Directed by Rob Zombie. Starring Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Bill Mosely, Leslie Easterbrook, Ken Foree, Danny Trejo, Priscilla Barnes, Daniel Roebuck, Ginger Lynn Allen. Horror/Drama. Synopsis: A crazed, murderous family makes one last stand in 1970's
I'm a little hesitant to say that I really liked this film. Hesitant because I feel like I should be a little bit ashamed, at least, at saying that I liked a film with so much gratuitous violence, torture, wanton sex, foul language, and multiple characters with such a blatant disregard for life in this sequel to House of 1000 Corpses.
But, I'm not ashamed, and I'm not sure why. I have nothing, of course, against violence, sex, and language when they are part of a meaningful movie, since those things are so much a part of life. On the other hand, when excess gore, for example, is used as a substitute for a real story or real acting, its gets old real quick. That's not the case here, although this film is the very definition of a cult film that is not going to be everybody's, as they say, "cup of tea". In fact, strictly speaking, its probably not the majority of people's cup of tea. But those of us who like it will, undoubtedly, really like it, own it , and watch it multiple times, which is what having a good cult classic is all about.
The film is a sequel, and is rare in that it is much, much better than the original. We get right into the depravity with this flick from the opening scenes, with there being a siege on a home inhabited by some of the murdering family: Mother Firefly (
And where is the patriarch, you might ask? Well, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) is entertaining a lady friend, both in reality and in his dreams, and you get the feeling that this is not an unusual occurrence for him or anyone else in the family. Here is the thing about Captain Spaulding, he is a clown, a crazy killer clown, to be sure, but still a clown. He has got some notoriety in the area by appearing on cheesy TV commercials and, in fact, wears his clown makeup most of the time. the combination of a clown with such a depraved figure is delicious and works well in this film.
Well, its only a matter of time before Captain Spaulding and Sheriff Wydell butt heads, as Sheriff Wydell has a rather personal reason for wanting to bring the clan, known-as you might guess- as the "Devil's Rejects". And, no, the Sheriff is not interested in a good, long, jail term either. Along the way is a nonstop parody and stark look at a segment of society, probably a little too stereotypical, but fun nonetheless. You'll see many familiar faces here, including some other cult movie figures such as Charlie (Ken Foree, Dawn of the Dead) and a barely recognizable Mary Woronov as a victim. Also look out for Priscilla Barnes (Three's Company) as yet another vitim, probably as you've never seen here before. The distinctive and always likable Danny Trejo (Con Air, Heat) makes yet another appearance, basically playing himself' the loud talking ex-con turned bounty hunter. Daniel Roebuck (Late Night, Final Destination) is the faux narrator of the movie in the role of the cheesy, superficial 70's era talk show host who is following the crimes of the family. He is, simply, hilarious.
This is one you will either turn off two minutes into the film , or keep watching until the end without daring to get up and go away from the set...at times it will be hard to believe what you are seeing and hearing. Some of the more memorable lines can't be quoted here, as this is a family friendly blog. This is sort of a cross between Natural Born Killers and The Fugitive , but even that description does not really do the film justice.
William Forsythe, one of the best character actors working, is brilliant here and worth the price of admission, so to speak, alone. Think of his great roles in Out for Justice and The Rock, combine them, amp it up about 90%, add some Southern Sheriff steretypical traits and you're on the right track...almost. Sid Haig, long a fixture in cult classics (Coffy, The Big Doll House) is wonderful as the hideous Captain Spaulding. You will not be able to take your eyes off of him, for more than one reason , when he is onscreen. Leslie Easterbrook (
What is this film about? What's its meaning? What is Zombie trying to tell us? Heck, I don't know, probably nothing, if you ask me. Maybe its some kind of referendum on the wanton violence that is so much a part of our world, I don't know, I'm not smart enough to figure that out. All I know is that I watched it, and I was entertained...even though there is a voice over my shoulder that told me I probably shouldn't be. But, I was.
And so will some of you.
