The Devils Rejects DVD with Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon (R) +Movie Reviews

Drive-in horror without the drive-in

FairiesWearBoots8272 | USA | 07/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's the 1970s all over again. If you're obsessed with the 1970s, like me, especially 70s drive-in classics, like me, The Devil's Rejects is a must-see. It's probably the closest thing to a 70s drive-in horror flick that's been made since the 70s. This is either a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. If you hate tasteless, gory, low-budget B-movies, then you would do well to skip The Devil's Rejects. If, however, you are passionate about Ford Administration-era low-budget flicks, then don't hesitate: see this movie.

The Devil's Rejects is Rob Zombie's spin-off/sequel to his 2003 directorial debut, House of 1000 Corpses. That film was famously dumped by its distributor, Universal Studios, and then picked up by Lion's Gate. Then upon release it was scathed by critics, but not surprisingly, managed to connect with a cult audience. Personally I found it to be the most sensational, joyous horror film I had seen in ages. It reveled in its depravity and had the ability to be both hilarious and disturbing at the same time. The Devil's Rejects is up the same alley. Not as much of a horror movie as its predecessor, The Devil's Rejects is more of an action-horror-road movie. It looks like a 30-year-old drive-in movie. If you didn't know any better, you could swear that it was filmed on a shoestring budget in the late '70s. It captures that feel extraordinarily well. The movie gets it down from the start and never strays from it, right down to the soundtrack. The first song that you hear in the movie is The Allman Brothers Band classic "Midnight Rider". The soundtrack also features Joe Walsh, Terry Reid, James Gang, Elvin Bishop, Otis Rush, etc. Not to mention a very memorable use of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird".

If House of 1000 Corpses was Rob Zombie's homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Devil's Rejects seems almost like an homage to Tobe Hooper's 1986 sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. The similarities are certainly there. William Forsythe's Sheriff Wydell is not far from Dennis Hopper's Lieutenant Lefty Enright, who maniacally pursues the family of killers to exact his revenge. The whole film reeks of Tobe Hooper worship (but not in a bad way).

The Tobe Hooper element is certainly there, but another director sprang to mind as I was watching the film. The Devil's Rejects is almost like the horror equivalent of Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino's retro-martial arts-spaghetti western masterpiece. Upon seeing the film a second time, I was reminded of the work of yet another director: Sam Peckinpah. I don't know if Rob Zombie was directly influenced by Peckinpah (it's certainly likely), but all thoughout The Devil's Rejects I was reminded of films like The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs and The Getaway. The first time I saw it, all I really thought of was Tobe Hooper, however I now see that The Devil's Rejects may be a bit of a Peckinpah homage as well. This certainly gives the film an element of style and class to contrast the otherwise trashy material.

Rob Zombie, just like Quentin Tarantino, is passionate about this genre of film and tries to make the ultimate drive-in homage. Just look at the roster of horror film veterans that Zombie assembled: Ken Foree, P.J. Soles, Mary Waronov, Michael Berryman, and Steve Railsback. If you know who any of these people are, then you are definitely part of the target audience for this film. Not to mention Sid Haig and Bill Moseley returning from House of 1000 Corpses.

Ahh, yes... Sid Haig and Bill Moseley. This movie absolutely belongs to them!! Haig and Moseley own the screen! These two actors alone make the film a must-see. They are awesome! If you liked Sid Haig's Captain Spaulding character from the first film, you will be delighted to know that he plays a much bigger part in this one. Sid Haig is a devilish delight as the mad clown, Captain Spaulding. Bill Moseley simply rules as Otis! He is a bad M.F. These two awesome performances carry the movie. Also worth mentioning is William Forsythe who is excellent as Sheriff Wydell, the obsessed lawman who is trying to track down Captain Spaulding and his cohorts. Next to Sid Haig and Bill Moseley, Forsythe gives one of the best performances in the movie. However, I really miss Karen Black as Mother Firefly. Not to say that Leslie Easterbrook isn't good in the role, but I think she goes a bit over the top. Karen Black would have brought a graceful sensuality to the character, and probably a bit of restraint.

So, is The Devil's Rejects a good movie? Well, that's not an easy question. The short answer is probably "no, it's not". By the conventional definition, it would probably not be labeled a cinematic triumph. However, Rob Zombie does a fine job directing and his dialog is deliciously profane. For those who like this sort of thing, the movie is a blast. Finally, allow me to state a blunt warning: If you are looking for a good, scary horror movie, The Devil's Rejects is probably not what you're looking for. If you like horror movies like The Ring and The Grudge, The Devil's Rejects is DEFINITELY not what you're looking for. Simply put, if you like modern horror movies a lot, you will probably not like The Devil's Rejects. On the other hand if you recognize Ken Foree from his roles in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead and Stuart Gordon's From Beyond, and you know Michael Berryman as the "freaky-looking guy" from The Hills Have Eyes, then yes, The Devil's Rejects is certainly for you. If you treasure your copy of VideoHound's "Cult Flicks and Trash Pics", then yes, this is for you. If you're not too squeamish, you'll probably have a bloody good time."

Devil's Rejects on Blu-Ray? Seems standard to me

Nate from Project-Blu | www.project-blu.com | 01/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Devil's Rejects is amongst my favorite films, for it's great mix of humor, action/violence/gore, and character development. Most people looking at this review already know all about this movie.

The Picture on this movie doesn't seem to be all that much of an improvement. I've seen VAST differences on Blu-Rays vs DVD (Unforgiven especially!!!), and this movie just doesn't seem to have all that much extra when watching it in Hi-Def.

There are no new special features in this release, so if you already own this title on DVD, I would advise against upgrading like I did."

Rob Zombie gives the devil his due

N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 07/25/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Devil's Rejects, Rob Zombie's follow up to his surprise hit House of 1000 Corpses, is one of the few horror sequels that manages to not only live up to the original, but it also manages to surpass it. Influenced by the classic exploitation/horror films of years past (Last House on the Left, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Zombie has given the Devil's Rejects a much grittier look than his last film, as the story picks up with the homicidal Firefly family on the run from the law. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley), and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) are on the lam from a revenge driven and slightly deranged sheriff (William Forsythe) who plans to give the killers a taste of their own medicine. Along the way, the trio adds more to the body count, resulting in a climactic bloody showdown that is surprisingly well weaved. While it doesn't necessarily offer anything new to the horror genre, it doesn't try to, and the cast that Rob Zombie has assembled here does great work. Haig walks the line between frightening and hilarious as the clown faced Captain Spaulding, while Moseley is less over the top this time around as Otis, but he is all the more subdued and terrifying. Leslie Easterbrook (replacing Karen Black) as Mama Firefly is a bit overacted, while Moon is once again seductively scary as Baby, while Forsythe almost steals the entire movie. Zombie has again assembled a supporting cast of older horror film and cult favorites, including the original Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree, Hills Have Eyes icon Michael Berryman, Danny Trejo, PJ Soles, Priscilla Barnes, Steve Railsback, and former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Paige; most of which are pretty memorable. Pushing the limits of it's R rating, the Devil's Rejects is not for the faint hearted, and while it may drag a bit towards the end (you are guaranteed to never listen to "Freebird" the same way again), this is a real treat for older horror fans looking for a film that recaptures the unpredictability and tension of the genre."

Brutally mind numbing

Mad Marcus | Kansas | 01/14/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Many people seem to think that this film is revolutionary. I suppose it is in the sense that it goes somewhere that other films haven't gone before. I don't think that it automatically makes it good though. All it has is sheer brutality for brutality sake. The plot is a thin incidental thing that's only there to place them in more brutal scenes. No, I'm not one of those weenie's that can't take it; I'm just not impressed by it. The characters are annoying and unlikeable, I wish I could have killed them myself in the first five minutes of the movie. Any piece of trailer trash with the means to do so could have made this film, and he did. The saddest part is that this is what the market, in general, is demanding right now. My only hope is that if Rob Zombie makes another film that a meteorite crashes into the premiere and cleanses the world of such insipid creatures. I'd just assume never watch another horror film ever again if this is what the future holds."

Ooh Sheri Baby

Edward E. Rom | Mankato, MN United States | 06/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If I had known this was the sequel to _House of 1000 Corpses_, I would have rented that movie instead of this one. Oh well.

This is one of the sicker films I have ever seen; it however does have some redeeming qualities which serve to counteract the vein of mindless sadistic violence that runs through the film.

One thing I like about the movie is the casting. Any movie with Ken Foree (_From Beyond_, which is one of my absolute favorites, comes to mind) in it can't be all bad. Bill Moseley does well as Otis Driftwood, while Sid Haig's performance as Captain Spaulding is memorable. William Forsythe does a marvelous job as Sheriff Wydell, also. But Sheri Moon Zombie stole my heart: I haven't gotten a crush on a film star like this since I saw Barbara Crampton in _From Beyond_ and _Reanimator_. Never mind that the first time you meet Baby is probably the last, as well: she's basically so cute I can't stand it. I think I'm going to see _House of 1000 Corpses_ just to see her in another film.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

In a more serious and constructive vein, I would classify this film as a revenge movie, as well as horror/action/etc. It has a certain something in common with films such as _Oldboy_, or _The Black Cat_. In the case of this movie, I paid attention to my feelings as the story unfolded and wound down to its (in retrospect) inevitable end. At the beginning, my basic emotion was simply revulsion for the whole Firefly clan, and found myself wishing for their violent extermination. But as Sheriff Wydell got closer to his goal of vengeance, I began to feel a certain sympathy for them, and then after that, when Tiny came back into the film and did in the sheriff, disappointment that they were going to get away after all.

The final scene, though, has got to be one of the classics of film. To see Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) silently screaming *expletive deleted*, with that huge revolver in her hand, with "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd filling the soundtrack, is worth the price of the film in itself. This is a beautiful portrayal of an essential part of the American soul, and may it never die.

Finally -- a criticism: the movie takes place in 1978, as I found out watching the bonus material, and something kept bugging me about it. A couple of days later, it finally hit me what the problem was. This film takes place at a time when the anti-smoking campaign was barely starting, and about half the people in this country were still smoking cigarettes, while I can't recall even one character in the film so much as flicking a butt out through the wing vent on his car. Everything in the film looked as smoke-free as a government office building of 2005...

I'd recommend the film for those who like tacky b-movies, not least because the wretched serial killers are shown as human beings, and not just as some force of nature to be combatted. If you're squeamish, or have pretentious taste, avoid it, because you'll hate it. I give it 4 stars."

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