Jeremy Ordan
Major Contributor
Last night the insomnia was completely overwhelming so I figured why not go for a nice whole number and watch this again for like the 10th time or something. Personally, in contrast to Hudson's initial review, I did find myself rooting and cheering for the Devil's Rejects. This was one of those films that I really liked the bad guys and that I felt blurred the line perfectly between who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist. It could be that I am so desensitized to violence in general, but I really cheered for them. While some might comment that the language of the script, I thought it fit perfectly. The dialogue, in fact, was one area in particular where I felt that the story was pushed forward the most and thus enriched the overall story. I consider watching this film to be one of the most voyeuristic experiences possible with cinema, because it is really hard to classify this film in a traditional genre sense. On the one hand it is the action sequel to a horror film. Furthermore it also has all the elements of a crime spree film in the vein of Bonnie & Clyde. Still, it has this family on the run feeling, but never for one second does it descend into the realm of traditional horror or, as one might expect considering House of 1000 Corpses, this new age MTV video within a film. The Devil's Rejects, in my opinion, is this perfectly balanced film, from the first disturbing images of a woman being pulled through the woods, to the final moments reminiscent of the climax of Thelma & Louise, or Bonnie & Clyde.
I was one of those people who hated 1000 Corpses. I found it to be amateur, raw, and more importantly (or critically) a cheesy rip off of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Devil's Rejects on the other hand is a completely different movie, and to simply call it taking the family on the road is an understatement equivalent of calling Empire Strikes Back putting the Rebellion on the run (bad analogy, but still you get the point). This film is one of the few films I have seen that does not have a down moment where you look at the clock and see how much time is left. The pacing is flawless, the editing is crisp and clean, and most importantly, it is a montage of influence that pays homage to some of the greatest horror, action, and dramas. The acting is surprising dead on with not a moment that seems out of place or an actor who seems miscast. The special effects in general are perfect with gun shots, mutilation, blood splatter, and fire being perfect. Actually the fire is far from perfect, amateur at best, but with that exception it is without flaw. Furthermore, make up. A topic that as filmmakers and personal critics I think that we never discuss, well, this film is perfect. The visual effects created on set are beautiful and mind blowing.
While Hudson said that the cinematography was basic, I enjoyed the crane shots, the dolly movements, and found that this film has the best use of when to shoot hand held vs.. when to shoot locked down. The camera is almost constantly in motion and to any aspiring filmmaker this could be studied for a year.
I guess the biggest impact of this film is that if you watched 1000 corpses and then the devils rejects you see how much growth Zombie has undergone as a filmmaker. This is a far superior movie and I think that Zombie has proven that he is a serious filmmaker who needs to be taken that way.
My final point, soundtrack (while the sound itself was perfect). The music in this film is second to none. I think I mentioned in my previous post that I found the use of 'Free Bird' to be the best use ever of a song in a film, and I stand behind that. The only moments I can compare the emotional, story value, or similarity between any other creation is to look at something like Born to be bad from Easy Rider, Tiny Dancer from Almost Famous, or In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel in Say Anything. Zombie topped them all with this scene. He plays almost the entire song, has the edit timed with the music, and it is by far the most incredible use of a song that I can think of.
Finally (yes, finally at last this guy is going to shut up), the opening credits are brilliant and grab you and won't let go.
I can't say enough good things about this film and highly suggest that you see is ASAP because it is a work of art that needs to be taken seriously.
I was one of those people who hated 1000 Corpses. I found it to be amateur, raw, and more importantly (or critically) a cheesy rip off of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The Devil's Rejects on the other hand is a completely different movie, and to simply call it taking the family on the road is an understatement equivalent of calling Empire Strikes Back putting the Rebellion on the run (bad analogy, but still you get the point). This film is one of the few films I have seen that does not have a down moment where you look at the clock and see how much time is left. The pacing is flawless, the editing is crisp and clean, and most importantly, it is a montage of influence that pays homage to some of the greatest horror, action, and dramas. The acting is surprising dead on with not a moment that seems out of place or an actor who seems miscast. The special effects in general are perfect with gun shots, mutilation, blood splatter, and fire being perfect. Actually the fire is far from perfect, amateur at best, but with that exception it is without flaw. Furthermore, make up. A topic that as filmmakers and personal critics I think that we never discuss, well, this film is perfect. The visual effects created on set are beautiful and mind blowing.
While Hudson said that the cinematography was basic, I enjoyed the crane shots, the dolly movements, and found that this film has the best use of when to shoot hand held vs.. when to shoot locked down. The camera is almost constantly in motion and to any aspiring filmmaker this could be studied for a year.
I guess the biggest impact of this film is that if you watched 1000 corpses and then the devils rejects you see how much growth Zombie has undergone as a filmmaker. This is a far superior movie and I think that Zombie has proven that he is a serious filmmaker who needs to be taken that way.
My final point, soundtrack (while the sound itself was perfect). The music in this film is second to none. I think I mentioned in my previous post that I found the use of 'Free Bird' to be the best use ever of a song in a film, and I stand behind that. The only moments I can compare the emotional, story value, or similarity between any other creation is to look at something like Born to be bad from Easy Rider, Tiny Dancer from Almost Famous, or In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel in Say Anything. Zombie topped them all with this scene. He plays almost the entire song, has the edit timed with the music, and it is by far the most incredible use of a song that I can think of.
Finally (yes, finally at last this guy is going to shut up), the opening credits are brilliant and grab you and won't let go.
I can't say enough good things about this film and highly suggest that you see is ASAP because it is a work of art that needs to be taken seriously.
