"Studio 666" is a horror comedy of quips, riffs and stiffs

Studio 666

Starring Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Whitney Cummings, Will Forte, Jeff Garlin, Leslie Grossman and Jenna Ortega. Story by Dave Grohl, written by Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes. Directed by BJ McDonnell. Opened Friday at GTA theatres. 108 minutes. 18A

⭐⭐⭐

Peter Howell

Movie Critic

Goofy and grisly, musical and visceral, this Foo Fighters horror comedy is like a Marx Bros. or “Spinal Tap” movie made by “The Evil Dead” wizard Sam Raimi. Which is to say: It’s a bloody hoot!

Directed by the horror-minded BJ McDonnell (“Hatchet III”) the film gnaws at the funny bones of rocker Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters bandmates Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel and Taylor Hawkins as they move into a haunted San Fernando Valley mansion seeking inspiration for their 10th album.

Weird goings-on (and celebrity cameos) ensue, as the band squabbles over how to make the best use of the “creepy death vibe” and spooky acoustics of their improvised studio.

Grohl becomes possessed with the idea of writing a seemingly endless rock song, a hat-tip to the band’s classic hit “Everlong.” He’s also searching for a lost chord he calls “L Sharp,” and boo-hoo to any Foo who tries to stop him.

It’s as zany as it sounds and as bloody as most modern horror films tend to be. It could have also used another slash with the editing razor — that endless impulse seems to be infectious — but who wants to argue with a guy who wields a chain saw as expertly as he does a guitar?

(This review originally ran in the Toronto Star.)

@peterhowellfilm