1984
Directed by Beverly Sebastian
Written by Ferd Sebastian & Beverly Sebastian
Starring Tray Loren, Donna Scoggins & Cana Cockrell
Rated R - Approx. 93 Minutes
Tag Lines:
Billy's back from the dead....with a message from Hell!
Alternative Titles:
Rocktober Blood Paradise - Working Title
Rockill - Belgium
Concierto De Sangre (Blood Concert) - Spain
Terror En El Concierto (Terror At The Concert) - Spain
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| Now THAT's a title screen! |
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| Hhhmm...not exactly a "metal" backdrop, is it? |
I've spoken many a time about my beloved Video Paradise, the mom & pop video shop that I haunted in my youth. Today however, I will actually be waxing poetic about Blockbuster Video. I know, it sickens me a little too, but hear me out. See, Video Paradise had a fantastic selection of movies, but unfortunately, being a mom & pop shop, they didn't have a LARGE selection. When Blockbuster Video first came to our town, we were blown away by the shear size and scope of the place. Now I'm talking Blockbuster from the early to mid 90's....back when they still had at least a little style.
The first time I walked down the horror aisle, I was amazed at how many films they had that I'd been wanting to see. So many new and exciting titles staring back at me. One that kept eluding me was none other than Rocktober Blood. The cover art was awesome. A dude wearing a fright mask and brandishing a big bloody knife was carrying off a scantily clad girl. This was surely the kind of horror flick that my adolescent self could get behind. Every weekend I went and every weekend, I was let down to find that it was gone again. Finally I asked about it, and after some questionable looks from the employee, I was told that the tape was actually lost and the box was taken off the shelf.
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| Get used to shots of these boots....yer gonna see a lot of 'em! |
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| TILT! |
Life went on and I forgot about Rocktober Blood until a little while ago, when I came across a battered copy on a VHS hunt. I was so excited that my hands actually shook a little as I clutched the tape. Now at long last, I can proudly say that I own the film...and that I've seen it multiple times!
Okay, so what's this all about? We start in a recording studio where Billy "Eye" and his band are recording tracks for their album. After a long night the band calls it quits. Bill heads off saying that he has a "hot date", which pisses off his pseudo-girlfriend/back-up singer Lynn Starling. After Billy leaves, Lynn lays down some harmonies and then decides to take a soak in the Jacuzzi while Kevin, the sound engineer decides to have a beer and relax with a game of pinball in the game room. A killer enters the studio and slices Kevin's throat. He also murders another girl by impaling her on a coat peg on the wall. Lynn comes back downstairs and is nearly killed by Billy herself.
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| Why is nothing even near this awesome anymore? |
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| He's back! The man behind the mask! |
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| It's not an 80's horror flick with out scenes of aerobics! |
Flash forward two years, Lynn has taken control of the band and renamed it Headmistress. I don't know what the band name was before....the original name was never mentioned. On the ever of their Rocktober Blood '84 Tour, Billy comes back from the dead and starts the slashings anew....while stalking, taunting and terrifying Lynn every step of the way. With each new murder, Lynn tries to tell everyone that Billy is back from the dead but of course, no one believes her. The climax of the film is pretty cliched, especially by today's standards, but it works nicely in the context of the film.
Midnight Cinephile Tally
Death Toll We get a body count of seven here. There are some throat slashings, an impalement, a drowning, a beheading, some dismembering and even some disemboweling!
Nude O Meter There are a couple of scenes in which Lynn takes it all off to take a Jaccuzi or a bath. So you pervs can get the pause button ready!
Things That Go Bump In The Night Well you've got Billy, the undead rock star killing folks and there's also an incredibly cheesy corpse in a casket.
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| Whoa! He cut off her head with a steak knife! |
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| Crooner of the year? |
Final Thoughts
Rocktober Blood is one of those films that just hits all the right notes for me. It's campy and cheesy, yet still manages to capture a creep factor as well. The acting is absolutely terrible, but that all adds to the charm, I think. If you're into low budget Metalsploitation flicks, then you should definitely check this one out.
If you wanna see Rocktober Blood, you can easily find the entire film on You Tube. If you want to own it, you'll need to get it on VHS, or you'll need a region free DVD player because it's only been released overseas. I think it's about high time it receive a proper deluxe US Blu Ray release. I'll get right on that.
I should also point out that the soundtrack was done by three different metal bands: Sorcerer, Facedown and The Eyes. The soundtrack is actually pretty incredible and I'm on the hunt for it now.
Final Rating
Three out of Five Pizza Rolls
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