I’ve got another confession to make. I am not the biggest Foo Fighters fan. However, as far as rockstars go, I have nothing but admiration for Dave Grohl and his bandmates. So of course, when I heard that the Foo Fighters would star in their own feature-length horror-comedy Studio 666, I was very excited because I love anything that marries horror with rock n’ roll. The movie was supposed to be released in tandem with the Foo Fighters’ latest album Medicine At Midnight, but production was delayed due to the pandemic.
I was even more excited to hear that BJ McDonnell (Hatchet III) would be directing because I think he is the best possible person for this kind of project, since he previously directed Slayer’s Repentless Killogy, and has worked as a camera operator on dozens of big studio titles such as Malignant, a handful of films from the Conjuring Universe and most of Rob Zombie’s movies. The script was written by Rebecca Hughes and Jeff Buhler, who had previously written the script for The Midnight Meat Train and Pet Sematary (2019).
“The Foo Fighters […] just wanted to make a fun horror movie, and Studio 666 delivers!”
The story begins with the Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins and Rami Jaffee) being pressured by their record label to squeeze out their tenth album. Dave Grohl says he wants to do something special for the album, so the record executives suggest that the album be recorded at a mansion in Encino that has remained unoccupied for almost 30 years. Dave is impressed with the acoustics of the main room and convinces the rest of his band to move into the house so they can put all their concentration into writing their next album. The only problem is, Dave is dealing with a severe case of writer’s block and struggles to come up with a guitar riff he hasn’t already written.
That changes, however, when he discovers a hidden room in the basement. There he finds a tape, left behind by the previous tenants, a band known as Dream Widow, whose singer went crazy and killed his bandmates before they could finish recording their album. Dave is blown away by the doomy riffs on the tape. This is the sound he was looking for! In the days that follow, Dave becomes obsessed with writing a 40-minute long song that mimics the song he heard in the basement. At first, his bandmates think he is just being a controlling asshole, but they play along just to get it over with. After a string of mysterious and brutal deaths that occur around the property, they come to the conclusion that Dave is indeed possessed by an evil entity that lives inside the house.
The first thing I need to address, right off the bat, is that the Foo Fighters are not actors, yet they do know how to be on camera having filmed dozens of music videos prior to Studio 666. The band members work well together, occasionally ad-libbing in some scenes and poking fun at each other, though their acting style can sometimes come off as over the top. Dave Grohl really steals the spotlight, especially when acting possessed. Having previously played Satan himself in Tenacious D in the Pick Of Destiny, Grohl really knows how to pull a sharp-toothed demonic grimace.
Additionally, the band is surrounded by a cast of comedy greats like Whitney Cummings (The Ridiculous 6), Will Forte (Extra Ordinary) and Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), as well as rising horror stars Leslie Grossman (American Horror Story) and Jenna Ortega (Scream 5). And don’t forget the cameos from music legends like Lionel Richie and Slayer axeman Kerry King, and theme music written by John freakin’ Carpenter! That alone is worth the price of admission!!
Overall, Studio 666 is very entertaining, with some great comedic moments and some awesome gory kills. This goofy horror flick also makes good use of practical effects, including probably the best chainsaw death I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying a lot, given that we just got a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie). The CGI, particularly of the Shadow People, looks less impressive, but it’s functional enough that it doesn’t take you out of the viewing experience.
The Foo Fighters didn’t set out to make a modern horror masterpiece. They just wanted to make a fun horror movie, and Studio 666 delivers! You don’t have to be a Foo Fighters fan to enjoy it, though it helps to have some base knowledge of the Foo Fighters’ biggest hits in order to get some of the jokes. I’m glad the movie is able to exist as its own entity because I found Medicine At Midnight to be nowhere near as heavy as Studio 666 led me to believe. But I hear Dave Grohl plans to drop a whole thrash metal album under the name Dream Widow in time for the premiere of Studio 666, and that’s yet another reason why he deserves my undying respect.
“…probably the best chainsaw death I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying a lot, given that we just got a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre)”
The Foo Fighters’ Studio 666, directed by BJ McDonnell for Open Road Films, hits theaters on February 25th, 2022. Do you love movies that mix horror with rock n’ roll? Let us know over on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, and in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord. Not a social media fan? Get more horror delivered straight to your inbox by joining the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
