'Studio 666': Foo Fighters Talk Becoming Horror Fans Through Musical Influences (Exclusive)

02/24/2022 04:36 pm EST

The Foo Fighters' new movie Studio 666 finds the band paying homage to a number of great horror flicks that came before. Interestingly though, some of the guys confessed it was rock 'n' roll that led them to horror, by way of classic shock-rock and heavy metal bands. Speaking exclusively with PopCulture.com about his introduction to horror, Foos guitarist Pat Smear said to frontman Dave Grohl, "Well, I never realized I was a horror fan until you started describing how kids like us became horror fans through rock and roll."

Grohl replied that he understood Smear was "big on Alice Cooper," who has always incorporated horror elements into his live performances. "Yeah, and I didn't real until you were talking, yeah, it was the horror," Smear explained. "It scared my parents, it was messed up. It's a gateway to scarier bands when you start with Alice Cooper." The 53-year-old added, "Yeah. I mean, when you first fall in love with music and you fall in love with The Beatles, you fall in love with The Stones, you fall in love... and all of a sudden, you see Kiss and you're like, "Oh, my God." Then you get the poster, and then you start going..."

Finally, Chris Shiflett chimed in and mentioned Ozzy Osbourne's iconic band metal band Black Sabbath as another example of a band that paved the way for music fans to become horror fans. "Sabbath, another great example," Grohl interjected. "They go hand-in-hand, for sure."

Studio 666 is a hilarious and violent meta-horror flick starring the Foo Fighters as themselves. The band holds up in a Los Angeles home to write and record their new album. But things come undone in the most brutal ways when an evil spirit inhabiting the house begins to take over their recording process. The Foos eventually learn they weren't the first band to be tormented by the unholy presence, and if they don't find a way to stop it, they won't be the last.

The film was directed by B.J. McDonnell, from a screenplay by Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes, and a story by Grohl himself. The movie also features a handful of exciting and hilarious cameos including the Master of Horror John Carpenter, Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte, comedian Whitney Cummings, American Idol judge Lionel Richie, and Slayer guitarist Kerry King. Studio 666 opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 25.

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