MovieChat Forums > 31 (2016) Discussion > First Rob Zombie movie that disappointed...

First Rob Zombie movie that disappointed me

posted 8 years ago by Alex_de_Large_18
14 replies | jump to latest

First of all Rob Zombie said this was going to be his most brutal and violent movie to date. Well, it simply wasn't! There is little to nore actual(!) gore. Most of the stuff happens off screen or the shaky cam ruins it to the point where you can't make out what's happening.

Then the characters. Everyone was soooo stupid. Their actions were SO random. It annoyed me really fast. The acting was also sh!t. Everyone sucked in this movie. Except for the guy who played Doom-Head. It was also the first time that I was annoyed by the dialog. Zombie doesn't write the best dialog, we all know that. But this time.... boy it got on my nerves, it's that bad and redundant.

Then what's up with the editing?! Zombie made this one feel like an experiment, not a movie. Many of the stylistic editing choices just don't work at all. Also incredibly incoherent. Storytelling doesn't work in this movie thanks to the bad editing.

The score was amazing. True Carpenter & Goblin stuff here. Loved the minimalistic synthesizer approach. Worked extremely well. The soundtrack was good, too. One of the few things that created atmosphere in this movie. Apart from the shaky cam, the cinematography was really nice. too.

The ending is the stupidest thing about this movie. HUGE disappointment. Wow, that's the best you could come up with, Rob?

I'll give it another chance... maybe I'll like it a bit better next time. But something just felt off. Caugh me off guard... IDK.

Wasn't a terrible movie by any means, but it was severely lacking... "something". I love all other Rob Zombie movies by the way.

Let's see what the NC-17 cut can do to improve this movie.

[–] ryanhebbs 8 years ago

I'm still interested in seeing it

[–] Alex_de_Large_18 8 years ago

It's out now. You should check it out. I think my review sounds a bit harsh, but that might only be because I had very different expectations of what 31 would be like. Not content wise but in terms of presentation. I might as well love it the next time I see it haha. Wouldn't be the first that something like that happened to me.

[–] sliphazard 8 years ago

Totally agree with all your points dude.

Honestly the movie felt rather tame in terms of violence and brutality. I wasn't going in expecting flat out Saw level *beep* or gore porn but I was hoping for something a little more creative then what appears in the final film. The movie is shot in a way that none of the violence and "kill shots" really have any sort of impact or shock. They just happen.

Plus it doesn't help any that I personally felt absolutely NOTHING for the main characters. Like you said, they're stupid, annoying and the acting was really REALLY spotty at best.

As far as the Zombies writing.... Yeah I don't know what he was thinking. It was all mainly one liners. Like *beep* that sounds cool in a trailer, but in the actual movie it just doesn't work. Every line of dialogue comes off as if the Zombies was just trying to recreate Otis from HO1KC but without any of the character behind them.

Anyways yeah I don't want to repeat everything you said but I do agree about the ending and editing of the film. I'll also just add that the movie really felt rushed to me. Mainly because of the bad editing and writing there was no real flow to the movie and it was just "this scene happened, then this scene happened and etc"

I wish I could've liked the film, the Zombies is a talented dude. However this movie was just bad. Something you can watch once and then totally forget about.

JustMyOpinion

[–] katalist420 8 years ago

For me this was his second best movie, after Devils Rejects. Oh well everyone is different.

Loved the score, loved the look of the movie and thought Mr Jeff Daniel Philips did a wonderful job.

[–] MetalHead13 8 years ago

Agreed 100%.

[–] ryanhebbs 8 years ago

I still need to see his witch film as well

[–] littlehorn-74234 8 years ago

This and Lords of Salem made me cringe with how bad they ended up being. Not a big fan of many of his characters but the people in this movie were pure hell. And not in a good way. Nothing about any of these characters were likable. How is a midget clown nazi even remotely scary unless you actually have a fear of midgets or clowns. There was nothing remotely good about this film.

[–] bornskeptic 8 years ago

This was not the first Zombie film to disappoint me. That title has to go to Halloween 2. I thought his first Halloween was pretty good. The second was a huge letdown.
And then The Lords Of Salem? Damn dude. It's like he is sleepwalking now.

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

whats the ending?

[–] cotysmith08 8 years ago

Sherri Moon Zombie is the only person left alive (of course) and Doom-head is getting ready to kill her. He's taunting her, choking her to the point of death, and just *beep* with her before he kills her. Then a voice comes over a PA system and says that time has expired and Sherri has won the game. Doom-Head is pissed off but he leaves. We see Sherri walking down a deserted road covered in blood and limping. Dream on by Aerosmith is playing in the background as Doom-head drives up behind her in a van. He gets out of the car and approaches her. She turns around and clinches her fists and Doom-head smiles and opens his switchblades. The end.

It's unclear whether Doom-head went to kill her because he wanted to or because Malcolm McDowell's character sent him to.

[–] Alex_de_Large_18 8 years ago

Doom-Head was just on his way home when he spotted her on the road. He got lucky. She.... not so much lol.

[–] cotysmith08 8 years ago

I thought it was ambiguous since McDowell said he'd handle Charlie and then Doom-head showed up a few minutes later.

[–] ryanhebbs 8 years ago

Yeah it was alright

[–] Alex_de_Large_18 8 years ago

I was fairly disappointment when I first saw it, but I have seen it a couple times since then and I like it better with each viewing.