Rocktober Blood

ROCKTOBER BLOOD, one of the myriad of glam metal horror flicks from the mid-to-late-'80s (BLACK ROSES, ROCK 'N' ROLL NIGHTMARE, HARD ROCK ZOMBIES, etc.), is possibly the worst out of all of them. It's a D-level slasher with only one saving grace: the rockin' soundtrack.

Basically, the set-up is the singer of a hair metal group goes nuts and kills some people (only two on-screen, but later on, they say 25??). He gets sent to the electric chair, and the singer's ex-girlfriend starts the band back up again. Only trouble is, the '80s-handsome singer is still out to get her... even though he's dead! The acting is painfully bad, especially the mumbling, uncharismatic killer character. 45 minutes in the middle consist only of a woman swearing Billy "Eye" is back from the dead and people telling her she's crazy. No other characters do anything the entire film, and the body count is surprisingly low. The first 70 minutes are honestly really hard to get through.

If you make it to the end, you're treated with a killer performance scene by Sorcery (better known for STUNT ROCK), some fun kills and some catchy hair metal tunes. But ten good minutes out of ninety is not enough, and I would recommend all but the biggest '80s metal/horror fans give this one a hard pass. Check out TRICK OR TREAT or ROCK 'N' ROLL NIGHTMARE to see this sub-genre done right.

This film has one good thing about it, the rock band Sorcery did the sound track and appears at the end of the flick.

Filmmaking couple Ferd and Beverly Sebastian tap into the then-hot idea of combining heavy metal and horror, with fair results. Tray Loren stars as "Billy Eye" Harper, leader of a band who goes on an insane killing spree. The testimony of his lover / backup singer Lynn Starling (Donna Scoggins) helps get him convicted and executed. Two years later, she's now the leader of his band, and she believes that he's returned from the grave to kill all of his former associates. Naturally, nobody believes HER, thinking that it's time for her to return to psychiatric care.

"Rocktober Blood" has a good title, but it's basically adequate at best. Obviously done on a limited budget, it doesn't look or sound great. The acting is passable right across the board, although some of the sexy ladies do get undressed for the camera, and Loren does look like he's having fun as the psycho antagonist. Director Beverly builds up some okay atmosphere, but the pacing is overall on the plodding side, and this goes on longer than it really should. The theatricality of the band is generally amusing, and the gore is decent if not spectacular. The ending is not terribly satisfying.

On the plus side, the songs are actually pretty good. If you're a fan of the metal genre, you may catch yourself banging your head in appreciation.

This is not one I would recommend you go out of your way to see, but it yields okay entertainment for any slasher completist.

Six out of 10.

My review was written in October 1986 after watching the film on Vestron video cassette.

"Rocktober Blood" is a 1984 horror picture, now available in home video stores, that fits into the unsuccessful genre of films that tried to combine this genre with rock music (e.g., "Terror on Tour", "Blood Tracks").

Tray Loren portrays Billy Eye, a rock star in the KISS vein, who goes on a bloody rampage one night at the recording studio and is executed for his murderous crimes. Two years later, his protege Lynn (Donna Scoggins), who testified against him in the muder case, is a successful rock star with the group Rocktober Blood. She is terrorized repeatedly by a mysterious figure who she thinks is Billy Eye back from the grave. Mystery is resolved on stage at the climax of the group's' tour.

Pic is standard slasher fare, with a diverting music track, the usual flow of blood and little in the way of originality. Made by the filmmaking team of Ferd and Beverly Sebastian, "Rocktober" has Beverly taking a solo directing credit, which they usually share.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Rocktober Blood; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 0.50 Direction: 1.00 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.50

TOTAL: 5.25 out of 10.00

As "Leave your brains at the door" movies go, Rocktober Blood is one of the better ones. And it comes down to a single simple reason - the Rock'N'Roll man! The Rock'N'Roll!

Regrettably, everything else is forgettable folderol. The tale the writing team of Ferd and Beverly Sebastian tell is that of Rock God, Billy "Eye" Harper. After the opening credits roll, we watch as Billy slaughters the help at the recording studio. The peculiar thing is he doesn't kill anyone of import. It would've been excellent if they could've added some backstory to this character. He appears to be your stereotypical Music Daeva. Then he's all stabby-stabby - why? Well, forget the reasons because the Sebastians don't proffer this information. But don't worry because he gets his just deserts for these dastardly deeds and is summerily tried, judged, and executed. But as with most films of this ilk, death is far from the end, and two years later, as Rocktober Blood prepare for their concert, Billy slashes his way back on stage. I liked this concept, but it needed more weight to its characterisations. Most individuals are a tad above two-dimensional, but you're not empathetic towards them. The story feels cobbled together to push the band and the record label - owned by The Sebastians (unless I misread the end credits).

It's Beverly who then takes the director's chair. And though her direction isn't terrible, it is on the average side. When you think the end segment of the movie is a rock concert, I would've considered handing over the reins to a Music Video director. Some of those guys and gals possessed a decent imagination and creativity, but most of all, they were adept at the quick cut to boost up the pace of the video. And that is the one noticeable downside to Rocktober Blood; the tempo is too slow. It needed to be fast and exciting, like the music the band blasted out - and slower for the stalking scenes. Otherwise, she makes good use of her sets, locations, and lighting. And the final shot is a pure money shot.

The cast is average. None are outstanding, and most rest on the verge of going wooden. But when Trey Loren as Billy "Eye" Harper opens his mouth and wails, angels' ears bleed. That's if it's Loren who's singing. Another plus is The Band. Because if Loren can sing, The Band can play.

On the whole, this Dark Thriller isn't too thrilling until The Band Plays On. As such, Rocktober Blood is a film for 80s Metal Heads - of which I can proudly say, I Am One. So it's no wonder this flick has found a place in my Rock'N'Roul soul. But I can understand it's not everybody's cup of cha.

Bill-y, Bill-y, Bill-y, Bill-y. I'm glad you're back, but before you carve your signature across my chest with that mike stand, take a look at my IMDb lists - Killer Thriller Chillers and Guilty Pleasures and see where I rated Rocktober Blood. Okay, Billy! Carve away!

Take Care & Stay Well.