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Review

The opening credit sequence of The Devil’s Rejects – fueled by “Midnight Rider,” The Allman Brothers’ howling tale of an outlaw on the lam – swiftly and securely establishes the bloody and brutal tone that the film will follow. Rob Zombie takes the viewer on a gruesome road trip in this highly anticipated sequel to his beloved House of 1,000 Corpses. The corpse-ridden household is raided by police and, more importantly, Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe,) a brother to one of the crazed clan’s victims. His personal mission to avenge his brother’s death will take him far beyond the limits of the law as he makes the predators his prey. He is chasing after Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley), Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig in top comedic form) as they search for safety and have a little sinister fun along the way.

Once again, Zombie is satirizing and paying homage to the under-exposed low-budget American horror classics of the 1970’s. This time, he does so flawlessly. It seems as though House of 1,000 Corpses was the practice needed before Zombie could go on to make this extraordinarily disturbing masterpiece. The Devil’s Rejects is filled to the brim with sickeningly crude humor and enough nausea-inducing sadistic violence to make even the most desensitized viewers cringe. Though many (especially those unfamiliar with the genre by which Zombie was inspired) may find the content to be offensive, it is hard to ignore the fact that this is an exceptionally well-made film. It manages to achieve the highest goal of a film of its kind by remaining consistently horrifying from the beginning to it’s intense and unforgettable ending (it must be seen to be believed.) This will surely become required viewing for any and every midnight-movie fan.

 -- Robert O'Neill