Rob Zombie's love for horror movies is no secret, and here's a look at some of his all-time favorites in the genre. Zombie has literally made a career out of celebrating horror in all its forms, from art and music to feature films of his own. Whether he's performing one of his songs live or directing a twisted big-screen thriller, Rob Zombie proudly wears his horror fandom on his sleeve for the world to see.
Zombie's fascination with the macabre began at an early age, during which time he was exposed to an endless slew of classic horror films on television. He quickly developed an obsession with the genre, particularly with the a remake of The Munsters for Universal.
Throughout his entire career, Zombie has maintained his love for classic horror and monster movies. Many of the lyrics in his songs and even the names of various songs/albums he's worked on have included references to his favorite genre fare. Even his name (and the name of his first band) is a reference to a specific movie from Hollywood's bygone age of chillers. Here are Rob Zombie's six favorite horror films, including his very apt pick for the best zombie movie of all time.
Dracula (1931)
Kicking off Zombie's list of horror favorites is a film that is considered one of the most iconic in the genre. Universal's original Dracula wasn't the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel (and far from the last), but it quickly became — and remains — the adaptation against which all others would be measured. Featuring moody directing from Todd Browning and an eerie lack of music, the movie was a chiller unlike any other produced before it. However, the true reason it has stood the test of time is Bela Lugosi, whose portrayal of the blood-sucking Count has become the stuff of legend. "He doesn’t even seem like an actor giving a performance," Zombie said of Lugosi in an interview for Rotten Tomatoes. "He’s so committed... [he's] on such another level from anyone else in the film."
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Another favorite of Zombie's is the macabre Murders in the Rue Morgue from 1932. Loosely based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe and produced before the advent of the Hays Code in 1934 that saw many dark themes banned from movies, Rue Morgue tells the story of a mad doctor (Bela Lugosi again) who is attempting to unlock the secrets of evolution by cross-breeding a woman with a gorilla. The disturbing story was shocking for audiences of the time and remains a surprisingly intense and grotesque experience to this day. Zombie credits much of the film's appeal to Lugosi, stating that the Hungarian-born horror icon's performance "is so bizarre and incredible, as always."
Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Yet another terrifying gem from the pre-code era of Hollywood (and an influence on Zombie's horror films), this adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The Island of Dr. Moreau was controversial upon its release. Staring the great Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau and Lugosi as the part-man, part-beast Sayer of the Law, the film featured incredibly dark sequences/concepts including the vivisection of a living human-animal hybrid, brutal murder, and even implied bestiality. Zombie described the film as "demented," and easily one of his favorite films from the 1930s. "It’s amazing," he said. "The cinematography’s amazing. Everything about it is just incredible."
The Black Cat (1934)
With Zombie being such a fan of 1930's horror, the inclusion of Universal's dark thriller The Black Cat should come as no surprise. This 1934 genre masterpiece was the first onscreen pairing of monster/horror icons Lugosi and Boris Karloff, the latter of whom had rocketed to stardom after a career-defining performance as the Monster in Frankenstein (1931). The Black Cat sees Lugosi in the atypical role of a heroic war vet in search of his long-lost daughter, and Karloff as the sadistic and evil leader of a Satan-worshiping cult. With stunning production design, Bauhaus-inspired architecture, and standout performances from the two leads, The Black Cat is revered today as one of the most stylish horror movies ever produced. Zombie agrees, and praises the film's leads as "just incredible," adding that "they create these iconic moments that define what cinema is."
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Leaping ahead from the pre-code days of the 1930s to the gritty, rule-breaking days of the 1970s, Zombie's next pick is Tobe Hooper's game-changing psychological masterwork including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. "I [saying], 'This is the greatest movie ever made,'” Zombie recalls. "I would just get so sucked into the movie, I’d never want it to end, and... I don’t think I’d ever seen a movie like that before."
White Zombie (1932)
Last but certainly not least on Zombie's list of favorite horror is a 1932 film with a title any fan of the musician/filmmaker's work will surely recognize. White Zombie was Lugosi's first film after stunning the world in Dracula and was also cinema's first true zombie movie. Lugosi plays a devilish sugar mill owner in Haiti who uses a workforce of brainwashed zombies as part of his twisted plans. Unsurprisingly, this film (which was nearly remade by Texas Chainsaw's Tobe Hooper) had a particularly large impact on Rob Zombie, who credits it as not only one of his favorite movies, but also his favorite zombie flick and the inspiration for both his stage name and the name of his first band. "Yeah, I love that movie so much," says Zombie. "I always thought, 'What a great name for a band.' I thought that way before I ever had a band."
