TDR - The Devil's Rejects

The Devil's Rejects is not always an easy film to watch. It has a genuine savagery that makes recent films such as Hostel or Saw II, non spectacular though they were, appear rather tame.

I think part of the reason the film is such uncomfortable viewing is through Rob Zombie's creation of a strong sense of ambiguity as to who we are supposed to sympathise with- who are the antagonists and the protagonists? Initially things seem quite clean cut- psychopathic killers= evil, Sheriff on a vigilante mission = good, but then the lines blur. The Sheriff turns nasty, yet we the audience take joy in his sadism- are we as bad as these killers? And at the same time we the audience feel flashes of sympathy for the killers too- through glimpses of their own, warped domestic bliss. This is interesting and

one that gets under your skin and disturbs.

I have to mention the humour also- which is also a nice contrast to darkness, though some of the humour is very close to the edge- you DO need those moments of light relief, to prevent the proceedings becoming completely grimy and depressing.

The only main downside of this film is it does at times feel overly long, almost deliberately drawn out,and that can distract from the intensity of things.

Personally this film marks a huge improvement for Rob Zombie after the debacle that was House Of 1000 Corpses, a masturbatory fan boy effort which had an okay build up but quickly descended into cartoony drivel. With The Devil's Rejects Rob Zombie seems to have shifted focus from being a kid with a film camera and a budget, and shifted focus on telling a story, and making the audience FEEL something, and he actually does a pretty good job of it too.

Special mention has to go to Sheri Moon. A real delight to watch. I can't help but smile when I see her on screen- I wouldn't be at all surprised if she finds herself with a huge gay following. A lovely mixture of sassiness, innocence and an edge of something slightly darker. I like her a lot- well at least when she's not making racist playground chants fashionable again.

I'm actually excited now about Zombie's remake/ reinvention/ prequel of Halloween. Okay so the term "remake/ reinvention/ prequel" fills me with an underlying sense of dread, but I'm going to breathe out and try trust Rob Zombie on this one. If nothing else, I know it'll be anything but bland.

Not the kind of movie I would normally even consider, but after recommendations from a couple of people who's opinion I trust, I rented the movie this weekend. Writer/Director Rob Zombie is obviously a great fan of 70s drive-in fare like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Hills Have Eyes" and has learned his lessons well. He has a solid directorial style and a great ear for comically profane dialog - the banter in this movie reminds me of "Goodfellas" with maniacal Southern rednecks rather than East Coast Italian mobsters. And with a cast that includes William Forsythe, Sid Haig, Geoffrey Lewis, Ginger Lynn Allen, Priscilla Barnes, Steve Railsback, P.J. Soles, Mary Waronov, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, and Michael Berryman, and a Super 70s Soundtrack featuring The Allman Brothers, The James Gang, David Essex, and Lynyrd Skynyrd among others - you know Zombie has his pop cultural/cult movie references in order. I enjoyed this movie more for the humor than the for the "horror". The characters are all named after various Marx Brothers characters and while the gore is graphic and there are some truly chilling images in the movie, Zombie just misses the "beat" to put some of these sequences over the top, while the acting performances by a couple of the leads - namely Zombie look-alike Bill Mosely and Zombie's utterly babe-o-licious wife Sherri Moon Zombie - are less than stellar (although in Ms. Zombie's case it doesn't really matter - major eye candy!). So, a "qualified" recommendation for those who don't normally go for this kind of movie but who think they might enjoy it based on the description above. I thoroughly enjoyed it myself and think Rob Zombie is a genuinely talented filmmaker who will eventually hit one out of the ballpark if he keeps at it, which I'm sure he will. He comes pretty darned close with "The Devil's Rejects".

The Devil's Rejects has such a powerful name that the movie itself had to live up to... and it exceeded my expectations.

A fun sequel that plays out more like a police thriller than a horror movie.

Well balanced between gritty, over-the-top performances and fun, light-hearted-ness. It's hard to say whether this film tops its predecessor when their inspirations reside in two different area codes.

I find this is a better film, but this and House of 1000 Corpses seem to serve different purposes.

In any case, The Devil's Rejects is a more realized and stylized film that dishes out an enjoyable viewing experience.

I just saw this film at a sneak preview screening in San Francisco. I had really loved Zombie's first film, HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES, and was looking forward to seeing how he was going to "re-create" the characters from that first film into this new one.

Stylistically, this film is exceptional. Zombie knows how to build tension and has a real gift for being able to pay homage to the horror flicks of the 70's without insulting or copying them. His choices in casting is genius and the performances in this film are quite good.

However, gone is the camp-value he infused into CORPSES. This film takes itself much more seriously and this does not help. In fact, the fact that Zombie focuses more on horror and torture without the same level of dark humor makes the film come off as somewhat cruel. Are we to actually enjoy seeing the victims tortured? Somehow, the fun of his first film is absent.

However, for those of us who have an appreciation for the films of the original 70's renegade film makers such as Tobe Hooper -- you can't help but enjoy Zombie's style of filming. This film also enjoys have some of the best southern rock ever created to serve as its soundtrack.

The three lead actors stand out and give great performances, but one wishes Zombie would have allowed them to go a bit more over the top. Karen Black did not return to play Moma Firefly which is too bad, but the actress who takes over the role does a great job.

In the end -- I think this is an interesting and valid second film from Rob Zombie, but I hope that he allows his cast and his audience to have a bit more fun. The world has enough torture and violence -- if we are to see it in a film it needs to give us a bit of a scare and a bit of a laugh. If only he had utilized that dark/twisted since of humor a bit more.

Still, it is worth a look -- but not for those of you who get upset by violence. And, please, this is not a movie for children. There was a child at last night's screening. That poor baby is going to be scarred for life!

OK, I loved "House of 1000 Corpses". I loved it for completely different reasons than I loved "The Devils Rejects". The mood in the first one is far more campy, almost cartoonish. The actual fear and horror mixed with that weird wink is perfect. "The Devils Rejects" on the other hand seems almost real. These people are out there...these people do not care about you or your children. Hell, they don't even care about your dog or furniture. The music, the angles, the complete disregard for the feelings of others. Blantant hedonism at it's best. Some folks walked out...I sat singing "Free Bird" till the screen went black. If it's for you, don't miss it. If you believe you are the least bit squeamish...go get that new direct to DVD Stitch movie!