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"These days an income is something you can't live without--or within."
- Tom Wilson
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The Devil's Rejects is writer/director Rob Zombie's sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, set some months after the events of the first film.
For the murderous Firefly family, it's business as usual, with the other family members relaxing at home whilst Tiny is off burying their latest victim, until Sheriff Wydell and his boys turn up at the house for a showdown. After a shootout of epic proportions, Mother Firefly finds herself in police custody with one son dead, but Baby and Otis manage to escape, and embark on a road trip together, with the aim of meeting up with Baby's father, the equally psychotic Captain Spaulding, leaving many more corpses in their wake.
It's not really necessary to have seen the first film in order to understand or appreciate The Devil's Rejects as a film in its own right. It would help to be familiar with the characters and to know what evil they are capable of, but to be honest, I'm still not 100% on these details even after having seen both films. It's never really made clear exactly how these people are related to one another.
The
main characters in this film are Mother Firefly, Otis, Baby and Captain Spaulding.
Mother and Captain Spaulding are Baby's natural parents, but I'm not sure where Otis fits into the picture - he and Baby act like brother and sister, but it's never really clarified whether he has the same parentage. Not that it really matters too much, they are like family, whether biologically or not.
Sheriff Wydell's hunt for the family is mainly a personal vendetta rather than police business, since his brother George was brutally slaughtered by the Fireflys in the first film.
Personally, I disliked the predecessor to Rejects. I found it to be mundane and uninteresting tripe - all tits and gore and nothing of much substance. Not that there's anything wrong with a good slasher movie, but it's nice to have something to keep the interest going too. The Devil's Rejects, however, is a much better effort on Rob Zombie's part. It is a very well shot film, with a fairly good storyline, humour (albeit mostly black), and some unusual camera and editing techniques which give it that extra edge. Even most of the acting is commendable, with only the odd moment of B movie thrown in. Sheri Moon Zombie plays a superb psycho with a sweet side (or perhaps she is actually just like that, who knows...she is married to Rob Zombie, after all).
The Devil's Rejects is the first film I've seen in a while that made me genuinely cringe, to the extent where if I wasn't as immune to horror as I am, I may have considered switching off. I can certainly see why other people have commented on how 'sick' it is.
This film is not particularly gory - we're not talking gross-out blood and guts here - the cringe factor comes in how psychotic the family are. They have no qualms whatsoever about what they'll do to people or about what they'll make people do. There's something about humiliation that is much worse than simple murder. It's difficult to watch, even when you know it's only a film. The Devil's Rejects harks back to shocker films like Last House on the Left or (to a lesser extent) I Spit on Your Grave. If you've seen those films, you'll know what I mean - if not, just take it from me - it's not for the faint hearted.
The Devil's Rejects was shot on Super 16, which gives it that grainy 'reality' feel, much like similar films of the 70s, and the style of it is more 'Bonnie and Clyde' than 'The Exorcist'. It almost has a western feel about it, with its yellow hues and Texas desert setting.
I very much expected to be as unimpressed by this film as I was of 1000 Corpses, but was pleasantly surprised. (or unpleasantly surprised?).
Rejects is certainly a film that will have you questioning your morals. In the beginning, it is clear-cut that this family are depraved lunatics who deserve everything they've got coming to them by way of the Sheriff, but as the film progresses, the Sheriff's lust for revenge takes over his quest for justice. When the Sheriff becomes just as sadistic as the family he's trying to stop, whose side are you on?
Zombie also shows us the 'family' side of the family in some endearing scenes, and armed with this knowledge, we as the audience don't know which way's up. As the film's end comes ever closer, you may well find yourself rooting for these sadists to escape and continue in their crazy ways.
Whoever you root for, if you enjoy your horror (70s horror not the slasher-teens that are so common today), you're bound to find something you like in The Devil's Rejects. Just make sure you have your fairly strong stomach and black sense of humour with you.
---------------- MAIN CAST ----------------
Sid Haig .... Captain Spaulding Bill Moseley .... Otis Sheri Moon Zombie .... Baby Firefly Leslie Easterbrook .... Mother Firefly William Forsythe .... Sheriff John Qunicy Wydell Ken Foree .... 'Uncle' Charlie Matthew McGrory .... Tiny Firefly
Directed by: Rob Zombie
Rating: 18
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Advantages: Comedy, horror, gore, the gorgeous Sheri Moon Zombie - and a cast of well known faces! Disadvantages: What disadvantages? This is my second favourite movie of all time! I can't say a bad word about it!!
iateamonkey 07.05.2006 (08.05.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Devil's Rejects (DVD)
Advantages: Comedy, horror, gore, the gorgeous Sheri Moon Zombie - and a cast of well known faces! Disadvantages: What disadvantages? This is my second favourite movie of all time! I can't say a bad word about it!!
iateamonkey 07.05.2006 (08.05.2006)
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Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Devil's Rejects (DVD)
![The Devil's Rejects [DVD] [2005]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78503693.jpg "The Devil's Rejects [DVD] [2005]")
Dec 28th, 2006
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