Fiendish Flicks W/Ruby LeRouge: ‘Black Roses’ (1988)

What time is it? That’s right! It’s time for another Fiendish Flick, my gorgeous little ghoulies. I’m feeling the need for a little camptastic nostalgia, something that hearkens back to the days of feathered hair and leather pants. Something rife with teenage rebellion, and so much cheese that you can’t watch it without wine and crackers. Only one movie comes to mind that rolls all these awesome elements into one, Black Roses. Fans of gore and fans of Gwar, this one’s for you!

If you’ve ever watched the 1984 edition of Footloose with Kevin Bacon and thought, “You know, this movie would be a lot better with hair metal and demons.” then you likely would benefit from watching this particular Fiendish Flick. Black Roses is about a rock band that descends upon a sleepy midwestern town, driving Lamborghinis and clad in leather pants with cheetah codpieces, to corrupt their youngin with the devil’s music. Eager to rock and rebel, the teens of Mill Basin flout their parent’s good christian ways and bow down to the Metal Gods. The Black Roses entrance and bespell the unsuspecting fans into becoming blood thirsty demons, wreaking havoc and offing their unsuspecting parents.

The gratuitous breast shots, the daffy dialog, and the hilarious special effects make this movie so bad it’s good. Begging to be riffed on, along with several other band themed flicks of the era, Black Roses is a good choice to throw on at your next 80’s party if you want a lot of laughs. It’s not scary. Okay, the acting is kind of scary, but the film itself is just a hysterical look back at a time when horror sets were awash in a haze of Aqua Net.

So next time you’re ready to rage, my satanic little sweeties, light some candles, play some Dio backwards and throw on Black Roses. Clearly the makers of this Fiendish Flick have an in with the dark forces. -Ruby