Once again we come to a movie where I'm uncertain if 2 or 15 stars is what I'd give it, so I'll settle on 7, this despite the fact that stars don't really matter with something like... this. I mean, what other film in the year of our lord two thousand twenty two will you see former Germs guitarist (and touring guitar for Nirvana as my wife pointed out) Pat Smear screaming his head off as CGI demons try to rip his head off? This is maybe the most baffling comedy-horror film I've seen in a theater since Tusk - and that isn't a put down, persay, it's just... what is this?! And why is Pat Smear sometimes not good at all and other times is very funny?
Studio 666 is written like it was by 14 year olds who just discovered heavy metal and/or the Evil Dead from their older brother's cabinet, while still coming from seasoned veterans (the director of Hatchet III no less), and who cares if like 3/4ths of the Foo Fighters aren't from the Stella Adler school? It hasn't stopped rock stars from appearing in stuff and for material like a story where a band has to record an album in a house that is a portal to hell they can meet the bare minimum.
You know as soon as you see the trailer if you'll go see it, in a theater, as I did with Scream 5 and had no idea it was coming and once I saw it my thought was "HELLS YEAH... HUH... SURE! Wait is that Lionel Richie? Yes!" It's bloody, dorky, chunky, stupid, awkward, puzzling, as funny as it sometimes is pretty unfunny (some of the timing of the sorta jokes fall flat), and if I were stoned I might put a monument to it in its honor.
I gotta get an Oral History of how this came to be some day soon. Other highlights: Will Forte's wig, John Capenter (who scored the opening with his son) appearing for a cameo and probably being paid with the whiskey he drank on set, and how hard it goes in act three. I haven't listened to Foo Fighters regularly since before I had my undergrad degree, and it made me semi curious.... nah, this movie is enough. One real downside: it's a little too long.
