MovieChat Forums > 31 (2016) Discussion > A letter to Rob Zombie .....

A letter to Rob Zombie .....

posted 8 years ago by PimpinAinttEasy
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Dear Rob Zombie,

you should re-watch The Devil's Rejects (your one and only masterpiece!) very carefully. It had some of your best writing. I loved the way you handled the character development in that film with short, powerful, funny and even touching scenes. One actually felt affection for the characters even though they were total psychos. The performances were sensational. It wasn't just gore and fancy set pieces and songs and weird characters.

You nailed it in the first twenty minutes of 31, Rob. The opening scene was powerful. Richard Brake is a really good actor. The carnival gang was very interesting and I liked the bawdy jokes. The scene at the gas station was very promising. The first twenty minutes had everything one looks for in a Rob Zombie movie - the offbeat characters who are the very opposite of squares, beautiful women who openly flaunt their sexuality and great music (the title sequence was excellent). I think deep in your heart, you are someone who is sick and bored of square society and all its rules. So like William Trevor said "I get melancholy if I don't write. I need the company of people who don't exist." Maybe you want friends like the candid characters in 31 and The Devil's Rejects. That's probably why you keep making the same movie over and over.

But it all fell apart after the carnival gang gets kidnapped and is pushed into a violent game of survival. While the house where they played the violent game had some amazing set pieces, the writing and the action were completely uninspired. Some of the villains were entertaining, but without proper backstories and character development (like in The Devil's Rejects)they became screaming nobodies. Gore does not shock horror movie fans anymore. I mean, it is impossible to take all the violence in horror movies seriously. We are that desensitized. The film does pick up slightly towards the end thanks to Richard Brake. Elizabeth Daily deserves special mention. She was awesome. I loved her body language and dialog delivery in the scene at the gas station where she tries to seduce Jeff Daniel Phillips. Meg Foster's character could have been one of the greatest redneck female characters of all time. It was a wasted opportunity, frankly.

(6/10) because I am a hardcore fan of your movies. Looking forward to the next one, Rob.

Best Regards,

Pimpin.

Why hang on to antiquated notions like "the soil is like my mother?" - Man

[–] moviefool09 8 years ago

That's a great review. Well said. I agree with pretty much everything you said.

Richard Brake was excellent and that opening monologue with almost no cuts is among the best scenes ever in a Rob Zombie film. Brake was genuinely unsettling, as was Pancho Moler as Sick-Head. Those two are the most commanding figures in the film. Malcolm McDowell deserves kudo's for giving this a whirl but I felt his character was a bit of a wasted effort. Could have been more interesting with some sort of backstory.

In any case, an interesting film and well worth a look. If Rob ever can create some great characters who AREN'T villains, his films would be more well-rounded and compelling. He seems to be most fascinated with the villains in his films and all the other characters are almost afterthoughts. That's a shame, but what he does well, he does very well.

[–] PimpinAinttEasy 8 years ago

cheers, thanks for liking my review.

He seems to be most fascinated with the villains in his films and all the other characters are almost afterthoughts.

yes, his films seem to be an outlet for his psychotic fantasies. its a good thing he became an artist.

I get melancholy if I don't write. I need the company of people who don't exist.