Editor’s note: My review originally ran during SXSW earlier this year, but we’re posting it again as the film hits theaters this weekend. Some filmmakers, no matter how hard they may try to appeal to the masses, can never escape the label of acquired taste. Others don’t even try though instead preferring to speak to a smaller and more receptive core audience. Kevin Smith is a good example of the former. Rob Zombie is a better example of the latter. Zombie makes movies for himself, and he’ll be the first to tell you that not only will the majority of viewers hate his films but that he simply doesn’t care. That’s more than evident in his four previous features as they presented worlds filled with ugly and foul violence while being devoid of humor and joy. His new film, The Lords of Salem, continues that trend of not giving a damn, but something is visibly and unexpectedly amiss. Rob Zombie has discovered how to have fun…even if some of it is unintentional.

“50% of you are going to love this movie, while the other 50% of you are going to hate it,” writer-director Rob Zombie said to the SXSW crowd at the midnight screening of his newest film, The Lords of Salem. That’s not something we often hear filmmakers while they intro their film, and the same goes for most of what we heard at his highly entertaining Q&A. Zombie, who wore splashy blue pants and what looked like over-sized crocs to the event, was correct when it came to the reaction. For the 50% of the people who hated it, he doesn’t care too much. Zombie knows his work isn’t for everyone, and the idea that he can get half of an audience onboard with his films or music sits well with him. According to Zombie (and David Bowie), getting a reaction is all that matters. We discussed that reaction, as well as how the film’s producers were only interested in lunch and more, with a candid and relaxed Mr. Zombie.

Rob Zombie‘s four previous features have left audiences divided between those who find them dull in their barrage of uninteresting, poorly acted, white trash characters meeting bloody and blunt endings and those who, well, are wrong. I kid! His latest film, The Lords of Salem, hits theaters in April and was just announced today as one of the Midnighters premiering at next month’s SXSW film fest. The story follows a woman (Sheri Moon Zombie) with bad hair and worse fashion sense who gets caught up in supernatural events occurring in modern-day Salem, MA. Ghosts, demons, cults and more slowly envelope her world until only darkness remains. Check out the trailer after the break.

Kevin Carr looks ahead to this week’s movie releases, effectively shredding The Final Destination, urging you to stay clear of Halloween 2 and Taking Woodstock to task.

Neil staggers into the Magical Studio in the Sky after pulling an all-nighter and seeing more movies than Kevin has. The two commisserate about how the studios have refused to show them either of the horror movies opening this week, despite the fact that Kevin would love to see another 3D slasher.

With Odette Yustman ready to burst her lungs in the upcoming horror flick The Unborn, we decided to spend some time thinking about all the horror hotties currently working. Like we really needed an excuse to do that.