Last Updated on July 23, 2021
THE BLACK SHEEP is an ongoing column featuring different takes on films that either the writer HATED, but that the majority of film fans LOVED, or that the writer LOVED, but that most others LOATH. We’re hoping this column will promote constructive and geek fueled discussion. Dig in!
THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005)
Directed by Rob Zombie
“It’s the lowest common denominator, offering nothing other than torture and destruction.”
Somebody should’ve sent Rob Zombie a memo. After the entertaining throwback House of a 1000 Corpses, Rob took ten bloody steps back with its follow-up The Devil’s Rejects. It’s not that he just made a bad movie here. No, no. It’s worse. The Devil’s Rejects is reprehensible. And on multiple levels. Not only is it utter glorification of violence, not only does it star his unwatchable and annoying (but really hot) wife, but it’s lousy, glossy-made-to-look-gritty filmmaking. While it seems to have the strongest fan base of all his movies (hell, even Ebert dug it and wrote, “The movie is not merely disgusting, but has an attitude and a subversive sense of humor”), I declare it as one of horror’s most overrated films.
Listen, I get it, Rob. You’re a rebel, a rock star who found a niche and exploited the hell out of it. Just equate Rob’s music career to his film career. Like AC/DC, he knows one rift and runs it into the ground. Unlike AC/DC, however, Rob’s music lacks longevity, originality and mass appeal. He had a great moment in hell’s spotlight, but he ain’t Ozzy. He ain’t Alice Cooper. Hell, he ain’t even Dio. Likewise, he ain’t John Carpenter, Wes Craven or George Romero. Though horror doesn’t necessarily need to appeal the masses, Rob’s movies lack originality, defies convention, and in fact, each film he’s made has gotten progressively worse, but The Devil’s Rejects is the horror equivalent of reality TV. It’s the lowest common denominator, offering nothing other than torture and destruction. Now, considering this is a horror website, I know better then throw out that a movie is all about torture and destruction, say it sucks, and not back it up. No fear.
However, before I dive in and perform an elbow deep cavity search, allow a moment for a quick note about genre conventions. They’re there to maintain some sense of order to prevent chaos. An action movie needs a hero, a villain and someone/thing to get. Film noir needs a femme fatale. And horror needs both villains and good guys. Without both, the movie will fail to deliver the emotional draw to suck us, to give us someone to root for and follow their journey. Otherwise, we were watching nothing beyond an exercise in gore and brutality without a human element, the very thing that makes drama. But even successful films — like a Saw or a Hostel or a I Spit on Your Grave — that take that bloody route still follow convention. They have to. Without these stereotypical character types, you end up with something watchable, something like The Devil’s Rejects.
So The Devil’s Rejects, let’s take a gander at your characters. The clear leads (but unclear pro/antagonists) are the Firefly family: Otis, Baby, Mother, Captain Spaulding, Tiny, and that other guy. They’re perhaps the first characters in film history to progress from villains in one movie to heroes in the next, which makes zero damn sense. Sure, dudes like Hannibal got their own flic
k, but a hero remained in place. However, the Fireflys, despite clearly being the leads, show no progression as characters, no real reason to carry on their adventures other then to maim and slaughter some more. If they’re gonna play the role as supposed anti-heroes, they don’t make a strong case.
Take the scene at the motel room where Otis and Baby take Brian Posehn and his family hostage. While the scene itself is a really f*cking gritty and realistic one, it failed to do anything with the characters other than advance how badass and sadistic they are. It’s a great scene on some levels because it’s so believable, so authentic that it’s difficult to watch. But as anti-heroes, they gain no sympathy. They do not make me root for them. Even the most badass characters in history (Snake Plissken, Dirty Harry, Darth Vader, Marv, McClain to name a few) demonstrate signs of humanity at some point. It’s just ain’t good filmmaking if I want them to die. I should want them to live, to kill again another day. Maybe all they needed is someone, another character to balance out their chi.
If Rob really wanted to keep the Fireflys brutal and all, then he should’ve instructed William Forsythe to ease off his assholeness because his character, Sheriff Wydell, is positioned to be the flawed protagonist as he seeks revenge on the Fireflys for killing his bro in 1000 Corpses. Great. Perfect. But he can’t remain on the same hellish level as them. He can’t. And in doing so as he’s willing to go to any level to make ‘em all dead, he ends up destroying the film. He becomes the smelly armpit, the source of my repulsion. Because with his character an unlikable dick, the Fireflys don’t seem badass anymore. They’re just heartless and uninteresting thugs.
I can’t place all fault on the characters because the root canal of the trouble falls under Rob, the man who wrote and directed the thing. Granted, The Devil’s Rejects proves that he can create great moments. It’s hard to deny the sweetass ending with guns a-blazing while “Freebird” plays in the background. Damn cool. I even love the grittiness and the idea of the story. But it’s beyond flawed. It’s terrible execution of a good intent. Rob wants the world to experience gritty 70’s style horror, but even those, the successful ones, still maintained some sense of convention. Disagree like my boss The Arrow, who LOVED the film? Give us your take below!
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