By Drew Dietsch
| Published
Ozzy Osbourne is dead. There is a sentence that feels bizarre to say out loud. The godfather of metal and seemingly indestructible party animal departed this world at the age of 76. I love Ozzy’s music, particularly early Black Sabbath fare like their self-titled debut album and their game-changing Paranoid. Though he was most revered in the world of rock, the announcement of his death made me immediately think of movie contributions because my brain is poisoned with filmrot.
Ozzy showed up here and there in fun appearances like The Green Fairy in Moulin Rouge! or as a supernatural version of himself in Little Nicky, a flick I covered on my weekly movie club podcast, GenreVision. I’ll leave that embed below, but I will say it’s not the movie I wanted to watch when Ozzy’s death hit my feed.
The movie that jumped into my brain after seeing the news was the 1986 cult horror film, Trick or Treat.
The Story of Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat is a classic example of self-aware parody with the Satanic Panic in its crosshairs. Specifically, the moral panic around the 1980s heavy metal scene. A famous rocker named Sammi Curr dies in a hotel fire, but his demonic spirit survives in the last demo album he ever made.
This piece of wicked wax ends up in the backpack of Eddie, your standard high school loner metalhead who loves Sammi Curr. Good thing he knows to play the record backwards to summon Curr’s spirit as a way to get back on all the bullies making fun of him.
That’s all well and good, but we are here to celebrate Ozzy, so let’s get to his delightful cameo and why it’s in the movie.
Ozzy Osbourne Takes Down His Biggest Critics
Ozzy plays a television reverend on a talk show that is criticizing modern rock music. Ozzy’s Reverend Aaron Gilstrom decries the sexual innuendos in a set of lyrics and fires off a bunch of expected fearmongering about the evils of rock and roll.
It’s no question Ozzy took this role as an opportunity to embody the ridiculousness of real-world Christian critics that likely said the exact same things about his music. Getting a chance to present yourself from their position is a sly bit of commentary on its own.
But, Ozzy’s appearance gets a final touch of black humor as the resurrected spirit of Sammi Curr appears to zap the television Ozzy is on and the good Reverend is no more. You know the idea of a heavy metal ghost getting one over on a blowhard preacher is something that gave Ozzy a smile.
It’s a shame Reverend Aaron Gilstrom doesn’t share the same bonkers fate as another talking head scold in Trick or Treat. Sammi Curr pulls the same stunt again, but this time, he gets to yank a little old lady out of the TV and turn her into mummy dust. They couldn’t give Ozzy such an honor?
Still, it’s a delightful special appearance by Ozzy in a little cult horror film that could use a few more fans. Maybe track it down and get it queued up for your Halloween playlist this October. Not a bad way to pay tribute to the man who sold his soul for rock and roll. Rest well, Ozzy.
