The Firefly family goes on the run from a vengeful sheriff
and continues their vicious murder spree on the road. HORROR
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The Devil's Rejects (2005)Written and Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Leslie Easterbrook, Ken Foree, Geoffrey Lewis, Priscilla Barnes, Kate Norby, Lew Temple, Matthew McGrory Sequel to 2003's House of 1000 Corpses |
There are road movies that see its characters undergo life-changing events as the miles pass under their wheels. This is not one of those movies. The second (of now three films) installment in the saga of the Firefly family has the titular psychopaths on the run as they are chased by Sheriff John Quincy Wydell, the brother of George Wydell who was killed in House of 1000 Corpses. A barrage of bullets and fucks (I think this movie has the most fucks I’ve ever heard and that’s saying something) open the film as the law has closed in on the Firefly clan in the early morning hours that forces Baby and Otis to run. Only Mother Firefly (Easterbrook) is left to pick up the pieces and have another sit down with a member of the Wydell family.
For me, this is Rob Zombie’s best film so far and you can tell that he is a student of genre films and blends them into the world of Captain Spaulding and company effortlessly. The story is more grounded, not being inundated with flashy interludes like House of 1000 Corpses. I also think that The Lords of Salem is underrated and hated because in some ways, it’s against the standards of previous films and I will be reviewing that in due time. I can appreciate someone who pursues their creative vision versus compromising for some measure of mainstream “success”, whatever that is. If a movie (or any art for that matter) is making you feel something, whether or not you like it, then it is doing its job. Art is meant to elicit emotion, period. Dollar signs be damned. At its core, this and House of 1000 Corpses are movies about family. Although they are despicable and heinous individuals, they are the protagonists of the series and Rob Zombie does an amazing job putting the audience in the uncomfortable of position of sympathizing with horrible people. They are the victims being pursued by the hellbent Sheriff Wydell (played so well by William Forsythe) who will destroy them by any means necessary. One minute you are repulsed by their actions (we know they are awful but they reach new heights in this entry) and in the next you are laughing with them in a moment that any family will identify with. This is quite an accomplishment given the disgusting things we’ve been exposed to since House of 1000 Corpses. This time around, Rob Zombie has given us a horror/spaghetti western which has us sympathizing with characters that you normally wouldn’t in a bigger budget Hollywood flick where the bad guys would be punished and good would prevail. That’s not the world of the Firefly family. They are hunters, killers, artists, and most importantly: survivors. I look forward to the next chapter in this blood soaked and brutal series because you know you’re getting something unique. |
Let me start with this: This is a perfect horror film to me. Rob Zombie showed he was someone to keep an eye out for with House of 1000 Corpses. The Devil’s Rejects shows he’s a director with something to say. This is his masterpiece and my introduction to his movies. Instead of doing what most sequels do (more of the same), Zombie does a complete 180 and gives us a vastly different movie. A move that proved worth it. Once released, Rejects became a huge success and is now considered a modern classic in the genre. And the villains have become horror icons.
Where do I even begin? I mean, I’ve seen this movie more times than I can count. The characters. Yeah, let’s do that. As I said earlier, the villains/protagonists are now icons in the genre. Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, and Sheri Moon Zombie come back as Otis, Captain Spaulding, and Baby, respectively. And, again, the same two standouts as House of 1000 Corpses. Haig kills it with being absolutely hilarious one moment and terrifying the next. Moseley is perfect as Otis, who is absolutely both sick and calculating. Plus, that beard is awesome. Joining the fun this time around is William Forsythe as Sheriff Wydell. He’s perfect as the lawman so hellbent on taking out the Firefly family, he slowly becomes like them himself. Which brings me to the next thing I love about this movie so much, the reversal of roles. Having the Firefly family become the heroes and the sheriff become the villain works brilliantly. It shouldn’t, but Zombie pulls it off. And let’s not forget about the light exploration into this sick, depraved family of killers. Again, not a deep look, but just the right amount to make you care about these people and their relationship with each other. Man, while I love Corpses, I really love The Devil’s Rejects. This was my introduction to the wonderfully dark mind of Rob Zombie’s filmography. I can still remember the feeling watching this for the first time. I can recite a good chunk of the dialogue. And I even met PJ Soles (of Halloween fame) who had the brief scene where Spaulding steals her car and asks the kid why he doesn’t think clowns are fucking funny. She’s totally awesome. Rob Zombie announced a couple of years ago the long-awaited sequel, 3 From Hell. It comes out this year and I couldn’t be more excited. Long live the Firefly family! Tutti fucking frutti! |