Sep 2019
Rob Zombie is a master of undoing himself. When he shit onmade Halloween in 2007, he wasn't very sure what he was doing throughout the movie and it shows. He even explained in commentary how many alternate takes and scenes he went through because he didn't know which ones to use or basically what he was doing at all with that movie, but at least he ended it on a decent note. Michael got blasted in the face with a magnum and you saw his blood splatter everywhere. Then, he undid this dramatic ending for his shitty interpretation of a horror icon when he made a part 2 and made the gunshot simply graze the side of his head. 14 years after the Firefly clan got riddled with bullets at the end of The Devils Rejects in one hell of a satisfying and definitive ending for a short-lived series... Rob Zombie undoes another good ending so he can milk it some more in "3 From Hell"!!
Now, if you can get over how preposterous their survival is... the rest of the movie will play out a lot like The Devils Rejects. The structure of that movie is used heavily in the DNA of his new effort to the point where many of the scenes are comparable to scenes in the prior flick, with only slight differences.
In a vague simplification, the structure of the movie entails our "heroes" fleeing from the law, torturing somewhat of a family unit, laying low for a little R and R, and being targeted for revenge by disgruntled victims. If that ain't the same structure we've seen before, then what's new? The answer is not much. However, despite being a complete rehash, the movie is otherwise very entertaining and well made. Rob Zombie has learned a lot over the years when it comes to filmmaking. One thing he hasn't learned is that his wife is still very annoying.
Sherri Moon as Baby Firefly has been locked away primarily in solitary for most of the time span between this and the last film (about a decade?). She's gone completely loony in that time, and some of her scenes are cringe-worthy in how obnoxious her acting can be. At other times, she can be bearable, but Rob definitely puts her on a pedestal and thinks she's a lot cooler and more bad-ass than she actually is. Oh well...
Bill Moseley as Otis, however, hasn't changed at all. He's still the grouchy arrogant asshole that we all love, always spouting off some devil shit about how great he is and how stupid and victimlike everyone else is. He's become the new de facto leader of the group, seeing as how Spaulding isn't around for very long.
I expect it's due to Sid Haig's age and mobility as to why he was given a very small part in the film. He spouts off a few lines of dialogue in the beginning and is mostly included for novelty, because he's everyone's favorite redneck killer clown, and we needed to have him in this movie to some extent.
To conclude the third character in the trio, Rob puts another one of his regulars into the spotlight, Richard Brake as Foxy the Midnight Wolfman. This is Otis's half brother, and he doesn't have as strong of a personality as the others, but he's more the laidback type who goes with the flow of whatever bullshit Otis spouts off. Somehow, he fits right in there though.
Without saying too much more about it, the film is still an exciting experience to see everyone come back together for some more carnage. There's plenty of Rob Zombie's classic trademark material including graphic violence, crude language, perverse sexuality, loads of nudity, and interesting shots and camerawork. You can tell that everyone involved in the movie had a blast making it, and that's part of why this unnecessary sequel somehow manages to work.
One of the best things about any RZ movie is the cast. You'll always see those regular actors he uses time and time again, with Jeff Daniel Philips playing the twirly-stached warden, Dee Wallace playing a dyke prison guard, Danny Trejo as Rondo, Pancho Moler as the loveable one-eyed midget, Clint Howard as the birthday clown in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a few others. Much to my surprise, we even had Barry Bostwick as the narrator.
If you liked The Devils Rejects, you might as well watch 3 From Hell. It's not as impactful as TDR, but it's better than some of the other shit he's made.
Now, if you can get over how preposterous their survival is... the rest of the movie will play out a lot like The Devils Rejects. The structure of that movie is used heavily in the DNA of his new effort to the point where many of the scenes are comparable to scenes in the prior flick, with only slight differences.
In a vague simplification, the structure of the movie entails our "heroes" fleeing from the law, torturing somewhat of a family unit, laying low for a little R and R, and being targeted for revenge by disgruntled victims. If that ain't the same structure we've seen before, then what's new? The answer is not much. However, despite being a complete rehash, the movie is otherwise very entertaining and well made. Rob Zombie has learned a lot over the years when it comes to filmmaking. One thing he hasn't learned is that his wife is still very annoying.
Sherri Moon as Baby Firefly has been locked away primarily in solitary for most of the time span between this and the last film (about a decade?). She's gone completely loony in that time, and some of her scenes are cringe-worthy in how obnoxious her acting can be. At other times, she can be bearable, but Rob definitely puts her on a pedestal and thinks she's a lot cooler and more bad-ass than she actually is. Oh well...
Bill Moseley as Otis, however, hasn't changed at all. He's still the grouchy arrogant asshole that we all love, always spouting off some devil shit about how great he is and how stupid and victimlike everyone else is. He's become the new de facto leader of the group, seeing as how Spaulding isn't around for very long.
I expect it's due to Sid Haig's age and mobility as to why he was given a very small part in the film. He spouts off a few lines of dialogue in the beginning and is mostly included for novelty, because he's everyone's favorite redneck killer clown, and we needed to have him in this movie to some extent.
To conclude the third character in the trio, Rob puts another one of his regulars into the spotlight, Richard Brake as Foxy the Midnight Wolfman. This is Otis's half brother, and he doesn't have as strong of a personality as the others, but he's more the laidback type who goes with the flow of whatever bullshit Otis spouts off. Somehow, he fits right in there though.
Without saying too much more about it, the film is still an exciting experience to see everyone come back together for some more carnage. There's plenty of Rob Zombie's classic trademark material including graphic violence, crude language, perverse sexuality, loads of nudity, and interesting shots and camerawork. You can tell that everyone involved in the movie had a blast making it, and that's part of why this unnecessary sequel somehow manages to work.
One of the best things about any RZ movie is the cast. You'll always see those regular actors he uses time and time again, with Jeff Daniel Philips playing the twirly-stached warden, Dee Wallace playing a dyke prison guard, Danny Trejo as Rondo, Pancho Moler as the loveable one-eyed midget, Clint Howard as the birthday clown in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a few others. Much to my surprise, we even had Barry Bostwick as the narrator.
If you liked The Devils Rejects, you might as well watch 3 From Hell. It's not as impactful as TDR, but it's better than some of the other shit he's made.
