Gee?? Are there any midnight showings of this tonight or what?? :yikes:

No midnight showings on a Thursday BKB, but the noon showing will be attended by me. :grin:

I unfortunately don't have time to post a justiffiable review, I will do that tonight, but this is one fucked up film and as close to the raw power and it illiciited disgusting feelings that I got while watching Last House on the Left. The gang is more cruel in this one and although it is not scary at all, it is a disturbing film. Not perfect mind you, but decent. I will have a lot more to say later, but this is a 7/10 for me. The 45 minutes in the middle, the end and everything about William Forsythe make this movie a must see for horror freaks.

I come away from The Devil's Rejects somewhat disappointed. I'd say about 65% of this movie works and the rest is mostly failed attempts at comedy. The beginning and last half of Rejects is exhilarating and I really wish Zombie had carried the more serious tone through the whole film. Or at least write some funnier material. Everything that travelling band said to each other just bored me to death and the appearance of that movie critic was just unnecessary. It is these types of surreal tonal shifts that had me raising my eyebrows on more than one occasion. Above all though, there just isn't much of a story and the characters barely get to do anything. They kind of go nuts at a motel and then get hunted by a nut-job sheriff with a grudge and that's about it.

But let's talk about what does work. The cinematography and Rob's directing style definitely worked for me (apart from said bizarre tonal shifts). The movie has a suitably dirty, grungy look to it and Zombie likes to shake the hell out of his camera and use lots of intense close-ups on faces. Usually I would be criticizing the use of a shaky cam, but here it actually adds to the hysteria. I really dug some of the still frame freezes and wipes that he used and the few montages set to some kickin tunes was also a nice stylistic touch. I believe he has a real good eye for this genre.

As for the rejects themselves, Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding comes off as the most memorable and gets the best lines ("tootie-fuckin-fruity"), but I initially had a problem believing in this guy as a bad-ass killer, what with that dorky introduction. I also liked Otis (Bill Moseley) as the Charles Manson wannabe, though his act got a little tiresome in the motel room. Baby (Sherri Moon) annoyed me at some points and then managed to pull off the threatening psycho bitch in others. Oh, and that Freddy Krueger lookin motherfucker was awesome .

Highlight to read:
After being creeped out by him in the beginning, I began to wonder what the hell happened to the dude. Then, when that crazy ass sheriff brought the rejects back to the house I was hoping Tiny would appear and whoop his ass....so I was damn happy when that happened.
William Forsythe was great as Sheriff Wydell, the self-imposed "arm of God" who wishes to end the blood-shed wrought by the family, by any means necessary. His confrontation with the rejects (both times) is where this film is at its best.

For all the gore-hounds out there, we are treated to a few nice moments featuring a large knife, an axe and a transport truck, but the best is saved for last (one very damn fine ending).

I'd give The Devil's Rejects a B-.

...and now for something completely different...

Tired of watered-down, studio-diluted, gruel-thin horror? Well have I got a zombie for you - Rob Zombie!

I missed out on the original entry in this series - House of a Thousand Corpses - which I hear from varying sources is either an asset or a deficit (ain't it hard to tell sometimes?!)...

As a standalone movie though, I have to rate The Devil's Rejects as S.F.E. (Seriously F 'in Entertainin').

I'm not joking.

This is a first class example of filmmaking - Zombie and his cast of "rejects" set the screen on fire with unadulterated sick freakin' horror images and twisted ideas...

If you're not up for a psyche beatin' - stay home. (I mean it.)

5 out of 5. (A+/9/10)

Bradley, all these A+s really mystify me. I'd say a 9/10 is an A or A-. If you label every movie as an A+, where's the fun in that? I think that those are only the REALLY amazing, just perfect movies with barely any flaws. They're all in my top 30 favorite movies of all time. But if you constantly throw them out here and there it just makes it really hard to get a fair barometer of your thoughts on films. Really, they can't all be perfect, that's just the facts.

Much better than the crap that was known as House of 1000 Corpses. At least in Devil's Reject,we get to see the villians get what they deserve coming to them. All gone is the sloppy camera work that use to exist in House of 1000 Corpses and the nonsense random shots of sequences that have nothing to do with the story. Its very disturbing and creepy at the same time almost very surreal. I still find it flawed though and it sort of felt like a snuff film at the same time. I really wish the sheriff would of gotten his revenge on the whole family though

B-

I've tried to explain my rating model to you* - I do tend to try and pick movies that I know I will enjoy, so the ratings tend to be high - plus I just love movies in general (except for most of them by that Spielberg hack)!

I'm happy to hear you've got such an organized rating system of your own, and that all movies you watch over the course of your lifetime fit into it so logically - it's just not for me.

Personally, what really bugs me about other people's rating's systems is when they use a 10-point scale then never rate any movies 2, 3, or 4 out of 10 - isn't it really a 7-point scale then?

Anyways, I think the important thing is that I love movies, and I'm pretty sure you love movies - so ain't it a beautiful world!



*

I use a ten point rating system and I have eight movies with a 4/10 or below for this year.

I think you're missing my point though man. You can still love the movie just as much (and I hear ya with choosing ones you'll like more, I know some guys who love almost every movie they see since they're carefully selective rather then easily amused), but how do you distinguish from one A+ to another? I'm sure that you didn't like them all essentially just as much. Accepting a movie's flaws is one thing, but that doesn't change the fact that they exist, and do affect you if you notice them.

PS: I do agree with not often seeing 2-4 on those types of scales. Some people do it like movies35, but I've seen a lot where they either give something a 1 (D-/F) or worse or 5 (C/C+) and not much in between. I also think that defeats the purpose.

"I am the devil, and I am here to do the devil's work."

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS is musician-turned-film director Rob Zombie's follow-up to his directorial debut HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, which was given a subdued theatrical release, but performed well and then grew more popular on DVD/VHS. Instead of simply doing another version of the original, Zombie has done what so few directors behind sequels do: He's examined the reaction to his first film, expanded on the finer aspects of it, and re-designed other parts which audiences didn't enjoy. While the first felt similar to a carnival ride of horrors and was filled with Halloween iconography, the sequel is designed in a fashion similar to 70s grindhouse thrillers, complete with pimps, bounty hunters, and shoot-outs. This film also leaves the setting of a decrepit farmhouse in favor of deserted desert roads.

The sequel's focal point is also the Firefly clan, a Texas family whose favorite pasttime is brutal murder. In the prior film, one of their victims was a police officer named George Wydell (Tom Towles, 1990's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). In the opening sequence of THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, one of George's relatives, the sheriff (William Forsythe, CITY BY THE SEA) is leading a raid on the Firefly's farmhouse. During the raid, one member of the family is captured, another murdered, and three escape: long-haired sociopath Otis (Bill Moseley, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2), fierce cutie-pie Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie, TOOLBOX MURDERS), and massive and deformed Tiny (Matthew McGrory, BIG FISH). Tiny escapes into the woods and remains near the farmhouse, but Otis and Baby murder an innocent woman and steal her car, setting out on the road. They're joined on the way by Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig, FOXY BROWN), Baby's father, professional clown, and man responsible for luring innocent victims into the Firefly's web. Together, the three begin a nationwide murder spree while traveling to Charlie's (Ken Foree, DAWN OF THE DEAD) Fun Frontier Town, a place where sex and drugs flow freely for a price and is owned by an old friend of Spaulding's.

In creating THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, Zombie employs multiple 70s tools, including horizontal swiping screen changes, freeze frames, and other artistic flourishes from three decades ago. And cinematographer Phil Parmet's (ANIMAL FACTORY) handheld photography adds a documentary-esque sheen of realism and raw energy. Parmet's style is particularly impressive in the opening shoot-out between the Fireflys and the police officers. Zombie, as a director, has matured greatly since his first effort. This film feels more polished (in its own way) and plotted than its predecessor, which relied solely on over-the-top style, while here Zombie spins an engrossing story in addition to paying warm-hearted homage to 70s horror and exploitation films.

I found it interesting how Zombie has created a film where the line between heroes and villians is blurred to the point where it nearly ceases to exist, with Sheriff Wydell's lust for revenge against the Fireflys being nearly as sadistic and menacing as the family themselves. The returning actors are given the chance to refine their characters. Haig is still the cast's powerhouse as Captain Spaulding, blending fierce brutality and raunchy humor into a single performance. Moseley continues to be cruelly horrifying as Otis while Zombie's wife Sheri is twisted, but oddly hard to resist as the impossibly cute but completely vile Baby Firefly. Newcomer (to this franchise) Forsythe is intense as the God-fearing lawman hunting the Fireflys.

There are a few flaws. As some may already know, all of the villians of this piece are named after characters Groucho Marx played. This is a fun bit of humor, but Zombie oddly decided to have a sequence in which a local Texas movie critic visits the sheriff station and rambles on about Marx. This feels so out-of-place and, as a gag, falls flat on its face. I imagine it was added to provide some levity from the sequence in which Otis, Spaulding, and Baby terrorize a traveling band, comprised of two married couples and a roadie, but the entire movie critic character is grating. I was glad he is pushed out of the narrative fast. Also, the final shot, a freeze frame, feels abrupt. I loved the final scene, beautifully set to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," but the actual final shot feels wrong and I believe a slow fade to white would've been more appropriate for the fatalistic and inescapable conclusion.

Overall, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS is a hard film to write a review for as I've no wish to spoil its many grisly secrets and horrifying themes. I'll conclude by saying this is a great film for true fans of horror and exploitation films and a massive improvement to HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES. Its not for everyone (even horror fan who prefer THE GRUDGE/BOOGEYMAN-style thrills may be annoyed), but if you're prepared to accept its hardcore, unapologetic demeanor and nasty characters, you're in for hell of a ride.

8/10 or B+

Heard him on Howard Stern and he said he had more money - 7 Million - and also learned how to spend the money better.

********************

Questions

- I never saw the first movie - was it just a prequel to this.

- What band does Rob Zombie play in and are they good?

*****************************

i saw it today. it was completely different in tone and look than corpses but it was just as, if not more brutal. i still slightly prefer HO1000C but rejects was great. great soundtrack too.

B

01. THE DEVIL'S REJECTS follows the same murderous family as HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, but the first is not required viewing to enjoy this film. Its not so much a sequel as another thriller about the family and their victims. The first had more of a classic "one stormy Halloween night..."-feel, while this one is more realistic, NATURAL BORN KILLERS-esque. I believe seeing the first one adds more depth to this film, but one could easily enjoy and understand every moment of the sequel even if they've never heard of CORPSES.

02. Zombie played for White Zombie and while music tastes are subjective, I thought they were awesome. He's also done some solo recordings since then.

Brutal and fairly brilliant. 8/10 or A-.

*very minor spoilers*

Well, a little while ago I just got back from the 9:15 screening of THE DEVIL'S REJECTS. Before I went into the theater, I tried to lower my expectations as low as possible. First off, I'm going to start this out as a rant, not about the movie but about the audience in the film. There was a row of college kids in front of my friend and I two rows down, they wouldn't stop talking. Ten minutes into the film, another row comes in and they're friends with the row in front of them. Someone said "why are we seeing this faggot movie?" Well, throughout the whole thing (yes everything) they're talking, running up the aisles and talking on their cell phones. There was twenty or so other people in the theater, I'm shocked nobody said anything. I was very close to doing so. Then when there is about half an hour left of the movie, the row that came in ten minutes late said "okay, we're leaving this fag movie." So they left. So they created this big ruccus for absolutely nothing, it really pissed everyone off. ANYWAY ...

I was stunned by the movie, it was amazing. I'm definetely a fan of HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, I thought it was a fun slasher film. DEVIL'S on the other hand isn't exactly "fun" to watch but it isn't really hard to watch either. It doesn't really start getting disturbing until the end. Everything before that was very minor. The opening sequence with the cops raiding the house was amazing, quite possibly the best scene in the whole entire film. It never dragged, it was 101 minutes and for a horror movie, that can be painfully long. I was amazed throughout the whole film. It was also nice to see PJ Soles and EG Daily back on the screen, they rocked. When EJ Daily said something like "drop the fucking gun!" She used her Tommy Pickles voice from Rugrats. I for some reason thought that was quite humorus.

I never really had a problem with the film until the end. The end is of course amazing but I felt that while Freebird was playing, it was dragging just a bit. I enjoyed the bits where they weren't in the car and they were just walking. I also loved when they were speeding towards the cops, it was really beautifully shot, the whole movie was brilliantly shot, I was quite surprised. Yep Rob Zombie, you are indeed a great director and you should be proud of yourself, you have a possible classic on your hands.

I'm sure I'm the only one that thinks this but I thought that all of the women in the movie were terribly ugly, spare for Zombie's extremely hot wife Sherri Moon. It kind of sucks because basically every single girl in nude in the film and they're nothing to look at. Of course none of the nudity is sexual or arousing in any kind of way, so it doesn't really matter. At the beginning when Tiny is dragging a dead nude body, it was just of gross because someone yelled "tits and bush!"

Overall, this is far better than the underrated 1000 CORPSES. This is a horror classic that will stand the test of time for many years to come.

9/10 (A-)

Fun at times, brutal at all times, but I just didn't find it as great as some claimed it to be. C+

*Yes, Spoilers*

I'm usually all for having the villains overcome the good guys, but the film would have been a lot better if the film ended with the Sheriff killing off the rejects completely himself. That was when the film was at its best. It seemed like everything leading up to that meant that the Sheriff was going to be the bad-ass hero, but it didn't quite work out. If that happened, this would get strong B+ from me. But, it decides to go a few steps (perhaps, a mile or two) over the line. I found the ending entirely tacked on, and overly abrupt. And, kind of sappy. We get these shots of the rejects as a happy family, but I don't get happy seeing these scenes at all. Then, they take one last shot at victory, and fail horribly (and again, abruptly), in what I assume is meant to be a blaze of glory. Even if Rob Zombie ended the movie with the rejects driving off, I would have been a bit happier. But, it seems that he went far over the line, and forced an ending that sucked. A lot.

The gore is top-notch. For a gruesome film, this delivers on all counts. For characters, we get some good characters. Despite being hateful bastards, the rejects are played out well. And the Sheriff is awesome, which further pisses me off that he didn't kill them all off. I was seriously hoping he would have got up after having his neck broken, but I guess that wouldn't have been logical in a horror film, right?

Overall, the film is fun at times, and major mistakes aside, it worked well as a creepy film. I have not seen Rob Zombie's original effort, House of 1000 Corpses (the first film in this two-film series), but judging by this film, he's doing fairly well. I hope he learns from the mistakes of this film, and maybe his next film will be even better. This film is far from a classic, and far from groundbreaking. I enjoy the effort of being gruesome and brutal, but it's not enough to make this film great, especially with an ending that I really hated.

Grade: B- (Upgraded to the B- from a C. I think the film works incredibly well with everything involving the Sheriff, played by William Forsythe. I think much of the film is good, but it could have been better.)

*spoilers*

You liked the sheriff Mr. X? Maybe it was only me that absolutely hated him, I'm not really quite sure. Nobody really talks about him. I didn't want him to kill the Rejects, I wanted him to get murdered. As unlikeable as the family is, it was wrong for him to kill the mother and he was basically just a crazy lunitic. Not that he ruined the movie or anything, obviously he didn't and I can't think how they'd really play the movie without him, well yes I can but it probably wouldn't be as good, I still didn't like him. Of course thats just my opinion.

Well, that's cool. Maybe I'm the only one who liked him. Or, maybe I just hated the rejects more than him. I might see it again, though. There was a lot to take in for the first viewing, so I'll see if I can see it again soon.

I loved the sheriff and it was great that he killed the mother. Mayeb I can relate to him because that's what I would have done as well.

Okay, without spoiling the particular scenes, how brutal and gory is this film?

Also, do I have to see House of 1000 Corpses before I see this movie?

Nope, you don't need to see COPRSES to enjoy REJECTS. It would just add charactor development. The film is very brutal, especially near the end.

Good movie, Dark humor, it had decent suspense, gorefest :2up: but i found it a bit boring most of the time
i still think Ho1000C is better

C+