I was around 12 years old and just starting Junior High. Miserable time. My mother returned from her year long stint in rehab. Had to stay with my father during that time. As a result, I went to a different school and lost all my friends. When my mother returned, I came back to my old stomping grounds. Instead of repairing the damage my mother caused, she thought it would be better to invite yet another asshole boyfriend into our happy home.
When I wasn’t getting my ass kicked, I would hide out in the garage (that I turned into a Monster Squad like club house), listening to metal, and reading movie mags. In October 1986, a Horror film was released that finally combined Heavy Metal and Horror together. It was called Trick or Treat. The poster featuring an evil rocker with a flaming pumpkin behind him. I had to see this movie. That Friday night, I was asked to the school dance by a neighborhood girl. Cute girl but come on…School dance. Fuck off. I think I’ll check out Trick or Treat instead. Told my mother that I was going to the dance, and off I went.
Wasn’t the greatest film I ever saw. But hell…it had Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osbourne, Skippy from Family Ties, and an awesome soundtrack. The story was an evil heavy metal star named Sammi Curr dies in a hotel fire (apparently from satanic ritual), and leaves his number one fan the only copy of his last album. As his fan plays this album, it plays backwards instructing him to get revenge on his bullies. The more he plays it, the more Sammi returns from the dead to take over this town.
Just starting to experience being bullied, and definitely relating to hiding out in my room blasting music, I connected to this movie. Instead of playing an album backwards I decided to throw a punch instead. That seemed to work. One thing to understand is that around this time religious psychos were attacking Heavy Metal bands, accusing them of providing evil messages through back masking. Pretty ludicrous huh? But then again, so were the witch trials.
It’s really hard to tell what this movie was trying to say. That the idea of Metal being evil is insane, or supporting the religious nuts theory. After all, there is a scene where the fan trashes his metal collection, and listens to easy listening. Or maybe that your rock stars aren’t Gods, and shouldn’t be put on such a high pedestool. That it’s possible for a rock star to believe in his own hype.
Nonetheless, it was a come and go movie that I still enjoy today. Some movies have worth simply cause they’re nostalgia. It doesn’t have to be a great movie to be appreciated. It paved the way for fun rocker horror classics like Black Roses, and Rock N Roll Nightmare.
Regardless of the shit I had to endure that year, it was a good night around Halloween…a holiday that can always turn the darkest night into a beautiful memory.
– G.R.E.E.N.B.A.N.K.
MORBID MOVIE MEMOIRS: VHS GENERATION 