DISSECTING THE DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

“ROB ZOMBIE”

I don’t think there has ever been a director to emerge over the last decade who has quite divided audiences the way Rob Zombie has. The musician turned director saw his first feature get released in 2003, and since then it seems his films have either been a love ‘em or hate ‘em deal. Personally I had known who Zombie was from his music career, and I was very curious to see House of 1000 Corpses when it first released. It was actually my own mother who got me a copy of the film, knowing I was a true horror fiend. I had a blast with the film, and I found myself becoming an instant fan. The man has since dipped his feet in the remake pool, which divided audiences even more. Let’s take a look at his career…

BEST WORK

Get The Devil’s Rejects on DVD here
Get The Devil’s Rejects on Blu-ray here

For me naming his best film is a no brainer which would be his second film and follow-up to Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects. The film reunited most of the cast with Sid Haig, Sheri Moon and Bill Moseley (Mother Firefly being the exception, Karen Black was recast with Leslie Easterbrook) and it continued where 1000 Corpses left off.

We find our serial killers (the Firefly family) under siege from law enforcement. Baby and Otis make it out but Mother is taken into custody. What follows is a murderous ride filled with innocents, bounty hunters and the Sheriff. Sounds pretty cool, right? And it really is, the film leaves behind everything that Corpses got wrong and expands on what it got right.

The film works easily as a stand-alone where we get enough back info on our characters to get a good feel of them. Likewise the back-story of Sheriff John Wydell (William Forsythe) is explained well and his motivations for capturing the Firefly family are quite clear. The film is very reminiscent of the classic horror films of the 70’s, having the same raw feel. Unlike Corpses though, this is very much reality based without the addition of Dr Satan (something that took me out of Corpses).

Zombie does a fantastic job as writer/director for the project as he managed to fully realize his vision. His actors turn in top performances, with the central trio having worked together before and therefore having a strong chemistry. They were comfortable in their roles, and it reflected on the strong performances. Look out for some neat supporting roles as there’s a bunch that I had forgotten were even in this. If you haven’t checked this yet or if it has been awhile, you owe it to yourself to sit down and watch it. The Devil’s Rejects is bar none one of the best horror films of the 00’s.

WORST WORK

Get Halloween II on DVD here
Get Halloween II on Blu-ray here

From one of the best to easily one of the worst, Zombie’s HALLOWEEN II is a dreadful piece of cinema. I’m actually basing my opinion on the Director’s Cut as this is the version that Zombie calls his own. So what went wrong? I really liked Zombie’s re-envisioned HALLOWEEN; it was a completely different vehicle to Carpenter’s original 1978 version. It chronicled the early days of Michael Myers, and delved into what turned this child into a monster. Those early scenes were strong and the film lost a bit of steam towards the second half when it really went into remake territory.

This film picks up some time after the events of the first film, with Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) and her friend Annie (Danielle Harris) surviving Myers (Tyler Mane). Laurie has taken a complete 180 degree turn and instead of being a strong and likeable person, she screams and blames everyone for what happened. She isn’t a nice person; there is not one single redeeming quality about her. Annie and her father Sherriff Brackett (Brad Dourif) are basically the only decent characters left as they haven’t turned into complete assholes. Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) also returns but this time as a complete ass having written a book and caring about no one but himself. Yes these characters went through an ordeal but I cannot honestly believe this transformation they’ve all had. Instead of being sympathetic characters, I wanted Myers to do away with them so I wouldn’t have to listen to them anymore.

There really isn’t a clear storyline here either and no real indications of what Zombie’s actual intentions were. Is it about Laurie? Is it about Michael? Both? Madness? Everything? It is poorly structured and the way it was shot felt like someone inexperienced had done it. There is also the addition of really silly out there stuff, including the ghostly image of their mother (Sheri Moon Zombie). The film is harsh and mean spirited (and I mean “really”). The kills are so brutal and violent yet they really had no reason to be. It almost felt as though Myers spent a rather long time stabbing someone for no other reason than to be shocking. There are barely any redeeming features to this film, it is a task to sit through and I don’t care to ever see it again.

TRADEMARKS

Get House Of 1000 Corpses on DVD here
Get House Of 1000 Corpses on Blu-ray here

Rob Zombie is a man of trademarks; most of his films feature the same ones. The most obvious and probably the most frequently used is in fact his wife Sheri Moon Zombie. She has appeared in all of his films, she is clearly his muse and I do think the two work well together. He also really likes to show her off as I’ve lost count of how many times her lovely behind has been featured on screen (not that I’m complaining of course). Along with Sheri, he also frequently casts Sid Haig and Bill Moseley; they both are a great fit as well. This team just works so well together; I do really love seeing them work beside each other. Zombie makes it no secret that’s he’s a fan of 70’s horror and he often casts actors who have appeared in said films. Perhaps the most notable is Ken Foree who had a great role in The Devil’s Rejects.

Speaking of Zombie being a 70’s horror fan, his films all have a very raw and grindhouse feel to them. He has been influenced and pays homage to those films; especially with his first couple where I got a big The Last House On The Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe. The man likes to include references to the horror films of the 30’s and 40’s from something as simple as showing White Zombie in on a TV screen to featuring cut away scenes of early bondage films. Oh did you know Zombie likes tits and ass? If you do too, you’re in for a treat. He doesn’t hesitate to show off the female form, and somehow it seems mostly justified. He shoots it in very much the same way they did back in the day, it almost feels expected. The man also writes his films, and I think one of the most up-front trademarks with that are his characters. They are as unique as they come and none of them are boring. He makes sure each character sticks out in such a way that you won’t easily forget them.

HIDDEN GEM

Get The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto on DVD here
Get The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto on Blu-ray here

One film of Zombie’s that has gone under my radar is his animated flick The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto. I only caught this one recently and I have to say this is one insane ride. It is very much influenced by the likes of Ren and Stimpy which basically means it is pretty bat-shit insane. I did however rather enjoy myself; it was a fun and crazy ride with some awesome animation and voice work.

The film was based upon Zombie’s own comic; it follows the adventures of El Superbeasto and his sexy sister Suzi-X. They must deal with the villain Dr Satan, and all sorts of chaos follows. Firstly, if you are easily offended this really isn’t for you. The film is crude, disgusting and full of animated nudity. In fact, this film is probably best seen when you aren’t sober. Sober viewing is fine, but you’ll probably get so much more out of it with a few shots of something.

As I mentioned the animation is great, it is very colourful and vibrant. The characters are all so cute looking despite the gross aspects or incredibly huge breasts. Paul Giamatti steals the show as Dr Satan as he was a riot and I missed him when he wasn’t around. There are so many references and in-jokes that you’d have to sit through it a few times to pick them all up. The film is perfect for a Saturday night viewing, or an early Sunday morning one.

NEXT PROJECT

Zombie’s next project has been announced and it is moving ahead at a steady pace. The Lords of Salem is in pre-production right now, with the only cast member announced being (surprise) Sheri Moon. Zombie should be making some casting announcements soon, and I am sure we’ll see some familiar names on there. The synopsis has been released and you can check it out while AITH will be bringing you all the up to date news on this.

Synopsis – Heidi, a blonde rock chick, DJs at a local radio station, and together with the two Hermans (Whitey and Munster) forms part of the “Big H Radio Team”.

A mysterious wooden box containing a vinyl record arrives for Heidi, “a gift from the Lords”. She assumes it’s a rock band on a mission to spread their word. As Heidi and Whitey play the Lords’ record, it starts to play backwards, and Heidi experiences a flashback to a past trauma.

Later Whitey plays the Lords’ record, dubbing them the Lords of Salem, and to his surprise, the record plays normally and is a massive hit with listeners.

The arrival of another wooden box from the Lords presents the Big H Team with free tickets, posters and records to host a gig in Salem. Soon Heidi and her cohorts find that the gig is far from the rock spectacle they’re expecting: the original Lords of Salem are returning, and they’re out for BLOOD.

OVERALL

Rob Zombie is A-okay in my book aside from the one film I am a loyal fan of his. I enjoy what he brings to the table and I really appreciate his outlook on the genre. He is a fan, he knows his stuff, and I could sit and listen to him talk about the genre for hours. He seems to learn as he goes, and he can easily admit and acknowledge his mistakes. I have always been excited when a new project of his is announced or when his name is attached to something. I can’t wait to see what he brings us in the future.