AllMovie

A Salem, MA, radio DJ receives a mysterious record that unleashes a diabolical force of evil in this slow-burn shocker written and directed by Rob Zombie, and produced by Paranormal Activity's Oren Peli. Back in 1696, Reverend Jonathan Hawthorne (Andrew Prine) condemned a coven of witches led by Margaret Morgan (Meg Foster) to death, burning them without remorse in the woods surrounding Salem. Just over 300 years later, the small town has become a beacon for anyone interested in the supernatural. Heidi Hawthorne (Sheri Moon Zombie), Herman "Whitey" Salvador (Jeffrey Daniel Phillips) and Herman Jackson (Ken Foree) are the hosts of a popular Salem radio show with a playful occult slant. One day, after interviewing noted author Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison) on the air, Heidi receives a package containing a record from a band named the Lords. The following day, when Heidi plays the record on the airwaves, a strange spell falls over the locals. Later, as the Lords announce they will be performing a concert in town and the typically carefree Heidi grows increasingly withdrawn, Matthias senses that the sins of the past may be returning to haunt Salem. And he couldn't be more right -- something wicked has returned to this cursed town, and with each day that passes, Heidi slips ever deeper into its sinister grasp. Patricia Quinn, Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, and Sid Haig co-star.