The Devil's Rejects

Okay, I have a confession to make. Long before Stacey Snider & Universal decided House of 1,000 Corpses was much too much for their tender sensibilities, I lied my way into seeing a test screening of the then much-buzzed about Rob Zombie film. I was totally blown away by it, and raved to anyone and everyone that House was the best horror film I had seen in ages. Its intense, brutal tone took me back to the malignant, super 70's. Later came the debacle at Universal and the rescue of the film by Lions Gate. And finally the cruel twist: when House finally made it to theaters, it was a pale imitation of the rough cut I saw. Zombie & Lions Gate had transformed that masterpiece into some kinda art film compared to what I'd had the privilege to see. I was so disappointed I gladly took the bitch slappings I received from my many horror friends and began to wonder if I might have dreamed the test version.

So now, a few years have passed and Mr. Zombie and Lions Gate have put together a sequel, The Devil's Rejects, and I have to admit I found myself hesitant and keeping a tight lid on my expectations. Would Rejects be closer to ugly magnificence or more artsy, drug dream crap? Everything I'd read made me want to believe it was going to be a road picture from hell and I have to admit my hopes had begun to soar. So when I got the opportunity to see it early, I jumped at the chance.

And the verdict is...

I was not disappointed. The Devil's Rejects is not a great horror film, but I think horror fans will be more than satisfied with the mayhem Rob Zombie subjects his audience to, even though I felt there were several moments of restraint on either his or Lions Gate part when it came to the carnage and bloodletting. But not to worry folks, there is plenty of entertaining ugliness for everyone.

While the House of 1,000 Corpses was a "house of madness" flick, The Devil's Rejects is equal parts road picture and revenge movie, succeeding much more on the revenge side. Zombie keeps the story simple: the lawman brother of the murdered sheriff from House shows up on the doorstep of the Firefly family slaughterhouse ranch with a small army of local law enforcement to put an end to the horrible exploits of the serial killing family. Part of the family survives and escapes the shootout, going on the run. Driven by revenge, the sheriff slides from peace officer to avenger, his lust for vengeance fully equal to the sadistic madness of the Firefly clan. And when the obsessed sheriff finally catches up to them, there really is hell to pay.

The movie is still bouncing around in my head, and the paramount thing is just how well made it felt. With the exception of a couple abrupt scene transitions, director/writer Rob Zombie brings a polarized vision to the screen in a story not really as simple as good versus evil as much as it's about two set of forces driven to do either God's or the Devil's work to the point where their actions are nearly interchangeable. Zombie uses an odd slideshow style throughout, at times more effective than others. The style gives an interesting though occasionally awkward feel to the film's flow. Keeping the story simple does work in everyone's favor, and Director of Photography Phil Parmet does a nice job of incorporating the beauty and harshness of the southwestern desert landscape to season the film's tone. But I think the heart and soul of The Devil's Rejects lies in the superlative casting and passion the actors bring to the screen.

Fans of House of 1,000 Corpses will be happy to see the return of murderous clown-faced Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), freak du jour Otis (Bill Moseley) and demented siren Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie). The trio display a great chemistry carried over from the first film. All three do a great job reprising their roles from House, taking turns stealing scenes throughout. It's intriguing how their characters carry equal menace while on screen despite the range of difference in their methods. Captain Spaulding is the ultimate clown nightmare even without the big shoes and honking horn; Otis is simply a mean to the bone psychopathic killer, and Baby is the fatal attraction to end all fatal attractions. Sheri Moon Zombie has definitely risen to scream queen status, and God bless Rob for having the good sense to cast her in House so we could continue to enjoy her in Rejects. Watching Baby work her magic is like watching a black widow spider spin a web. You can't take your eyes off her beauty despite the depravity of her role.

The rest of the cast is chock full of genre names playing key roles. William Forsythe was born to play vengeful Sheriff Wydell, torn between the family legacy of God fearing, white hat wearing lawmen and the corrupting hatred he feels for the family of maniacs responsible for the death of his brother. Leslie Easterbrook steps in for Karen Black and doesn't miss a beat in the role of Mother Firefly. Easterbrook oozes wicked self-delusion and a menacing lunacy fit for the matriarch of a homicidal clan. Ken Foree plays Charlie Altamont, an old friend of the Firefly family caught between loyalty and the law, and other actors such as Geoffery Lewis, Michael Berryman and Danny Trejo lend their presence to the dark ride. But be prepared for a surprising turn by Priscilla Barnes of long ago Three's Company fame. She not only does a great job endowing her character with a layer of inner strength but her beauty and presence are the key ingredients of scream queens. Hopefully we'll see her in future horror projects. And keep your eyes open for P.J. Soles and Ginger Lynn Allen in small roles. Despite the dark psyche of the film, the cast seems to be having a blast.

The production as a whole is top notch and looks great. And despite the great casting, the star of the film might actually be the music by Tyler Bates and what could be the best horror soundtrack of all time. Great classic cuts from Steely Dan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Walsh, The Allman Brothers and others are littered throughout. If all the great tunes make it to the retail soundtrack, I'm buying that bad boy, on sale or no.

The effects are solid, editing good with the exception of a couple of rough scene transitions, and Kane Hodder lends his able services for the stunts.

The tone of the film is exactly what fans would expect: lean and mean. The Firefly brood is still the murderous, sadistic sons-a-bitches we remember from House, and there was more than one occasion I felt myself flinching at the demonstrations of their sick and twisted minds. The film definitely delivers on that front. You want evil, you get evil. And many times it comes with a dose of black humor you can't help but laugh at, even if it's just to ease the tension.

So as I sit here rolling the film around in my mind, I just keep thinking how solid and enjoyable The Devil's Rejects is. Not an instant classic but it does dish up the goods fans in the know will be looking for. I'm really looking forward to Rob Zombie and Lions Gate dishing out more nightmares in the future, whether together or separately. And if Zombie's lucky, he'll have this level of cast and crew to work with.