The Devil's Rejects
November 20th 2006 02:08
Expectation is a dangerous thing. It can really dampen a movie’s intentions. And in the case of Rob Zombie’s follow-up to his feature debut House of 1000 Corpses, the hype did just that. I didn’t see either movie at the cinemas; both were late night DVD fare.
I prepared myself for a dog’s breakfast when I got House of 1000 Corpses out. The idea of the lead singer of a pseudo-cult metal band turning his so-called talents to the big screen to indulge in his deep passion for horror movies seemed very tenuous to say the least. But I was somewhat surprised. It wasn’t a great film. It wasn’t even very good. But it was reasonably well made for what it was and possessed a certain, shall we say, chutzpah.
The Devil’s Rejects takes the three obnoxious rogues from 1000 Corpses and sets them loose on more unsuspecting kin, while the long arm of the Southern law is in hot pursuit. It’s a kind of depraved road movie with gruesome lurches, but in truth, it didn’t strike me as much of a horror flick. 1000 Corpses was more nightmarish.
The movie begins promisingly, but rather quickly deteriorates into a tedious cat-and-mouse game between vengeful Sheriff Wydell (Bill Forsythe) and the family of misfits aka The Devil’s Rejects, whom consist of Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie). There’s also a couple of hideous bounty hunters (the butt uglies Danny Trejo and Dallas Page) involved too, and the Captain’s half-brother Charlie Altamont (Ken Foree).
The best part of The Devil’s Rejects is the country-rock soundtrack and the art direction. The acting is a combination of ham-fisted, over-wrought deliveries, amateur antics, and sludgy histrionics. By half way through I was groping for the remote, and in the last ten minutes it became apparent screenwriter/director Zombie has way too fond of his wastrels and really didn’t want to see them go. Surely one of the most bloated endings to a so-called horror movie I’ve seen in years.
Overall the movie is like a bastard mutant off-spring to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as seen through the eyes of someone with tequila goggles on, who’s been smokin’ too much hooch. It’s a delirious, befuddled mess. During the infamous motel scene and later in the Sheriff’s fit of vengeful rage, it feels as though the whole thing has been cooked up purely for sadistic shock value. It’s ludicrous gaff indeed, and implausibility tilts the movie in a highly uneven fashion. To add insult to injury, most of the gore effects have been poorly CGI-ed. Hmph!
There are numerous horror movie references (if you can be bothered to spot them). Several members of the cast are cult movie fodder (Ken Foree, P.J. Soles, Mary Woronov, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Steve Railsback). But the film lacks the surrealist touches which covered 1000 Corpses in a more potent nightmarish shroud.
Who knows what in hell Zombie will do with Halloween?
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia page
The Devil's Rejects
They are licensed from the GNU Free Document License
The movie begins promisingly, but rather quickly deteriorates into a tedious cat-and-mouse game between vengeful Sheriff Wydell (Bill Forsythe) and the family of misfits aka The Devil’s Rejects, whom consist of Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie). There’s also a couple of hideous bounty hunters (the butt uglies Danny Trejo and Dallas Page) involved too, and the Captain’s half-brother Charlie Altamont (Ken Foree).
The best part of The Devil’s Rejects is the country-rock soundtrack and the art direction. The acting is a combination of ham-fisted, over-wrought deliveries, amateur antics, and sludgy histrionics. By half way through I was groping for the remote, and in the last ten minutes it became apparent screenwriter/director Zombie has way too fond of his wastrels and really didn’t want to see them go. Surely one of the most bloated endings to a so-called horror movie I’ve seen in years.
There are numerous horror movie references (if you can be bothered to spot them). Several members of the cast are cult movie fodder (Ken Foree, P.J. Soles, Mary Woronov, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Steve Railsback). But the film lacks the surrealist touches which covered 1000 Corpses in a more potent nightmarish shroud.
Who knows what in hell Zombie will do with Halloween?
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia page
The Devil's Rejects
They are licensed from the GNU Free Document License
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Comment by Milly
Travel Adventures
The questioning mind
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
You know, this raises the question in my mind -- how easy is it to make a bad film?
Ridiculously easy, one might think. But I don't know... The camera work and editing can take care of themselves -- you just hire someone who knows what they're doing. Acting doesn't have to be good -- as long as you get someone who at least pretends to convey what the moment requires, then that's all that really matters. So it all boils down to the script.
But there's ways to guarantee that you've got a half-decent script. For instance, just get feedback from a bunch of people and work it and rework it till they're all happy...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
haven't seen Saw III yet. Didn't like either of the other two, so I ain't holdin' much hope for the third installment. I despise films that try to be too clever for their own good.
Adrian,
you've opened a can of worms my friend. "Camera work and editing can take care of themselves" ? well, sure you can hire someone who knows what they're doing, but a director - if they are to truly call themselves the director - needs to have a complete handle on that area. The visual grammer of a film - particularly a horror flick - is paramount, and leaving it to people who are technically good, doesn't always translate to providing a film with the suitable tone and atmosphere.
I beg to differ with "acting doesn't need to be good". Good acting is essential to having an audience believe in a character. Regardless of genre.
Script? Yeah, obviously very important. And this can never be understated. But a screenwriter has to be careful how much feedback they get. Too many people's opinions and advice is like too many cooks in the kitchen. A screenwriter has to have a certain faith in oneself. Sure, it might not work, but if you start listening to every Tom, Dick and Harry on what works and what doesn't work, you'll end up with a stew that stinks.
The Devil's Rejects screenplay stunk. Simple as that. Technically Rob Zombie knows what he's doing, although I don't agree with his aesthetics a lot of the time, and I don't think casting your wife in a lead role, just because you think she looks hot in a pair of ill-fitting jeans and can cuss like a wild hog is a good decision.
Before watching Devil's Rejects I had attempted to watch a straight-to-video release called Evil Aliens. A UK job. I knew it was gonna be trashy. But boy, this humdinger stunk like rotten eggs from hell! you want a truly bad horror movie ... try that on for size. It made Devil's Rejects seem like a genuine contender (for a short while ...)
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
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Have you seen some of Adrian's posts lately?
Have you thought about youTube presentations, if they are available in the form you want?
I have a discussion going on youTubes and have used them in two of my posts.
One will surprise you, the other not so much.
katyzzz
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
you mean the one on the Aussie killer? yeah, i posted ...
have you seen jon's post on the use of images and videos in reference to orble ...?
i have made use of youtube, but only as a hyperlink directing to the specific youtube page/link ...
to be honest, i don't know how to upload youtube directly on a post ...
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
i DEFINATELY think I will be giving this film a miss. It must be a guy thing to see guts being ripped out and brains and other body matter strewn across the place. Nothing wrong with a little blood and gore, but come on people, movies are supposed to be about the imagination and these days they aren`t leaving too much to it!!! YUK YUK YUK! Definitely too many girlie hormones running through my blood I reckon!
Ash
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Ash,
on the contrary, I know plenty of women who dig a gory horror flick ... it's not just a "guy thing" .... trust me. But hey, if you've got too many girlie hormones in your system, best stick to the romantic comedies .... lol
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I don`t mind blood and gore but heads being sawn open and bones cracked through the skin and....tooooooo much!
Intriguing however...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.