Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Studio 666 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 29, 2022

Leave it to a rock band to make the most entertaining horror comedy in recent memory. Foo Fighters have been around in one form or another for nearly 30 years, but there’s something about a pandemic that inspires strange ideas. For frontman Dave Grohl, the downtime presented a chance to develop an idea for a demonic possession story, with screenwriters Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes hired to flesh out the concept of a band experiencing a developing nightmare while attempting to record their latest album inside a haunted house. There’s a single setting but lots of ideas for bodily harm in “Studio 666,” which updates the concept of a “band movie” for genre fans, asking members of Foo Fighters to play slightly cartoonish versions of themselves while the tale delivers blasts of ultraviolence and moments of silliness. “Studio 666” is tremendous fun, and while it’s aimed at the fanbase, there are gore zone delights for all.

Foo Fighters are gearing up to record their tenth album, with their label owner (Jeff Garlin) in desperate need of a hit from the band, who’ve been taking their time deciding what to do with their latest offering. For Dave (Dave Grohl), songwriting inspiration has been difficult to come by, requiring a change of location to help stimulate ideas. A mysterious house is offered for recording purposes, presenting perfect sound, with Dave and bandmates Pat (Pat Smear), Taylor (Taylor Hawkins, who passed away last March), Nate (Nate Mendel), Chris (Chris Shiflett), and Rami (Rami Jaffee) settling into the dwelling for a lengthy stay, hoping to create a classic. Dave is soon stuck without an idea, and he’s haunted by demonic visions, leading him into the basement where an evil recording of an unfinished metal song takes command of his body, with the possession leading to a grueling recording schedule and a body count.

Foo Fighters are in a tough spot in “Studio 666,” finding Dave without inspiration to help launch the making of their tenth record. It’s a big occasion, but the songs aren’t there, leading to the suggestion of an old mansion as a home base for recording. A prologue introduces the ghastly violence of the property, but the Foos are looking for anything to trigger musical gold, agreeing to the idea with a “Pearl Jam high-five” before relocating to the home, which provides a special sound perfect for music-making. There’s also a sense of isolation for the group, even with Samantha (Whitney Cummings), a neighbor eager to capture the band’s attention, nearby, providing treats for the visitors. “Studio 666” gets some horror cred going early with a main title song co-written and performed by John Carpenter (who also cameos in the film), and insider-y music world jokes are present with recording tech Krug, who’s played by Slayer’s Kerry King. Krug doesn’t last very long in the picture, as Krug experiences a vicious electrocution, providing the first clue that something isn’t right in the mansion.

Band personalities are gradually established, finding Pat left without a room of his own, sleeping in the kitchen while feasting on snacks whenever possible. Rami is the most spiritual member of the group, and also the most sexual, focusing his attention on Samantha. Performances aren’t first- rate (Grohl has the most acting credits, and he’s great here), but that’s the idea of “Studio 666,” taking the unpolished charms of Foo Fighters and sticking them in a genre film that’s incredibly graphic at times, while other scenes resemble an episode of “Scooby-Doo.” Director BJ McDonnell (“Hatchet III”) keeps the endeavor professional, working to play up band dynamic and highlight growing evil in the house, which soon comes for Dave after he listens to a tape containing a blistering heavy metal epic, compelling him to match it with his own group. The Foos work on this 40- minute-long experience for weeks, and tensions run high as Dave starts to exhibit bizarre behaviors, including demanding rehearsal time and a love of ranch dressing (okay, that’s not exactly a food item from Hell) and raw meat. All is not well in the dwelling, and “Studio 666” enjoys exaggerating the situation for comedic purposes, finding some scary stuff on occasion, keeping the blood flowing.

Studio 666 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Studio 666" delivers on textures, with gore zone visits vividly detailed, showcasing shredded, sliced, and burned bodies. Facial particulars emerge with decent sharpness, along with house tours, exploring decorative additions and demonic areas. Exteriors are dimensional. Colors are satisfactory, offering natural skintones and distinct primaries on costuming and greenery. Blood red is expectedly pronounced. Delineation remains intact, often dealing with very dark scenes. Encoding isn't always as tight as it could be, encountering some slight blockiness, and very mild banding is detected.

Studio 666 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 7.1 DTS-HD MA mix delivers crisp dialogue exchanges, tracking muttered joking and escalations of panic. Music is obviously the big draw here, and the soundtrack delivers a full sense of metal edge, with sharp instrumentation and a circular presence, and low-end does well with harder beats. Scoring cues are clean, bringing a spookier synth and piano sound to the movie. More active are demonic happenings, presenting immersive separation effects and active sound effects.

Studio 666 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Gag Reel (4:35, HD) collects giggle fits, mistakes, pranks, missed cues, and impromptu singing.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Studio 666 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a few issues in "Studio 666" that keep it from reaching its full potential, finding pacing a little off, with an excessive run time dragging out a simple story of hellraising. The band is here to have fun with everything, and the feeling is infectious, keeping the feature quite amusing, while horror touches are well-executed, including a dynamite bedroom encounter involving a chainsaw. "Studio 666" gets caught up in the power of an evil book and the wrath of the previous renters, but at the core of the movie is a metalhead dream come true, blending a demonic uprising with headbanging musicianship and goofballery, which makes for an enjoyable ride with big laughs.