Imma start this off by saying this. I'm not a huge Rob Zombie fan at all. Aside from House of 1000 Corpses, this movie's predecessor, I really don't like any of his work. Never even attempted to listen to any of his "music" either. BUT I've always liked House of 1000 Corpses so I guess I had to watch this eventually. Plus Sid Haig reprises his role as Captain Spaulding. So why wouldn't I make it this month. AND It wasn't as bad as I was expecting.
We open with events occurring after the first movie. In May of 1978, Texas Sheriff John Quincy Wydell (William Forsythe) leads a troop of sheriff's on a S And D mission on the Firefly family farm where the grisly events of House of 1000 Corpses occurred. The Firefly family fights fire with fire. Rufus (Tyler Mane) is killed while Gloria (Leslie Easterbrook) attempts to kill herself, but there are no bullets in the gun. Both Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Otis (Bill Moseley) escape. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) is starting his day when Baby calls him and he starts to high-tail it to meet them at Kahiki Palms motel. The Banjo and Sullivan singing group is the unfortunate target as Baby and Otis use them for their room, car and sick and brutal gratification. Now with Wydell hot on their heels, can the now dubbed "Devil's Rejects" keep themselves and their murderous ways alive?
First off, I really like the soundtrack in this. The songs fit well into the movie and never detract. As well as when the kills happen. All the themes and scores are on point. In a movie like this, the little hings work for me. The dialogue is also a great plus in this. Otis and Spaulding have great lines and they kept me interested during the slow parts. They also needed more of Spaulding's friend Charlies. He was a riot. Also the cameos by Danny Trejo and Diamond Dallas Paige were awesome. My complaints would have to be in the horror department. While the brutality, blood and murder is there (and it's GOOD) I feel as none of it scared me. It was more of an action movie at times. Sure horror is a ton of mindless death. But sometimes I think a movie should try to scare me, creep me out or make me jump. Didn't feel like it with this.
All in all this was a solid flick for me. The story was original and better than the first. The music, dialogue and kills were pretty good too. But the lack of scares and sometimes dragging moments brought down the value for me. I'd go back to this movie if I'm ever watching the two-some, but as stand-alone I still like House of 1000 Corpses more. The Devil's Rejects is still a solid movie. Worth a watch and this is another good one-two punch of a series if you have some time to kill.
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Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #1: Halloween II
