“I really just do what I like. I don’t understand what the general public likes sometimes.” — Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie’s approach to making music and movies starts with his own taste. He’s said he makes what he likes and prefers to keep outside opinions from crowding the creative process, a philosophy that connects his horror films with the music that made him famous.
As White Zombie’s frontman, he brought horror imagery into heavy metal on albums including La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One (1992) and Astro-Creep: 2000 (1995). His 1998 solo debut, Hellbilly Deluxe, sold millions and included “Dragula” and “Living Dead Girl.”
That fascination carried into his directing career with House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil’s Rejects (2005), films built around violent outsiders and grimy settings. His work draws on B-movies, exploitation cinema and camp, influences that also run through his theatrical live shows.
His films have ranged from the 2007 Halloween remake and its 2009 sequel to The Lords of Salem (2012), 31 (2016), 3 from Hell (2019) and The Munsters. Zombie’s childhood ambitions included being Alice Cooper, Steven Spielberg and Stan Lee.
Those words run through all of it. Across albums, films and stages, he’s followed his own taste first, admitting he doesn’t always grasp what the general public wants.