video review : 3 From Hell

video review : 3 From Hell

When I first heard Rob Zombie would bring back The Devil’s Rejects after they went out like Thelma And Louise nearly a decade and a half ago, I figured it would be some sort of prequel. This isn’t. It’s a bona fide sequel featuring the original members with one disappointing caveat.

While all 3 Rejects are here, Captain Spaulding, the most enthralling, is limited to a cameo role. That’s reportedly the result of real-life health problems. The actor, Sid Haig, is 80 years old. He’s replaced by a less interesting brother of Otis, who helps him (Otis) escape from prison.

That’s one of many blatant implausibilities happening in this movie, including the fact that the Rejects are still alive in the first place, though it’s Baby’s escape that’s most absurd. Once the new trio is set, the plot starts to get good, but by then it’s almost at the halfway point.

The best parts are still the kills; what I like most about Rob Zombie movies is the amoral depiction of brutal violence; but 3 seems incomplete without Cutter. A phone call in Mexico gives the peak dramatic suspense, but this is the worst movie in the Firefly trilogy.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

video review : The Lords Of Salem

video review : The Lords Of Salem

It’s the supernatural theme, which has to do with witches and Satan, that holds this otherwise interesting movie down. The best parts are when humans engage in normal conversations, albeit often about said abnormal topics. When creatures appear and the horror begins, mostly in the form of abstract cutaways revolving around a radio DJ named Heidi, the plot grinds to a bloody halt.

my rating : 3 of 5

2012

video review : House Of 1000 Corpses

video review : House Of 1000 Corpses

This movie is less about the House than its occupants; a family of sadistic killers that make The Addams look normal. The Corpses are the mummified remains of their victims, most of whom were tortured to death.

An unlucky four pay an inadvertent visit the night before Halloween after picking up a hitchhiker girl. The car suddenly breaks down, so the girl says she lives within walking distance and her brother has a tow truck.

There isn’t really much of a plot beyond that and there doesn’t need to be. The charm of this horror flick, which is directed, occasionally like a song video, by White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie, is its zany gory style.

my rating : 4 of 5

2003

video review : The Devil’s Rejects
video review : 3 From Hell

video review : The Devil’s Rejects

video review : The Devil's Rejects

The Devil’s Rejects, also known as The Firefly Clan, are a family of Satanic killers. They slay people at will and store their body parts in the confines of their country home. This movie serves as both a homage and a documentary of their lives.

As mean and violent as they are, they carry a sinister charm, especially the Baby sister. She’s like the kid in school who sicced her big brother on innocent boys and got turned on by the sight of the blood. That brother is scary. So is the father.

Some of the acting is flawed. Sheri Moon has the tendency to come across unconvincingly in her role and there’s a scene in which a crying kid looks like he’s laughing, but there is plenty of evil entertainment to be found amidst the wackiness.

my rating : 4 of 5

2005

video review : 3 From Hell