As the fall film season slowly approaches, studios often wonder about the latest batch of horror movies that’ll scare audiences just in time for Halloween. Not only is this time about getting scares from an audience, but it’s also about displays of warmth of the fall season in itself. The chill breeze with leaves falling from the trees and so on. That being said, there is one filmmaker who fully believes in this season — especially Halloween, given his aestheticism within his films — and that is Rob Zombie.
Zombie, while critically reviled, has seen a cult following as of late due to his cutthroat and intense environments while also reinventing the grindhouse horror subgenre. His films such as House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, his Halloween duology, and even The Lords of Salem all provide a distinct grunge style that only he can master, due to his experience and career making metal/thrash music. So hearing the news that Zombie’s next film is a PG-rated The Munsters adaptation, some fans were open and wanted to know what could a child-friendly film from the filmmaker behind House of 1000 Corpses would look like.
It’s The Time Of The Season (For Loving)
The Munsters stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Daniel Roebuck, Jorge Garcia, and Richard Brake, among others. The film is an adaptation of the 1960s children’s television series of the same name and tells the story of Lily Munster’s (Sheri Moon Zombie) quest of falling in love, and as she meets the man/monster of her dreams with Herman (Phillips), it is up to Grandpa Munster (Roebuck) to stop the two’s romance. This film also acts as a prequel to the original series. Going into the film, I had always seen images and clips from the original series but would never call myself a fan, but hearing Zombie attach himself to a property with a vision of being classically akin to the original series, I was very much looking forward to this.
Say what you will about Zombie’s filmography and style, but The Munsters is a complete delight and a welcome introduction to the fall Halloween season. Zombie’s direction is earnest and playful as ever, both feeling tongue-in-cheek but also willing to tell a mature story of emotional longing. The cinematography and lighting are superb, with the film’s main focus of hyper-surrealism being a plus given how many of the interior’s luscious and vibrant colors pop toward the audience.
There is something so wholesome about The Munsters — it could be its cheap set design or whimsical editing, but these both work completely fine given the show’s corny feeling. The acting by Sheri Moon Zombie, Phillips, and Roebuck is all wonderfully fun and bombastic. The three completely understand their characters’ mannerisms and play off them so completely well to make them feel out of place.
However, while The Munsters still remains fresh and heart-warming, the film has its problems with pacing. Many storylines and narrative threads feel out of place, making the film nearly come to a grinding halt near its latter 30 minutes. While the film is pure joy, it does take a bit to get its groove going. But once it finds its footing, The Munsters is a blast.
Conclusion:
The one word I can use to describe Zombie’s The Munsters is endearing. Never has a smile on my face only grew as the film continued and only remained for its 119-minute runtime. Zombie still has his maximalist filmmaking but is applied to a genre that feels like new territory for him. Is this a bad thing? Absolutely not! In fact, I would be delighted to take more experimental routes from him to expand his range as a horror filmmaker. The Munsters feel cheap and tacky, but that only serves its wholesome energy and frantic visuals, which act as pure eye candy, even if the journey toward getting to the film’s main thesis is a bit long.
What do you think of Rob Zombie’s The Munsters? Comment below and let us know.
The Munsters is available to stream now on Netflix!
Watch The Munsters
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