Retrospective: Rock n' Roll Nightmare

For this interview, we decided to try something a little different. An interview inside of a retrospective about a cool,crazy ass film!!!



by indrid13

Rock n' Roll Nightmare, to me at least, is like the Holy Grail of one of the most overlooked genres of horror; the rock n’ roll/horror hybrid. Marrying the innate fun of the horror film with the party atmosphere of rock seems like a natural, and yet only a handful of these films exist.I guess it all started for me when I viewed Kiss Meets the Phantom when I was young. I was unfamiliar with their music at the time, but I knew that four dudes who play instruments and score massive amounts of trim while in their free time shoot eye lasers at cyborg albino werewolves, had to be the coolest shit in this or any other universe. So, as the years passed, I made it my life’s work to view any and every film in this genre, and yet one eluded me. Rock n’ Roll Nightmare.



I became familiar with the legendary Thor, who when asked to describe himself simply responded: “Name: Thor, Job: actor, entertainer, entrepreneur, and an observer and participant in 5 decades of Rock.” through his role as Tony Washington, a man who is killed and then resurrected by voodoo to avenge his death, in Jack Bravman’s Zombie Nightmare. You could tell Thor was having a blast in the film (When I asked him about the film, Thor responded: “It was great to meet (co-stars) Adam West and Tia Carrera. I enjoyed playing the monster!”), and it made the film that much more enjoyable to the audience. I decided I should learn more about Thor. What I learned surprised me. Thor had a long history as a metal front man, and his music was awesome (Don’t believe me? Check it out! www.myspace.com/thorrockwarrior). I also learned that he had starred in a film in my beloved horror/rock genre entitled Rock n’ Roll Nightmare. The film, about a band that battles evil creatures in a remote farmhouse, sounded like one hell of a good time to me. The only problem, it was impossible for me to find it on DVD. The good folks at Synapse (www.synapse-films.com) finally came to the rescue in 2006 (Thor said that Synapse simply “Contacted me about a re-release and special edition” and I for one am glad they did!) The film looks great on DVD (Thor states ”Synapse did a great job with the transfer from film to digital. The colors came out very rich!”), and includes many great special features, including a very entertaining commentary track.



The film, although filmed under harsh conditions (Thor elaborates, “Filming in Ontario was very cold. 15-30 below 0 degrees F. We shot the film in 10 days! John Fasano did a great job directing.) is nothing but pure fun. The cast looks like they are having a great time, the music is phenomenal, and the story is entertaining as hell. This film is one of the most watched DVD’s in my collection. It is impossible for me to feel bad when this film is on! So story over, right? I found the film and absolutely loved it.



Then it happened. I learned that in 2005 a sequel was produced entitled Intercessor: Another Rock n’ Roll Nightmare. The film, although made on a tiny budget, is still a lot of fun. When I asked Thor to tell me about the creation of the film, I was surprised to hear: “It was to be a prelude to the actual sequel.” So, there are more Rock n’ Roll Nightmares to come? Thor emphatically states: “Yes!” To me that is great news, but it also made me think of the possibility of a re-make. Hollywood seems obsessed with these things lately, so why not re-make something that could revive one of the most entertaining genres I’ve ever experienced? I put the question to Thor. He replied “We have talked with various producers and production companies about a 10-30 million dollar remake with the proper effects. If a major studio came in, they could make a blockbuster!” I truly hope this happens, but until then what does the future hold for Thor? “THOR-The Legend, to start filming in early 2010, Thunder on the Tundra documentary, and RipRoar to start filming in 2010.” Thor replies. So we, the fans of Thor, have a lot to look forward to! When asked if he has any final words for our readers, Thor simply says “Thanks for the interest and support!”, to which I say, “Thank you my friend for all the good times!” Visit Thor here www.thorcentral.com!