The Devil's Rejects

I know next to nothing about Rob Zombie’s music career. But on the basis of this, the rocker turned director is aiming for a narrow fan base. Inspired in every way by 70’s filmmaking, right down to (regrettably) casting, this is unapologetically hardcore horror. Sadly, unlike the great horror beasts of that era (The Hills have Eyes, Dawn of the Dead etc), it fails to really ignite, leaving no lasting impression.

The Devil’s Rejects in question are the firefly family, a completely unsympathetic group of hick savages being pursued by a police force led by a religiously deranged sheriff across backwater U.S.A. Following an early morning cops-killers exchange of bullets, the family flee into the dusty wastelands, spreading their unique brand of peace and love throughout Leatherface’s backlot along the way.

Actually a sequel to Mr Zombie’s directorial debut House of 1000 Corpses, it was certainly a mistake to promote it as a singular feature, as newcomers find themselves thrown into a story seemingly already in it’s second act. The fact that the firefly’s have been living out a Texas Chainsaw style existence for however many years is only fleetingly hinted at before the chase begins. Why and how could they get away with this for so long? From the all-encompassing lack of character motivation to the uneasy fantasy/reality mix of the sadistically portrayed police, plot holes riddle this filmic stiff. Whilst gore hounds will lap the reasonless violence up, without the motivations to identify its cause, it is clearly removed from reality and therefore lacks any credible weight. The family are killers because they are crazy, and are crazy because they’re killers. That’s it.

The Cast is an interesting if ultimately failed experiment in retro horror worship. From The Hills have Eyes’s baldly weirdo Michael Berryman, to Bill Moseley (who was in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) and Zombie’s own wife Sheri Moon (I shit you not, Sheri Moon Zombie), the none-too-sharp script is further de-humanised. Dawn of the Dead’s Ken Foree brings some fine comic timing to his small town pimp, and William Forsythe (a long way from his great mid nineties work in The Rock and Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead) works hard at producing different shades for his manically misdirected Sheriff. The tendency by Mr Zombie to resort to more and more close ups as the movie progresses is further proof that this misguided effort is just not firing right: no emotion comes across, no matter how close we get.

Despite some fine editing and occasionally interesting direction (the opening shootout), this is just too hollow to justify a cinema release. Extremely puerile, consequence-free immature stories like this really should be straight to video. Worth a rent if you fit inside the target bracket, but my time is just too precious.

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CategoryFilm