The Devil's Rejects

I did watch it the day after it came out, but I haven't blogged about it yet for two reasons. First, I have been fighting illness, including a cold and some strange night chills-inducing bug that my mom helpfully suggested might be TB. It's not, but it did take the starch out of me. Reason two is that, frankly, I was a little disappointed with The Devil's Rejects.

The natural comparison is between Rejects and Rob Zombie's first movie, House of 1000 Corpses. In many regards, Rejects compares well. It was a very good movie, and certainly a more cohesive, and coherent, one than its predecessor. In fact, I would say that it is a better movie that Corpses.

But Corpses was just more fun. All the little touches that went into it, from the scary movies on tv to Captain Spaulding's horror ride at the gas station to the Halloween setting, created an atmosphere of appreciation of horror. It had some scary parts, but not many, and that was okay. Mr. Zombie's horror fandom seeped into every scene.

Rejects, however, was not like that. It was really more of an action, thriller-type movie than a horror movie. So while it was very good (and had a really cool soundtrack, by the way), it was different, and because my expectations seem to have been for a movie that was more well-executed but essentially in the vein of Corpses.

Rejects, while very good, was not that movie. I enjoyed it and will probably watch it a few more times, but I am still hopeful for the movie I wanted from Mr. Zombie. With the improvement he showed in Rejects, I think he can do it.