VHS Visions: Rocktober Blood (1984)

By Brad Henderson

When you really get into VHS collecting it does two things to you: First, you get to see some crazy, weird titles that are not spoken about too often (if ever). It feels good to discover and watch these movies and tell your other film friends about the gems you have seen. Second, it’s very depressing. It’s depressing because some movies have been lost and will never be seen or heard of again. You probably think that you can find the film somewhere, either online through a torrent or a DVR in another country. You’re wrong. There are some titles that are gone and people just can’t find them.

In Rocktober Blood, Billy “Eye” Harper is the front man for a heavy metal band and one night he goes insane killing people in the recording studio. On that same night, Billy Eye dies after a blood-soaked battle with one of the band members. After that the band continues on with the female singer fronting the band. One year after Billy’s death, he is back and is intent on killing his former band members.

Rocktober Blood is another VHS cover that I saw wherever I went when I was little. I honestly can’t remember when I first saw it, but I bought it before I had watched the movie. I would buy box lots all the time and just get loads of horror titles and this was in one of my first lots. I came across my tape year ago and it remains one of my favorite films from the ’80s.

One thing that sticks out in this film is the soundtrack by Sorcery. Damn. With songs like “Rainbow Eyes,” “Killer on the Loose,” and the phenomenal and haunting track “I’m Back” makes this film a rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza and leaves you wanting the soundtrack in your hands so you can listen to it and go numb for hours.

There are plenty of heavy metal horror flicks out there . . . trust me, I’ve seen every single one. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I went on a heavy metal horror kick a couple of years ago and tracked them all down and watched them that same month. Some of them just plain kick ass and this is one of them. Black Roses, Trick Or Treat, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare are a few that come close to the beauty that Rocktober Blood has to offer.

With an original score and a crazy and unique story, this film was something that people were not ready for or just didn’t see at the time. I wouldn’t say Rocktober Blood is extremely difficult to find (the OST is), but it is a rare tape to track down. I would love to see every film get a DVD or Blu-Ray release and this is one that deserves it. Rocktober Blood is one of those films that stands way out. It’s what ’80s slashers are all about.