***SPOILERS THROUGHOUT***


There is one word to sum up this movie.

Wow.

First off, let me say that I always thought House of 1,000 Corpses was good, but not great. I didn't really like much of the final act, where I thought it became a bit too out of it, even for what it was. I had no such problem with Rejects. It felt like some twisted homicidal road movie on numerous drugs. While completely out of it, it remains completely grounded in reality. However, it does provide an interesting contrast. In the first, they were in control, and they seemed all powerful. In this one, they are on the run, they're getting smacked around, and they feel completely human.

Rob Zombie has proven himself to be a director worthy of the genre with this one. I was savoring every moment of its nightmarishly blood drenched glory as the Fireflies racked up a tally even Jason would be proud of. This one pulls no punches, and I mean absolutely none.

Devil's Rejects how do I love you? Let me count the ways:

Stabbings, beatings, brutal beatings, more brutal beatings, shootings, more stabbings, slit throats, bullets entering and exiting through various parts of the body, more beatings, a whipping, more stabbings, even more beatings, and a delightful scene involving a speeding semi and a panicked survivor that had me giggling with psychotic glee.

Yes, I know I am odd, people tell me that every day.

There's a new sherrif in town, played by Forsythe, whose brother was the unfortunate buckaroo who had a bullet put through his head by Mother Firefly in House. Well, he's pissed off. No, not what you're thinking. You're thinking pissed off as in missing the bus, or coming up five cents short. No no. This guy is pissed off in that "I could strangle a wide eyed kitty wearing a bow with my bare hands before drinking its blood and stepping on a baby duck" pissed off. After the raid on the farm house he begins to slip, going on an all out holy crusade against the evil Fireflies. And, with the help of a pair of bounty hunters, he smacks the Fireflies upside the head like there's no tomorrow.

Overall the acting was all around good. Baby (Moon) was a bit plain compared to House. Where there she was cackling like an utter psychopath, here she seemed a bit lost, wandering and cursing as need be. It wasn't a bad performance, just a little less of what I was expecting. Spaulding (Haig) was insanely fun to watch, as was the rest of the clan. Forsythe was so good he, dare I say it, had me rooting for him half the time. I was actually hoping he would be successful in his quest and make the streets run red with Otis blood. My only complaint was Mother Firefly. Replacing her seemed like a big mistake, and compared to House she just didn't seem anywhere near as interesting. Lost opportunity there.

What I think the first one failed to really accomplish was make me identify with the Fireflies. I actually felt that they were real people in this one. In one scene, after having been on the run, family members killed and campured and a new body count under their belts, they finally begin to enjoy themselves. Drinking, smoking, talking with old friends. It's actually kind of touching.

Which made the ending surprisingly effective. Driving down the road after seeing the farmhouse burn to the ground, they find themselves stuck at a police roadblock, led by none other than the late sherrif's deputy. Otis hands out the guns, floors it, and they drive right at the roadblock. They go out fighting, guns blazing, all while 'Free Bird' plays on the sound track.

Without a doubt the best movie I have seen this year with the exception of Land of the Dead, though it was by a narrow margin.

An absolute **** out of ****

This was the first movie I saw today, I discovered while buying popcorn, a fifty in my wallet, so after Rejects I bought a ticket to Hustle and Flow, good times.

I have to say this movie is intense. Yes, much of it is gratuitous and the excessive profanity is more than a little annoying, though at least Zombie was wise enough not to essentially remake House of 1000 Corpses, instead making it a vigilante/western. (To the reader who contemptuously blamed bad reviews on "right wing perverts," I voted for Bush twice and am working on a Republican Senate campaign, so I guess bigotry exists on the left too.) The visuals are well done, especially in the closing sequences, while the actors acquit themselves much better than in House. Unfortunately, many of the scenes seem thrown into the movie with no real reason other than extending the running time (ie, the movie critic and the facemask/truch scene), though continuity isn't strecthed nearly as far as in the previous movie. To me, William Forsythe gave one of the best performances of his career as a revenge-driven sheriff determined to see his brother avenged. I almost left the movie before it ended when I thought the ending was going to be a rip off like House, but it wasn't, and I'm glad I saw it through. Thankfully, it's not a traditional horror movie, despite the usual trappings of the genre--like, say, gratuitous violence and reams of lusciously appealing female skin. Also to his credit, Zombie leaves out the ridiculous labyrinth and chamber of horrors that marred further the already flawed previous movie. This time, the opposition to the Firefly family are quite capable of defending themselves and do so with tremendous effectiveness. Finally, while I was disappointed with House and wary of seeing this movie at first, I'm glad Zombie decided this time to actually end the story instead of copping out. As I say, it's a decent movie.

-Zavier

When "House of 1,000 Corpses" was finished with post-production, it was labeled as one of the best and most graphic horror films in twenty years.  The hype was enormous, especially when it was announced that Universal was releasing this under the Lions Gate banner as they where afraid of an NC-17 rating.  Then the film was released.  And while it was alright, it never really came to being that graphic, grindhouse masterpiece that it was touted to be.  

Now, though, we have "The Devil's Rejects," a film that is not only one of the most graphic and disturbing horror films in twenty years, but it also shows that Rob Zombie can craft an original fright flick and pay homage to some of his favorites at the same time (whereas "House" felt sort of like a direct rip-off of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre").  "Rejects" has a better script, better direction, better humor, and much better acting.  This one's solid, though it does have a few flaws.  

My first real problem is that surprisingly it is not the gore that will cause a nauseating feeling.  No, instead it is the use of extreme close-up shaky cam work every twenty seconds.  It becomes a bit much.  The other major problem I had was with the use of C.G.I. gore, something that I will never get used to.  This is a surprise as Zombie says he wanted to make this look like a straight-up 70's horror movie; the unnecessary C.G.I. only serves to distract from such a claim.  Fan of "House" will defiantly eat this up as will, surprisingly, fans of Tarantino and Rodriguez.  I can't wait to see what Zombie does next with a whole new original film (please don't make some Japanese "re-imagination").

*** out of ****

I enjoyed this film very much as well... Though it wasn't scary, at all which kills the horror parts but still it's really well put together.

I read that Zombie wanted to make them so unlikable and all but I found myself pulling for them before and after the events. It doesn't help make them the bad guys when the "good guys" are as bad or worse.

Tiny is basically in two scenes and poof that's it but he's the character that sticks in your mind and almost steals the film.

For his first 2 films as a director I mean I wish more people had his passion for film making, even with the CG bullets which in all fairness would be the only way to add a bullet wound in real time save for actually shooting someone or cutting away.

I wasn't so much the C.G.I. bullet wounds.  The only scene where it really bothered me was when Baby throws the knife.  It was just too distracting.

I would have liked the women to fire the gun, Baby to laugh and than attack which would probably have much more of an impact but what can you do after the fact.

They should shoot each scene 3 different ways and test it out and if somethings not working they have more takes to edit in, if I was a director, that's what I'd do anyway... It seems like you should get what you need while you got your talent.

Sometimes directors complain that they don't like some scenes in their films, and my idea of shoot the same shot 3 different ways would be something these people would think about as a just in case, you know?

But I'll let it slide if he comes out with an even better DVD than House and maybe a cast commentary which would be cool.

But somehow I doubt it.

 This film, for me, was unique and fascinating. I am one of those that actually enjoyed the original and its throwback to the 70's...but this film was something different. It was completely satisfying in all of its "f" this and that and violence. I am glad that the "hokey" direction and weird score are a minus in this film and that it didn't have that supernatural element that the ending of H1000C had.

 This is a very disgusting film, but I found it to be very entertaining and energetic. The characters are likable, even though they're the villians and this film held some cringing moments, especially the motel scene with the couples. The actors did a suprisingly good job in this, something the original failed to do. It was interesting to see how Otis, Spaulding, and Baby have evolved.

  Overall, not scary, but f-ing violent as hell and brutal. It's way more than enough to satisfy any horror fan.

-ONEY

1st thing 1st... I'm not a fan of the 1st, not really... it was a decent flick for what it was, but even still, it wasn't ground breaking. So all in all... I like it but I didn't like it and still don't like it, do you get what I'm saying? No...?

Alright, so then... DEVIL'S REJECTS.

This is a movie that ask you to hate the three main characters with a burning passion for the better half of the movie and then root for them when you find out the "GOOD GUYS" are even more twisted and disturbing than the rejects.

With that said... I have a tremendous amount of respect for ROB ZOMBIE. Here is a guy who made a movie, his movie, his vision and as a 1st time writer/director... it was a damn good attempt! Damn good. Same can be said for D.R. it isn't perfect and at times it makes you wonder why you bought the ticket in the 1st place or even why you are still watching it... but he made it and it was hands down some of the most gruesome and shocking scenes ever put out on the big screen.

I loved the feel of this film. The 1st one was supposed to be in the 70's but clearly looked very moderen and very "digital" This one, the only movie made past 2000 that looks like it was from the time it is set in, looks just like that... a 70's film.

I loved DDP in the film... I did! I thought he should have been a bigger player, though.
I hated the main guy... that sheriff, wanted him dead dead dead!
I thought Tiny had the most memorable scene in the movie!!!
I didn't like ending.. it was very ho hum...

In the end... this movie played out very different than the last one. The last one was more of a horror/monster movie, this one was more of a serial killer documentery... so very different, could be two different movies all together.

So in the end of the end... I thought the movie was well worth the price of admission. It was the best horror movie I've ever seen in the theaters... EVER!! That is a fact.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 but it kept me alive and alert thru out.

P.S. I guess no House of a thousand 3, huh?

I finally got around to renting this other day and felt compelled to give some of my feedback.  The film is brutal, disturbing, disgusting, bloody, saddening, funny, and overall very provocative.  Now, I was a die hard fan of House of 1000 Corpses and was interested in it back when I saw the first trailer in 2000.  That film was gory fun, but quality wise it wasn't much of anything.

This film centers around Otis&Baby Firefly and Captain Spaulding, and each actor(Bill Moseley, Sherri Moon, Sid Haig), does an outstanding job.  You really feel the evil within these characters, and at times you're rooting for these badasses.  Sadly, Karen Black didn't return from the first, but Leslie Easterbrook gives an insane performance in her substitution.

I like how director Rob Zombie really expanded on these 3 characters and actually gave them personalities as opposed to the first where they were just basically one demensional lunatics.  The plot is simple: The FBI raids the Firefly house and a renegade cop crosses the line to try and take down Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding.

I have a pretty thick skin, so all of the craziness that went on I really enjoyed.  There were some scenes that were just disturbing watching for the first time, but it was interesting to see how they created those sequences in the DVD extras.  Yeah, if you're sensitive to blood and violence and all of that jazz, this probably ain't for you.  It ticks me off whenever someone sensitive to that crap watches the movie anyway and then complains about the amount violence afterward.  It clearly says "R for sadistic violence."

In conclusion, believe it or not, this didn't have as much gore as the original.  The original actually did feature someone getting skinned, so that's how extreme it was, but I think The Devil's Rejects is overall a better movie and the quality surpasses the first in every aspect.  I think director Rob Zombie really did a fantastic job, but my main praise is to Moseley, Moon, and Haig.  They were just outstanding playing these psychos.  That ending...so sad

4/4

I like Rob's music, so when i heard he was doing HO1000C i was all like "sweet",  but i saw the House and i didn't like it. nothing agsint Zombie, but i just hate Texas Chainsaw type movies. i have never enjoyed a single TCM (including the oringal) and i sure as hell didn't enjoy a movie that was pretty much another TCM.

But regardless of my feelings towards the first film, i saw DR and with a few excptions and i really enjoyed it.

at first i was kind of bored with the film, and the use of the f word was SO much that it even had me saying that it was too much.

most people have said that they were pretty much routing for the bad guys in this one,which for me was the complete oppisite. for like the first time ever i was cheering the good guys. normaly im all for the bad guys in flims, with some excpetions, but with this i just flat out loved the sheriff and wanted him to kill the fireflys.

one other bit of annoying-ness in the film, was sherri moon zombie repeating that freaking childrens rhyme ad-nusem (the chinesse,japnesse thing) i want to scream and punch her so freaking bad for that. annoying as all hell.

other than than, pretty good flick.

***outta*****

I didn't really like this movie all that well, but props to Rob Zombie for finding new ways to make people feel uncomfortable while watching. I'd have to agree about the use of swear words. In this Movie I kinda felt evil while rooting for the Bad guys. But overall it was an ok movie, not really my style, but it was well shot and stuff. Check it out if ur into stuff like that.

This movie rocked.  it's soooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the shitty ho1000c, I couldn't believe how well made this one was.  I was  very surprised.