Rob Zombie launched himself onto the main stage as an important voice in modern horror with his sophomore effort The Devil's Rejects. Continuing the exploits of the Firefly family, last seen in House of 1000 Corpses, the film follows the family on the run after a police raid on their den of torture and murder. The local Sheriff has a personal grudge to settle and as the film develops we are asked to side with the family as they become the victims.
Zombie's influences are clear from the outset with an opening narration and on screen text in the style of a documentary giving the back story in a clear reference to Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The 70's setting and overall style of the film constantly hearkens back to genre classics such as Craven's Last House On The Left. The film never reaches the artistic heights of Chainsaw (partially due to a sexually juvenile and leery tone that undermines the other great work being done) but it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the vast majority of grindhouse movies.
There are many who accuse Zombie of being a Charles Manson sympathiser and it is easy to see why. The character of Otis, played by Bill Mosely, is clearly based on the most famous of mass murderers and I don't think it's a push to look at it as a homage. Zombie is clearly more interested in his killers than their victims, as he would go on to confirm in his remake of Halloween in which he made Michael Myers' inner psyche the central focus. Being encouraged to sympathise with killers as sadistic and brutal as the Firefly family in The Devil's Rejects doesn't work for me and I am constantly on the side of Sheriff Wydell. Obviously each viewer will bring their own personal politics and baggage with them and is free to form their own opinions but personally once I have witnessed a man rape a woman with a pistol I don't care how much he may love his sister, I look forward to his painful demise.
Whatever Zombie's agenda and wherever his sympathies lie, there is no denying he has made a powerful film and any movie that can get people debating about these issues has got to be doing something right.
It is astonishing, given the violence being portrayed, how many times I burst out laughing watching the film. From Sid Haig as father figure Captain Spaulding to Ken Foree as a pimp, the film is full of great character actors and genre favourites turning it up to 11 and spitting out Zombie's hilarious, twisted dialogue with relish. Even Rob's wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, turns in a great performance which surprised me massively because she is awful in Halloween.
A definite recommend to all viewers with even a passing interest in horror/grindhouse flicks.
Zombie's influences are clear from the outset with an opening narration and on screen text in the style of a documentary giving the back story in a clear reference to Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The 70's setting and overall style of the film constantly hearkens back to genre classics such as Craven's Last House On The Left. The film never reaches the artistic heights of Chainsaw (partially due to a sexually juvenile and leery tone that undermines the other great work being done) but it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the vast majority of grindhouse movies.
There are many who accuse Zombie of being a Charles Manson sympathiser and it is easy to see why. The character of Otis, played by Bill Mosely, is clearly based on the most famous of mass murderers and I don't think it's a push to look at it as a homage. Zombie is clearly more interested in his killers than their victims, as he would go on to confirm in his remake of Halloween in which he made Michael Myers' inner psyche the central focus. Being encouraged to sympathise with killers as sadistic and brutal as the Firefly family in The Devil's Rejects doesn't work for me and I am constantly on the side of Sheriff Wydell. Obviously each viewer will bring their own personal politics and baggage with them and is free to form their own opinions but personally once I have witnessed a man rape a woman with a pistol I don't care how much he may love his sister, I look forward to his painful demise.
Whatever Zombie's agenda and wherever his sympathies lie, there is no denying he has made a powerful film and any movie that can get people debating about these issues has got to be doing something right.
It is astonishing, given the violence being portrayed, how many times I burst out laughing watching the film. From Sid Haig as father figure Captain Spaulding to Ken Foree as a pimp, the film is full of great character actors and genre favourites turning it up to 11 and spitting out Zombie's hilarious, twisted dialogue with relish. Even Rob's wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, turns in a great performance which surprised me massively because she is awful in Halloween.
A definite recommend to all viewers with even a passing interest in horror/grindhouse flicks.