Movie Reviews: Three Films Directed by Rob Zombie
This week focuses on three films directed by Rob Zombie.
THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
What amazes me about Rob Zombie’s second film in the trilogy is that it defies having a bad script. The screenplay is not good: the dialog is mostly filled with non-stop profanity and dumb lines, the structure is episodic and repetitive, and there’s no real arch to these characters. Yet, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS works and works quite well. Why?
Rob Zombie’s movie gets by completely on its style and vibe. Its tone, brutal and disturbing, is consistent. Its performances, soundtrack, and visual approach work in unison. It creates its own world, a horrifying one, and owns it from the first frame to the last. It’s a complete vision from its director and for that reason is one of the few poorly written movies that actually turned out to be a good movie, maybe even one that verges on greatness.
Watched on Tubi.
P.S. Rob Zombie pulls something off here that Tarantino tries to do but without coming off as self-indulgent or pretentious. Also, this is the movie NATURAL BORN KILLERS should have been.
HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Nothing could prepare me for how campy this film is. See, I saw the sequel, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, not once but twice before getting around to the original.
It has a completely different tone and look than Zombie’s follow up. It’s almost like TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE by way of John Waters. The film plays as more of a comedy at times than a horror film and even Zombie admitted that his movie turned out funnier during production than he predicted. The vibe makes HOUSE an easy watch whereas REJECTS is a rough pill to swallow. The cast is fun and the set design at the end is a horrific delight.
I’ve heard some fans of REJECTS hating on this first entry in Zombie’s trilogy and I don’t get that. It’s different but an enjoyable Halloween ride.
Watched on Tubi.
31 (2016)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
This is Rob Zombie’s most fun (if you think watching ultra-violence, mutilation, and torture is fun) movie that I’ve seen thus far.
It’s like a horror version of THE RUNNING MAN with touches of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. The whole concept works, pitting this group of travelers against several eccentric killers. Zombie (the actress, not director) does a fine job as the lead though the supporting cast, especially Meg Foster and Jeff Daniel Phillips, outshine her. Of course, it’s Richard Brake as the ultimate killer who steals the show. His opening sets the tone for the picture and I am now determined to one day work with Brake on one of my own films.
I would rate this movie higher but the ending is a total disappointment. After setting up the rules of the world, Zombie cops out in the final five minutes for something predictable and lacking imagination. Okay, I lied… spoiler idea for the ending:
Brake should ask Zombie to come with him, to be his girl. Give us something ambiguous. Is she going to be one of the killers for the next round of 31? Is he so impressed with her that he wants to marry her? Please. Something other than a stupid stand-off that breaks the story’s established rules!
Watched on Tubi.
These reviews were also posted on my letterboxd account and will eventually be published on my Travis Mills filmmaker Facebook page