The Devil's Rejects (Unrated) (2006)

Devil's Rejects is amongst my favorite films, for it's great mix of humor, action/violence/gore, and character development. Most people looking at this review already know all about this movie.

The Picture on this movie doesn't seem to be all that much of an improvement. I've seen VAST differences on Blu-Rays vs DVD (Unforgiven especially!!!), and this movie just doesn't seem to have all that much extra when watching it in Hi-Def.

There are no new special features in this release, so if you already own this title on DVD, I would advise against upgrading like I did.

It's the 1970s all over again. If you're obsessed with the 1970s, like me, especially 70s drive-in classics, like me, The Devil's Rejects is a must-see. It's probably the closest thing to a 70s drive-in horror flick that's been made since the 70s. This is either a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. If you hate tasteless, gory, low-budget B-movies, then you would do well to skip The Devil's Rejects. If, however, you are passionate about Ford Administration-era low-budget flicks, then don't hesitate: see this movie.

The Devil's Rejects is Rob Zombie's spin-off/sequel to his 2003 directorial debut, House of 1000 Corpses. That film was famously dumped by its distributor, Universal Studios, and then picked up by Lion's Gate. Then upon release it was scathed by critics, but not surprisingly, managed to connect with a cult audience. Personally I found it to be the most sensational, joyous horror film I had seen in ages. It reveled in its depravity and had the ability to be both hilarious and disturbing at the same time. The Devil's Rejects is up the same alley. Not as much of a horror movie as its predecessor, The Devil's Rejects is more of an action-horror-road movie. It looks like a 30-year-old drive-in movie. If you didn't know any better, you could swear that it was filmed on a shoestring budget in the late '70s. It captures that feel extraordinarily well. The movie gets it down from the start and never strays from it, right down to the soundtrack. The first song that you hear in the movie is The Allman Brothers Band classic "Midnight Rider". The soundtrack also features Joe Walsh, Terry Reid, James Gang, Elvin Bishop, Otis Rush, etc. Not to mention a very memorable use of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird".

If House of 1000 Corpses was Rob Zombie's homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Devil's Rejects seems almost like an homage to Tobe Hooper's 1986 sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. The similarities are certainly there. William Forsythe's Sheriff Wydell is not far from Dennis Hopper's Lieutenant Lefty Enright, who maniacally pursues the family of killers to exact his revenge. The whole film reeks of Tobe Hooper worship (but not in a bad way).

The Tobe Hooper element is certainly there, but another director sprang to mind as I was watching the film. The Devil's Rejects is almost like the horror equivalent of Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino's retro-martial arts-spaghetti western masterpiece. Upon seeing the film a second time, I was reminded of the work of yet another director: Sam Peckinpah. I don't know if Rob Zombie was directly influenced by Peckinpah (it's certainly likely), but all thoughout The Devil's Rejects I was reminded of films like The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs and The Getaway. The first time I saw it, all I really thought of was Tobe Hooper, however I now see that The Devil's Rejects may be a bit of a Peckinpah homage as well. This certainly gives the film an element of style and class to contrast the otherwise trashy material.

Rob Zombie, just like Quentin Tarantino, is passionate about this genre of film and tries to make the ultimate drive-in homage. Just look at the roster of horror film veterans that Zombie assembled: Ken Foree, P.J. Soles, Mary Waronov, Michael Berryman, and Steve Railsback. If you know who any of these people are, then you are definitely part of the target audience for this film. Not to mention Sid Haig and Bill Moseley returning from House of 1000 Corpses.

Ahh, yes... Sid Haig and Bill Moseley. This movie absolutely belongs to them!! Haig and Moseley own the screen! These two actors alone make the film a must-see. They are awesome! If you liked Sid Haig's Captain Spaulding character from the first film, you will be delighted to know that he plays a much bigger part in this one. Sid Haig is a devilish delight as the mad clown, Captain Spaulding. Bill Moseley simply rules as Otis! He is a bad M.F. These two awesome performances carry the movie. Also worth mentioning is William Forsythe who is excellent as Sheriff Wydell, the obsessed lawman who is trying to track down Captain Spaulding and his cohorts. Next to Sid Haig and Bill Moseley, Forsythe gives one of the best performances in the movie. However, I really miss Karen Black as Mother Firefly. Not to say that Leslie Easterbrook isn't good in the role, but I think she goes a bit over the top. Karen Black would have brought a graceful sensuality to the character, and probably a bit of restraint.

So, is The Devil's Rejects a good movie? Well, that's not an easy question. The short answer is probably "no, it's not". By the conventional definition, it would probably not be labeled a cinematic triumph. However, Rob Zombie does a fine job directing and his dialog is deliciously profane. For those who like this sort of thing, the movie is a blast. Finally, allow me to state a blunt warning: If you are looking for a good, scary horror movie, The Devil's Rejects is probably not what you're looking for. If you like horror movies like The Ring and The Grudge, The Devil's Rejects is DEFINITELY not what you're looking for. Simply put, if you like modern horror movies a lot, you will probably not like The Devil's Rejects. On the other hand if you recognize Ken Foree from his roles in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead and Stuart Gordon's From Beyond, and you know Michael Berryman as the "freaky-looking guy" from The Hills Have Eyes, then yes, The Devil's Rejects is certainly for you. If you treasure your copy of VideoHound's "Cult Flicks and Trash Pics", then yes, this is for you. If you're not too squeamish, you'll probably have a bloody good time.

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The Devil's Rejects, Rob Zombie's follow up to his surprise hit House of 1000 Corpses, is one of the few horror sequels that manages to not only live up to the original, but it also manages to surpass it. Influenced by the classic exploitation/horror films of years past (Last House on the Left, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Zombie has given the Devil's Rejects a much grittier look than his last film, as the story picks up with the homicidal Firefly family on the run from the law. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley), and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) are on the lam from a revenge driven and slightly deranged sheriff (William Forsythe) who plans to give the killers a taste of their own medicine. Along the way, the trio adds more to the body count, resulting in a climactic bloody showdown that is surprisingly well weaved. While it doesn't necessarily offer anything new to the horror genre, it doesn't try to, and the cast that Rob Zombie has assembled here does great work. Haig walks the line between frightening and hilarious as the clown faced Captain Spaulding, while Moseley is less over the top this time around as Otis, but he is all the more subdued and terrifying. Leslie Easterbrook (replacing Karen Black) as Mama Firefly is a bit overacted, while Moon is once again seductively scary as Baby, while Forsythe almost steals the entire movie. Zombie has again assembled a supporting cast of older horror film and cult favorites, including the original Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree, Hills Have Eyes icon Michael Berryman, Danny Trejo, PJ Soles, Priscilla Barnes, Steve Railsback, and former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Paige; most of which are pretty memorable. Pushing the limits of it's R rating, the Devil's Rejects is not for the faint hearted, and while it may drag a bit towards the end (you are guaranteed to never listen to "Freebird" the same way again), this is a real treat for older horror fans looking for a film that recaptures the unpredictability and tension of the genre.

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You would think that killing plus Rob Zombie, plus cool music, plus lots of long greasy hair, plus funky clothing and unshowered bodies, plus blood guts and gore would equal a pretty cool movie but in this case, it just equals a stinker!

The movie looks cool but it has NO PLOT! Sure, old slasher movies are violent (and had cheesy effects and didn't look as good) but they had more story and they were scary. This movie wasn't scary, suspenseful or eerie, it was just violent and relied so much on shock value that it failed to be shocking after a while. I would tell you fine readers more about the story but there isn't much to tell. Psychotic and sadistic killers go on a killing spree, there is lots of cool music and it's filmed like a music video, the end. Now maybe you won't have to waste your time watching it!

I thought the ending fell flat and I just didn't care what happened to any of the characters. I am all for gore and violence but please, Rob (though you are awesome and talented) next time make it have a point! Personally I think Rob Zombie needs to stick to music and leave acting and screenwriting to people who can actually act and write. I might have liked this if it had more 'meat' to the story, I felt something was missing.

I know a lot of people liked this movie and I will say it has some visual elements which are pretty cool so I did give it an extra star for ambiance and appearance. It also had a fast pace and that was good. It wasn't my thing but if you like senseless killing, tons of gore and don't care about the lack of story, you might like this.

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In a film world overrun with "torture cinema," Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" both embraces this current trend and hearkens back to a more innocent time--the exploitation era of the seventies where films of this type found underground success. Following up the chaotic, and not very satisfying, "House of 1000 Corpses"--"The Devil's Rejects" continues the saga of the murderous Firefly clan. But where "House" was an amped-up, kaleidoscopic music video of carnage and macabre humor with no particular plot--at least "Rejects" has Zombie embracing aspects of legitimate film technique and story telling narrative. Much more accomplished than its predecessor, however, doesn't make it much more entertaining. To be clear, I am not one who thinks that violence in films is the end of our society. I have embraced many films within this genre for various reasons, I just happen to think "The Devil's Rejects" commits the greatest sin of all--it creates no suspense.

The film's plot, as if it matters, revolves around the Firefly family as previously mentioned. Their home, and the site of countless previous murders, is raided by the police in the film's opening moments. A close knit group, to be sure (especially for psychopaths), brother Otis and sister Baby escape and arrange to meet up with their father Captain Spaulding who runs around like a maniacal clown. First stopping at a desolate motel to murder and torture at random, and later moving on to a house of ill repute--mayhem follows this wacky bunch! Hot on their trail, however, is Sheriff Wydell--who has a personal agenda of his own.

I credit Zombie for effectively recreating the gritty feeling of a seventies exploitation flick. The setting and mood are spot-on. I, also, enjoyed some of the cameos from a roster of forgotten or B-movie stars that populate the picture. I think there was fun to be had here--I just didn't have it. The humor fell flat, the brutality felt familiar, and the lack of dramatic tension left me feeling nothing. A film of this type needs to generate suspense to be successful and through all the bloodlust, nothing approximating real emotional consequence evolved until the film's ending. I credit William Forsythe, as the sheriff, for this last minute reprieve of excitement. His performance hits all the right notes in an over-the-top spectacle of madness and revenge.

This endgame, only the final 20 minutes of the film, really does ramp up the tension. The sadistic retribution and raw power within this segment is so much more satisfying than anything that has preceded it--for the first time, the film connects at a visceral and emotional level. But, alas, it's too late to salvage the picture. A 4 star ending on a 1 star movie--I can only round up the overall score to 2. I know that this film has its admirers, I just didn't see anything particularly new. But more critical was the sense of apathy I had throughout--who knew that vicious serial killing could be so flat and uninvolving? KGHarris, 03/07

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