"The Devil's Rejects" - 2005, Directed by Rob Zombie

The movie going experience is one of delight and entertainment. You get to leave the house for a couple of hours, eat some rather delicious (if not overly expensive) popped corn, and lose yourself in a fictitious world. What was delightful and entertaining about "The Devil's Rejects?" Not much.

After a failed police raid on a decaying farm house, the inhabitants--responsible for over 75 murders--take flight and hit the road. Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe), hungry for vengeance, gives chase. With three sociopaths on the loose in a dusty, degenerate desert, innocent bystanders find themselves in a hell on Earth.

What more can be said about a movie that the title, "The Devil's Rejects," doesn't already tell? Hands down, this is one of the sickest, most depraved, and down-right brutal films ever made. Name any deplorable or negative aspect of humanity and you can expect to see it in "Rejects." Rape, murder, torture, vengeance, prostitution, vulgarity, drug abuse, bestiality...just a few examples of the sensitive material you can expect.

Rob Zombie, a veteran of the music video world, has obviously put a lot of thought into the style of this movie. He uses a variety of techniques, including freeze frames, blurred or slow motion, and several musical montages. I felt these montages were the film's greatest strength, and brought some welcome release from the tense moments that precede them.

The acting in "The Devils Rejects" is fine, as is the direction--however, character development and plot take a back seat to finding new situations and locations to show more violence and nudity. Of the cast, Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding) and Bill Moseley (Otis) give stand-out performances as killers without conscience. You'll quickly forget that they are actors and see them only as the dregs their characters represent.

For fans of 70's exploitation cinema, "The Devil's Rejects" will be a welcome change from the multitude of ghostly, Japanese horror remakes. Those looking for entertainment, however, may find themselves cringing through most of it. Granted, there are some comical lines, however the humor is quickly lost after you realize the situation and context of the joke.

Rating: 3/5