Satanic Panic: Fangoria’s female-fronted horror-comedy kills

Fangoria’s Satanic Panic has everything: blood, one-liners, devil-worshipping, women with knives, a fun soundtrack and pizza. It hits theaters on Sept 6th — be there!

It’s hot girl summer, but also the summer of Satan — The summer of Satanic Panic! There’s been a number of devil-worshipping films released in new horror this year and it’s glorious.

Satanic films were big budget in the 60’s and 70’s: Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976) were mega hits. The Exorcist made so much money scaring audiences with puke that people lined up the block to see it again.

Well, it’s 2019 and Satan is back! It’s been a great year for horror fans with releases like Hail Satan?, Ready or Not and the hilarious Satanic Panic.

Satanic Panic: Class Warfare & The Devil

Directed by Chelsea Stardust and written by Grady Hendrix, Satanic Panic is based on a story by Grady Hendrix and Ted Geoghegan. It’s a funny horror-comedy about a virgin pizza delivery girl who is kidnapped by a Satanic cult in a wealthy neighborhood.

The film is a satire of RICH WHITE PEOPLE and boy, does it deliver.

Satanic Panic stars Hayley Griffith, Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Arden Myrin and Ruby Modine. Griffith as Sam, does an incredible job playing a working-class virgin, who wants her tip for delivering pizza. She’s so likable and funny — if her role had been miscast, the story wouldn’t have been as enjoyable.

Ruby Modine, the backstabbing friend in Happy Death Day, turns up as one of the targets of the cult; she’s great as a ‘spoiled brat with a gun’, who is almost sexed to death by her former friends, in a manner best left unsaid.

It’s a cool shot and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone other than to say, it reminded me of Deathgasm and American Horror Story: Hotel in the deepest way.

But the great villain of the film is Danica Ross (Rebecca Romijn) as the head of the cult. She’s a goddess of death. She’s dressed in all red (for most of the movie) and she storms about delivering ultimatums.

She seduces men with coke, she throat-violates corpses — SHE DOES WHAT SHE WANTS. Her character is a raging narc-mom, of course…but I love her anyway.

Satanic Panic’s Bloody Q & A

The Q & A opens with director Chelsea Stardust, producers Amanda Presmyk and Adam Goldworm and performers: Hayley Griffith, Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Ruby Modine, Arden Myrin, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Clarke Wolfe, Hannah Stocking and AJ Bowen.

Everyone in the room cheers for Stardust because Satanic Panic was so bloody and funny and almost every important role in the film was played by a woman of genuine talent.

And there’s novel gore — such as when Danica digs through her husband’s throat (Jerry O’ Connell) for his heart that she ends up baking like a demented Martha Stewart though she sends her minions to do it, because narc-moms don’t do the work.

O’Connell is so funny in the film as a feminist who wants to deflower a virgin to save her from a brutal sacrifice. What? Yeah, you have to see it, he licks her face as well and the theater laughed at the convoluted logic, which is a dunk.

Bow Your Head for Director: Chelsea Stardust

Chelsea Stardust did an amazing job directing Satanic Panic; what she values is evident in every frame. Stardust has exquisite taste. And that matters. Absolutely, it’s all the difference in the world, the power of discernment.

She did a wonderful job directing the actors in the film, particularly Rebecca Romijn, who was so fun as the evil cult-leader.

Stardust said that she originally wanted music like Argento’s Goblins for the film. But she found a great band — Wolfmen Of Mars to score Satanic Panic. I can’t wait for the soundtrack to be released, I love the song when Sam is riding around on her scooter.

At the screening, Stardust said how influenced she was by Karyn Kusama’s Jennifer’s Body. When that film came out, I remember how much hatred it received, particularly Megan Fox who did an impressive job as a succubus. Jennifer’s Body is a classic and is only now getting the attention that it deserves.

Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre

The L.A. premiere of Satanic Panic was held at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, presented by Beyond Fest.  It’s a beautiful theater with a kitschy design that was popular at the time, similar to The Vista in Los Feliz, another gorgeous theater designed with Egyptian flare.

The Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre was sold to the American Cinematheque for $1 in 1999, and they’ve built it into a cinema lover’s dream over the years. It was recently reported that Netflix plans to buy the theater, though no formal announcements have been made, as some are against the purchase.

The Reign of Fangoria

Fangoria is killing it with the relaunch of the magazine and producing both live events, books, and horror films for fans. I am convinced that Fangoria is going to take over the world, and I’m here for it. The new issue has Rebecca Romijn on the front cover, so if you haven’t already purchased a subscription, what are you doing with your life?

Satanic Panic, produced by Fangoria and Aperture Entertainment, will be released in limited theaters and VOD platforms on September 6, 2019, the same weekend as It – Chapter Two.

Go see both, you monster!

Do you love Fangoria? What’s your favorite devil-worshipping movie? Have you seen The House of the Devil? Let us know in the comments!