Horror movies were often the inspirations behind many of Rob Zombie's music videos. Zombie is a singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and voice actor who has gained a following in the horror genre. In 1985, he helped found the heavy metal band White Zombie, and went on to release four studio albums. Zombie has also done solo music work, gaining recognition in the 1990s for the song "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)", which he wrote and performed with Alice Cooper. Zombie's solo albums include 1998's Hellbilly Deluxe, 2001's The Sinister Urge, 2006's Educated Horses, 2010's Hellbilly Deluxe 2, and 2013's Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, among others.
Zombie entered the movie world in 2003 with his debut film, House of 1000 Corpses. Throughout the early aughts, he also directed The Devil's Rejects, the Halloween remake and its sequel, and the animated movie Haunted World of El Superbeasto. In 2012, he directed The Lords of Salem, and worked on various other movies in myriad capacities throughout his career. Many of Zombie's movies incorporate his music into their soundtracks as well.
Since Zombie first began his music career, his music and lyrics have been known to feature horror and sci-fi themes. Some of his songs even feature quotes from classic scary movies. Additionally, his live performances have always encompassed intense theatrics with horror motifs. Most notable are Zombie's music videos; the music videos for several of his songs drew direct inspiration from some of his favorite horror flicks. This was also the case with White Zombie's music videos, most of which Zombie directed himself. Below is every horror film that inspired those videos.
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Scenes from the 1920 silent horror movie Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which starred John Barrymore, are featured in Zombie's music video for "Dragula", one of his biggest songs. The song is a reference to the drag racer "DRAG-U-LA" from the sitcom, The Munsters. This song also features clips from the movie Horror Hotel. In the music video, Zombie drives a race car as movie scenes flash on and off the screen.
The Phantom Creeps
The 1939 film The Phantom Creeps, which starred Bela Lugosi as a mad scientist, have scenes that can be spotted in the "Dragula" music video. Specifically, this music video has imagery of the killer robot from the movie.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The 1920 silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is featured in the music video for Zombie's hit song, "Living Dead Girl." The song became popular when it was featured in the 1998 movie, Bride of Chucky. One line in the song is taken from Lady Frankenstein, and the music from the start comes from the trailer for Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left. The horror movie references in this song don't stop there; it also contains lines from Daughters of Darkness and other obscure titles.
In the music video, Zombie takes on the role of The Doctor, and Sheri Moon Zombie - Zombie's wife - plays The Living Dead Girl. The video, which Zombie co-directed with Joseph Kahn, takes on the appearance of an old silent movie with grainy imagery and tinted sepia film.
White Zombie
The movie White Zombie, a pre-code horror film that came out in 1932, was another horror flick that gave inspiration to the "Living Dead Girl" music video. In the video, Sheri Moon Zombie's part as The Living Dead Girl was inspired by the character White Zombie. White Zombie wasn't only the inspiration for a music video — Rob Zombie appropriated the name for his band.
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange might not always be classified as a horror movie, but it was the inspiration behind Zombie's music video for "Never Gonna Stop (The Red Kroovy)", which is a single from Zombie's second album. Not only does the music video imagery come from the movie, but the lyrics make references to lines from the book and movie. Some of the lyrics also nod to horror movies, like the line "Use my body to keep you alive" from The Curious Dr. Humpp.
In the music video, Rob Zombie and others take on the role of Alex DeLarge and his droogs, appearing in various settings that were featured in A Clockwork Orange. Tom Towels, an actor from Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, also makes an appearance.