nevertheless Rob's approach to witchcraft and american history are all very interesting and the film is unique enough that it might appeal to those who previously dismissed his fimography. Veteran actors Judy Geeson, Patricia Arquette and Dee Wallace Stone star as three humble "sisters" and are one of the weirdest yet greatest additions to the picture.
    Harry W Super Reviewer
  • Jun 16, 2014
    What was up with this movie?! As usual with (Mostly) all of Rob Zombie's movies, I didn't get it.Out of all the Rob Zombie movies I've seen this has to be the worst.While I was watching or suppose to be watching it, I left the room a couple times & forgot I even had it on.The part that I really didn't get was the ending.Was Rob Zombie trying to create some visually stunning masterpiece or something? Maybe somebody would be nice enough to explain to me what was going on.The movie had me trying to figure out what I was watching & the ending had me thinking WT*!?
    Brody M Super Reviewer
  • Feb 23, 2014
    Simply one of the worst Movie. I prefer the Documentries of Salem "legends" and "ghost stories" on History Channel.
    NaWie M Super Reviewer
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