Back in 2002, I started hearing about a little horror movie that was being filmed by veteran rock star Rob Zombie (of White Zombie fame). I was familiar with Zombie’s extremely hard-edged music and pretty much expected the film to deliver everything a horror film fan could possible want. Initially there was some trouble getting the film released because the original studio decided it didn’t want anything to do with it. After shopping it around a bit, Zombie found a home at Lions Gate who in turn heavily promoted “House of 1,000 Corpses” and its subsequent DVD release. As I understand it, a part of the reason the original studio backed off was because the film was reported to be violently graphic, far beyond what was acceptable to the suits in charge. Of course, this helped in the later promotion of “House of 1,000 Corpses” when it was released. Horror fans started foaming at the mouths in anticipation of the release of the film, expecting it to be the ‘next big thing’ in horror movie history.

When the film opened, it did fairly good box office and of course did even better on DVD thanks to the legions of fans who felt that it took horror films to the next level.

My own personal opinion of “House of 1,000 Corpses” was that it was very good, but not necessarily great. It was very reminiscent of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” in that it revolved around a household of homicidal maniacs who terrorize 2 young couples who happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The time period was also set in the 70’s, which linked it even closer to the style of Tobe Hooper’s classic.

I had very mixed feelings about “House of 1,000 Corpses” because while I found it to be extremely visceral in its approach to the gore, not to mention sadistically horrible all the way around, the filming was extremely choppy. Zombie’s approach to directing utilized a lot of scattershot imagery edited throughout the film in a similar fashion to “Natural Born Killers” and it was just too much. It made paying attention to the movie very difficult at times. Then as the film moved forward, it also became more and more schizophrenic, both in plot and style, almost to the point of ridiculous.

What the film did have going for it however, were the characters. They were drawn with broad strokes by the actors portraying them. They could recite cleverly humorous one-liners at the same they were joyfully going about their brutally cruel hobbies. As the Firefly family, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon (now Zombie) and Karen Black reveled in their roles and became bigger than life with an almost comic book approach to their delivery. Actor Sid Haig became a fan favorite as the menacing Captain Spaulding, whose clownish character (literally)… was perhaps the most evil of them all.

When I first heard that Zombie was being given the opportunity to film a sequel, I was actually excited at the prospect in spite “House of 1,000 Corpses” weaknesses. I had read that Zombie himself had recognized these weaknesses and was making an effort to improve on the original film. A few months ago I was invited to catch a sneak preview of the sequel, “The Devil’s Rejects” and I went over to the theatre with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I really hoped it would be a better film, but I had my doubts.

Just to catch you up to speed before I get into my review, “The Devil’s Rejects” takes place fairly quickly after the end of the previous movie, with the Fireflys waking up to a barrage of bullets from the local police force. The force is led by Sheriff Wydell, who lost his police officer brother to the family and is determined to end their killing spree. After a lengthy shootout, Otis (Moseley) and Baby (Moon-Zombie) take to the road in search of Captain Spaulding (Haig). Meanwhile, Mama Firefly (Leslie Easterbrook replacing Karen Black) is taken into custody by the police. The rest of the film follows the trio’s cruel exploits and Sheriff Wydell’s hunt for the maniacs.

I’m pleased to say that “The Devil’s Rejects” actually surpassed my expectations. It was far superior to “House of 1,000 Corpses” for a variety of reasons, a few of which I will be glad to get into here. First and foremost, was the film’s visual style. Gone was all of the chaotic editing that made the previous film so hard to watch. The story was told in a very straight forward and linear fashion, with no attempts to throw random images at you. The cinematography was very strong, even during the occasional moments that required handheld camera work.

But what I loved more about the film is that is really isn’t a sequel per se. Where “House of 1,000 Corpses” had some minor elements of the supernatural thrown in, making it more of a comic horror film, “The Devil’s Rejects” is a completely different film altogether. It has more in common with the 1970’s violent exploitation films than any horror film. Everything from the style of the direction to the film stock that is used screams 1970’s. Zombie also opts to utilize a lot of music from the period as opposed to composing all new tunes. Every song is a classic, though a few of them are not heard that often anymore, and all are used very well to punctuate whatever scene they play over. The use of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” at the end of the film is probably the most perfect example of this.

As for the characters, they are even more over the top here than in the previous films. But because they are played in a far more realistic manner, they are far more frightening. The mostly funny one-liners are still in place, but the laughs they elicit are a lot less comfortable. Zombie goes to great lengths to make the Fireflys some of the most terrifying serial killers ever put on film, and in “The Devil’s Rejects” he accomplishes this in spades. Sure, I laughed at some of the dialogue, but make no mistake… I hated these characters and wanted to see them brought down… and brought down hard.

The film also stars William Forsythe as Sheriff Wydell, who is haunted by the death of his brother at the hands of the Fireflys. At first, he wants nothing more than to bring them to justice, but as the film moves forward his desire turns to one of vengeance and he no longer wants them caught, or even dead. He wants them to feel the fear and pain they have dealt onto others. I applauded him throughout the film, especially when he gets the opportunity to lower himself to their level.

While watching “The Devil’s Rejects”, I also was gratified to see a number of horror film icons with full out roles. The great Ken Foree (“Dawn of the Dead”) stars as Charlie Altamont, the owner of an out of the way brothel. He gives the Firefly’s a place to stay for a bit while they are on the lam. Foree is joined by Michael Berryman (“The Hills Have Eyes”) as his handy man, Clevon. It was even more interesting to see familiar faces from old TV shows like Priscilla Barnes (“Three’s Company) and Deborah Van Valkenburgh (“Too Close for Comfort”).

This month Lion’s Gate is releasing a 2-disc “Director’s Cut” of “The Devil’s Rejects” and my first reaction was to wonder what in the world could that have added back in that was any more horrifying than what was originally presented. For the most part, all I could catch were a few more blood spatters and some additional dialogue. But the dialogue that was added did actually enhance the film in terms of character. It’s not necessarily a better version, as it is a stronger one.

Where this release really goes to the mat for fans is the inclusion of a laundry list of extra features, topped off by a second disc devoted entirely to a 144 minute making of documentary. Shot in the form of an onset diary, ‘”30 Days in Hell” follows just about every aspect of the filmmaking process from screen tests to cast readings. It is one of the best documentary features I’ve seen for a film in a long time.

Along with the feature film, the first disc includes a commentary by Rob Zombie that I found surprisingly informative. I think most people expect those in the rock music biz to be a little less than intellectual, however Zombie was extremely well-spoken and detail-oriented in terms of delivering useful background information. There is also a secondary commentary by actors Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie. This one a quite a bit more relaxed and the trio obviously have a lot of fun hanging out together.

You’ll also find a blooper reel, a complete version of the Morris Green Show segment, a Mary, the Monkey Girl Commercial and a Captain Spaulding Christmas Commercial. There is a full length Buck Owens video for the song “Satan’s Got to Get Along Without Me” as well as 11 deleted scenes and a ‘hidden camera’ video of Otis raping a cheerleader. And as if this wasn’t enough, you can check out some makeup test footage, a still gallery, theatrical trailers and the like. There is even a nice little tribute to actor Matthew McGrory, who passed away earlier this year. He played Tiny in both “House of 1,000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects”, though he is a bit more recognizable from “Big Fish” with Ewan McGregor. All in all, this a great DVD release for an otherwise very disturbing film.

Getting back to that for a moment, I have to mention the problem with reviewing a film like “The Devil’s Rejects” lies in the subject matter and the way it is presented. I cannot recommend the film to just anyone. If you are remotely squeamish, this is absolutely NOT a film for you. It is not only harsh and brutal in its depiction of the violence, but it is also in your face for most of the time. You really have to have a taste for this kind of film in order to enjoy it. And I use the term ‘enjoy’ lightly. If you’re in the right frame of mind, you don’t enjoy “The Devil’s Rejects”, you experience it.

There lies my other problem with the movie… and that is the fan base that will be amongst the greater part of most theatre audiences, they were certainly present at that early screening. Folks like me can watch a film like “The Devil’s Rejects” and appreciate it for what it is, which is a strong piece of visceral filmmaking. I can laugh uncomfortably at some of the humor, but I in no way make heroes of the main characters. I was greatly disturbed by what the killer’s victims experienced before their demise… the inherent and unabashed cruelty. But there were those in the audience who not only laughed out loud at the jokes, but actually cheered at some of the victims deaths. There was a weird feeling of celebration going on, and I found that more disturbing than what was going on in the film. Granted, it was only a movie, but the horrors exacted on the victims in the film were firmly planted in reality. There was nothing comic book about it.

I almost hate that those comments need to be made, and I don’t blame the film or it’s makers in the least. I just worry about those people in the audience and what is missing in their lives to make them find humor in others horror. I can understand appreciating the film for the well produced piece of cinema that it is, and even for what it is trying to imitate, but to laugh at some of the scenes in the film is just twisted.

Aside from that little side note, I found the experience of watching “The Devil’s Rejects” to be disturbing and uncomfortable, but completely fulfilling in what I expected it to deliver.

Directed by: Rob Zombie
Starring: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zappa
Extras: Audio commentary with Director Rob Zombie, Actor Audio Commentary with Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie, Blooper Reel, Morris Green Show - "Ruggsville's #1 talk show", Mary The Monkey Girl Commercial, Spaulding Christmas Commercial, Cheerleader Missing - The Otis Home Movie
"Satan's Got To Get Along Without Me" - Buck Owens video, Deleted Scenes, Make Up Tests, Matthew McGrory tribute, Still Gallery, Theatrical Trailer and TV spots
Specifications: Widescreen Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Lion’s Gate
Release Date: 11/8/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Devil's Rejects an A.