3 from Hell

Bittersweet ending to a trilogy that really feels like how most stories end. It's a rather dull and meningless journey with friendly faces along the way, looking for a purpose after the good old days ended.

3 from Hell can be surprisingly touching sometimes when it just hits the viewer one or two scenes that manage to humanize literal serial killers. I really wish it ended up being a much slower movie all the way through, instead of the second half introducing a new conflict without much purpose.

Still what this movie made me feel as a person who liked both previous movies, is how I imagine the characters feeling. Some of the story revolvs around looking for some new meaning in a world that is hostile, empty, melancholic, and no longer familiar. The whole point of this movie is that we're seeing a family of maniacs going through all this.

I think it's a deeply flawed piece to conclude the story of the beloved characters who remained until the end, but one that manages to find some closure to make piece with the days that are gone and lets our antiheroes go.

The (I dare to say.. touching!) relationship of Otis and Baby must be my favorite thing in the movie, I couldn't have imagined it without the two of them. Sid Haig sadly didn't manage to appear for long in his last ever movie, and his replacement is obviously someone who can't ever compete, but Foxy's character is a likeable addition to the team whose main story focuses around finding his place within the family.

Must see for those who like the series, even with all its flaws! Ironically, we all expected something better, the same way our heroes did with their own lifes, and I can only feel respect for that.

I attended the 3rd and final night of the film's theatrical presentation. The 3rd night happened to be a double feature featuring The Devil's Rejects leading right into it's sequel. I think this was unfortunately a fatal decision since it truly shows how inferior of a film this is to its predecessor. From incredible first act problems to 75% of plot points being rehashed from the previous film, 3 From Hell falls flat. Imagine a car continuously stalling, it gets so close to taking off, but perpetually stalls. This film lacked that dirty, nasty, gross taste we expect with a Rob Zombie film and instead replaces it with silly silly humor and Hollywood production. The film gradually feels more Hollywood and standard as we approach the third act which presents itself like one big reshot 3rd act almost completely separate from themes and character arcs presented in the first half of the film. While it was a joy to see the Firefly family once again, I feel this film ultimately tarnishes the image of the first two thirds of this trilogy. Predictable and tame; two words I'd never expect to describe a sequel to The Devil's Rejects.

I guess you just can't go back and re-capture that magic and honesty of House of 1,000 Corpses and the superior The Devil's Rejects. I give kudos to Rob for giving it a go but this movie just plain fell flat. All the ingredients were there...Gore, blood, guts, filth, profanity, humor, revenge. I just was not able to get excited scared or involved with the film. It wasn't slow, it was just meh. Granted, I have never been a fan of Sheri Moon and I think she has taken every movie down a notch or two that Rob insists on including her in. Verily, her scenes are like some sort of music video with her prancing around all "evil" and cutesy in slow motion. She's clearly the centerpiece here and that's a shame because Bill Moseley is the king of horror and although he does his best with the material at hand, he can't salvage the script and the overall "story". New guy, Richard Brake the "brother in law" does a decent job filling the gap left by Sid Haig (who does have a brief appearance in the film), but it all feels very forced and lacks overall conviction. It's just "meh" and I really wanted it to be Rejects part 2.

I realize we aren't dissecting the works of Shakespeare here. It's a Rob Zombie horror film. Those that love everything he does, will love it. I personally think he got it right with House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects, but ever since then...he's been trying to recapture that glory and has failed to do so.

I was lukewarm on House of 1,000 Corpses, but The Devil's Rejects remains one of the most interesting horror films of the past 15/20 years, so I was eagerly awaiting to see what Rob Zombie would do to bring his Firefly clan back. Pretty soon into the film, I realized that, sometimes, it's better to end on a high note than to drag things out past their expiration dates.

After their 70's killing spree, the Firefly clan have been sent to prison. They quickly write out Captain Spaulding (due to Sid Haig's poor health) and bring in a character we've never even seen or heard of before that's supposed to be some sort of half-brother of Otis and Baby (played by Richard Brake). He helps them escape and pretty soon they're back on the run, murdering and causing havoc wherever they go.

Structurally, 3 From Hell is more Devil's Rejects than House of 1,000 Corpses, but the problem is they copy that structure to a T. Once the gang's back, there's a siege upon two couples that's very much like the siege upon the country band in The Devil's Rejects. After that, they all get in a van and end up in Mexico which feels just like the scenes in Ken Foree's ranch in that same film. There's also a character who wants to avenge a family member who died at the hands of the Firefly family like in that film. It feels like Rob Zombie took the structure of that film and just barely changed a few details to make it seem different enough to greenlight.

3 From Hell feels like one of those great TV shows that's managed to overstretch itself out into 2 or 3 more mediocre and unnecessary seasons where the actors and writers we used to love are mostly going through the motions. It feels oddly passionless and pedestrian throughout as if everyone was just trying to play it safe enough until they could get their paycheck. There are a few highs here and there, but it's far from a return to form or a necessary addition to the series.

I'm one of the biggest Fans of the the original 2 movies. I know the first has all sorts of problems, but it's still great. The 2nd TDR was one of my favorite horror sequels because they were not unstoppable they were human and you felt that on many levels. The ending perfect. Then this comes along. It's extremely uneven. Also the use of CGI was excessive and very noticeable. I really don't know how I feel about it. I look at as a stand-alone film. Watch it for your self and make your own opinion. Richard Brake was great as Foxxy. Just didn't feel right without Captain Spaulding and that comedic relief. RIP Sid...