Terror on Tour (1980)
Dir. Don Edmonds In the 1980s a subgenre of Heavy Metal Horror movies emerged, combining slasher tropes with plots revolving around rock stars. Among these movies are Rocktober Blood (1984), Hard Rock Zombies (1985) Trick or Treat (1986), Rock ’n’ Roll Nightmare (1987), Black Roses (1988) and Shock ‘Em Dead (1991). Released in 1980, Terror on Tour is considered the first of these films, (unless you count KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park [1978]) and it’s the only one I’ve seen. I dearly hope it’s not the best the genre has to offer. The movie opens with a show by KISS-esque hair metal / shock rock band The Clowns, played by real life Illinois rock band The Names (I’ve never heard of them either). They wear greasepaint, black unitards with red capes, and comically oversized afro wigs. They’re supposedly on tour but the only venue the play throughout the movie is some community theater looking auditorium. Their performances feature them beheading mannequins ...