Stream it now The Devil's Rejects Reset Status Want to Watch Already Watched Don't Want to Watch

hey Zannira ... what would make your mind give it a 8.7/10 are you crazy or just need to get killed by Captain Spalding

I actually like it 8.7/10

I just got back from seeing a screening of The Devil's Rejects. The audience was told that this is the first screening of the film in the United States. So, I have to wonder: has this film been screened outside of the United States? Anyway, let's not get too far off into the peripheral.



What did I think of the movie? Well, that's what it comes down to, isn't it? Did I like the movie? Yes, I liked the movie. More than likely, though, this film will be tweaked before its release. Here's my initial and "brief" response to the movie.



As you may know, The Devil's Rejects is a sequel to House Of 1,000 Corpses. The sequel has a different feel than the original -- entirely different. It picks up from where the last one ended. Three of the members of the Firefly family - Captain Spalding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Mosely), and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) - escape police and an ambush to proceed on a murderous spree as they seek to elude pursuing police and bounty hunters.



Is this a horror movie? Well, not really. But it's definitely horrific. It's visceral, bloody, irreverent, and disturbing. It's filled with blood, bullets, murder, and mayhem. Without a doubt, this film has some deeply horrific elements, but plays more like an ultra-violent western/crime drama/revenge movie. It's an intriguing fusion of cinematic elements, to say the least.



This is not high art, folks. Pop art? Yeah, that's a little more like it. It's a macabre and subversive piece of filmmaking. Take the Manson Family, add a few relatives from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, make them the protagonists, have it take place under the desert sun, add lots of bullets, blood, bodies, four letter words, dark humor, murder, and mayhem, and you may have an idea of what to expect.



The first fourth of the movie was hit and miss for me. There are lulls here and there, but all in all, I liked the movie. I was put off by the first forth or so because I was expecting something more along the lines of a horror film. With the exception of the film's opening shootout, I would have liked for things to get rolling at a brisker pace. But once the three protagonists finally come together at the local Motel, the movie kicks into gear, with only a minor lull here and there. The sequence at the local Motel is a highlight of the film, and will more than likely have you drop your jaw.



The acting works for the given material. There are also a couple of loose ends that could use some resolve. But hey, this is not Merchant Ivory, folks.



The film appears to admire its psychotic "protagonists." In the film's climatic shootout, over Skynyrd's "Free Bird," our protagonists take on mythic proportions. The "protagonists" appear to be a subversive (and perhaps even abstract) symbol of freedom, revolution, and individuality, as well as of societal failure, irreverence, and hostility. Perhaps there's a part of us that wants to be like the Firefly family, to roam freely like a wild vagabond, taking what is desired without conscience, spitting on everything sacred, and taking pleasure in the suffering of others, or in the suffering of those who oppress us.



I overheard a viewer express that the film wasn't scary. I overheard a few persons express that it wasn't a horror film. And I thought, wow, what was just up on the screen was horrific. I saw horror on the screen and I was hearing "not scary" and "not a horror movie." I could not help but think "what a desensitized group of folks." And finally, I heard a viewer express, "it was sexy."



Not quite what I expected in a sequel to House Of 1,000 Corpses, but its an interesting piece of "pop art," or perhaps "pop cinema." I liked the movie -- being of a depraved and reprobate mind -- but thought it could be tighter and have less lulls here and there. So, if you're looking for a deliciously depraved good time, you may find yourself digging this.

saw this last thursday and I have to say it is hardcore. Really brutal movie and Im not sure how it will get an R rating. Completely different vibe that H1KC. Very cool how it is the evil guys being chased by a pshycopathic copper. Very original and also very not original. Like H1KC it borrows things from other films but its entertaining nonetheless. Mr. Zombie is a fantastic filmmaker. Very gritty, funny and disturbing. enjoy.

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (HORROR)

I like the flow of this film A LOT more than the flow of Zombie's first film (House of 1000 Corpses) and this sequel to that film goes into a different direction than most standard horror movies, I'll give it credit for that. I can definately say that if you watch horror films just for the gratuitous violence, then you will like this one!

For myself, I want more from a horror film than shocking scenes of gore and pop-culture spoofing one liners. Unfortunately we get mostly that through out the film. Apparently we're supposed to feel sorry for, or at least identify with, the sociopathic Firefly family. That just doesn't work. Seeing things through "the monster's" eyes and sympathising with the creature in some way is as old as the "Frankenstein" story or the Wolf-Man legend (to name a few). It doesn't work here.

Otis and company do not have a single quality or trait or ideal that I can identify with or that could redeem them for me to have any sympathy for them. The people who are hunting them in this film are nearly just as bad. That being the case, I'm left watching a film where I don't care about or identify with any of the main characters and so the resolution of the film makes no difference to me. I didn't care who won in the end.

Is that a problem? For me it is. As I said, this film will thrill you if all you want to do is sit down and watch some shocking gore effects and listen to the characters toss one-liners at each other. If you're looking for more substance than that, this movie might not be worth your ticket price. Horror movie fans will enjoy it seeing as most of what's being released lately as "horror films" are PG13 crap. I'd wait for this one to hit DVD though and rent it.

Imagine a less grueling LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT with comic relief that actually works and you'd be close to THE DEVIL'S REJECTS; a movie that delivers (and then some) on the fleeting moments of promise that HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES occasionally hinted at.

After a brilliantly paced and choreographed opening shoot-out at the Firefly hideout we follow the surviving members of the cult as they take hostages and are pursued by the fanatical Sheriff Wydell (played by a very menacing William Forsythe).

One of the things I enjoyed most about HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES was the demented tone of the whole thing. We get the unsettling feeling that the filmmaker is rooting for the bad guys, cheering them on as they torment and kill their victims. In this film Rob Zombie does something altogether different but just as unsettling; he makes the villains human. He does this not only by writing the characters as three dimensional, but by emphasizing that the Firefly clan, above all else, are a family. This is particularly brought home by the great chemistry Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) and his brother Charlie Altamont (Ken Foree) have in the few scenes they share.

Another stand-out element of this film is the humor. There are some hilarious moments in this film. Our reintroduction to Captain Spaulding, an inappropriate conversation about chickens and countless one-liners delivered by Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley) provide more than adequate comic relief to the grim, gritty proceedings.

A few nitpicks: The actress playing Mother Firefly horribly overacts and is very distracting, Zombie's frequent reliance on tight close ups can be occasionally jarring and there's a rather obvious homage to LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT that doesn't pack a fraction of the cinematic "punch" the original scene does.

Overall though, Rob knocks this one out of the park. He's made a ballsy, brutal, blackly humorous flick that's probably as close to 70's exploitation revenge cinema as we'll get until Tarantino & Rodriguez hit us up with GRINDHOUSE next year.

United States, 2005

U.S. Release Date: 7/22/05 (wide)

Running Length: 1:40

MPAA Classification: R (Extreme violence & gore, sexual violence, extreme profanity, sex, nudity, drug use)

Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Ken Foree, Leslie Easterbrook, Geoffrey Lewis, Priscilla Barnes

Director: Rob Zombie

Producers: Mike Elliott, Andy Gould, Michael Ohoven, Rob Zombie

Screenplay: Rob Zombie

Cinematography: Phil Parmet

Music: Tyler Bates, Rob Zombie

This was barely a sequel to House of 1,000 Corpses and if that's what you're absolutlely looking for...you'll probably be disappointed.
If you're looking for a purely sadistic revenge movie packed with buckets of blood...you are definately in for a treat.
I would compare the contrast of this movie to it's predecessor something like this; Devil's Rejects is to House of 1,000 Corpses what Kill Bill 2 is to Kill Bill 1. There's a large group of people who were extremely let down by the second volume of Tarantino's revenge flick (I for one). Those are the ones who will walk out of the theater with a bad taste in their mouths.
Strangely, the only bad taste I had was from eating a flippin' pickle and a box sour patch kids before the film even started. I thought this film was a fantastic journey into extreme vulgarity and vile brutality. The perfect movie to see at a 12:01 am screening when you have to work at 6:30 am. My mind's aflutter.
Basically, if you are looking to see House of 1,001 Corpses...forget about it. Open your mind to the new insanely depraved family adventures of Otis Driftwood, Captain Spaulding, and the gorgeous Baby.
And don't eat pickles and candy. You'll wanna hurl.

It's one of those rare movie moments where I can take my seat and get exactly what I expected from such a film. So, as expected, I got to see another great Rob Zombie flick with little to no disappointment. If you've already seen House of 1000 Corpses like I did you'll have a good idea of what's going on, not so much "why", but you'll understand the main characters nuances better. And if you liked Ho1kC's, you will like DR's just the same.

This movie, like Zombies previous 1970's esque hack n' slash conception, tells the continued tale of a family of serial killers (think Mr. Zombie has a "thing" for the Manson family? Yeah, so do I.) who well...kill people indiscriminatly and visciously, hence the term "serial killers". But where as in the previous movie, waiting for stupid teens and tourists alike to stumble into their domain of death, DR's takes things on the road to the outside world due to local police "intervention".

I don't want to give too much away, so I will just say that I was pleased about how this twisted adventure took it's turns. There was a lot to like here, and a lot to hate, but it was more of a love-hate experience. I found myself actually liking these bad guys and gals from time to time. Through out the movie I both despised and grew fond of them, especially the infamous Capt. Spaulding. My feelings constantly changed while watching this family in action and reaction to certain events. At times I wanted them to get caught by authorities so-as to end their vial ways, and others I secretly wished for their continued free reign on what's evil. Sick huh? Call it Stockholms Syndrome I guess (look it up dink).

Anyway, as I've said, if you liked House of 1000 Corpses and it's your thing,than you should see this movie, it's worth the $. But if your the type to cringe everytime you see blood, walk away...slowly and don't look back.

The movie isn't a horror flick in that it isn't scary.

I've heard it described as a "revenge" flick, and that is much more accurate... but not really all that entertaining.

Nice violence with lots of blood and some gore.

Nice quotient of nudity (hey... tell me you didn't want to know).

A couple of laughs, but I did not find it nearly as humourus as some reviewers.

But not a single scary or even tense moment. Maybe it was just because there really wasn't a single well-developed sympathetic charactor...