MovieChat Forums > 31 (2016) Discussion > Why does Zombie keep writing unlikable/v...

Why does Zombie keep writing unlikable/vile "protagonists"?

posted 8 years ago by JJett131313
11 replies | jump to latest

i understand it's more interesting to have characters with layers who aren't just 100% "good" and 100% "bad" but Zombie seems to just recycle the same vile/unlikable characters again and again. the first 30 minutes of 31, where we are getting to know the "protagonists" (i'm using that term very loosely here. lol), irritated me so much because every single protagonist was completely unlikable/vile/etc. i kind of sort of found Meg Foster's character to be somewhat ok/sympathetic but barely. Zombie just doesn't understand that when his protag characters are so detestable/unlikable, it makes it impossible to root for them (unless his goal was to have the audience rooting for the villains like Doom-Head).

in every one of his other films (maybe LORDS OF SALEM eased up on the unlikable main protag IMO) the protagonists are either completely unlikable, incredibly irritating or utter both. i don't even have a huge issue with the fact it's always trailer trashy characters in all of his film but at least Zombie could try to make them likable/sympathetic/etc.

[–] Alex_de_Large_18 8 years ago

To quote Rob Zombie: "Every character is me. I write what I know."

So that must mean his is either totally unlikeable in real life, or all the people he knows are haha.

[–] JJett131313 8 years ago

Alex, i think you're right! lol.
i really think in Rob's head/world likable & sympathetic characters are exactly like the so called protagonists we see in his films. i can't think of any other reason for why he writes them to be how they are in his movies. i actually WAS looking forward to/excited (somewhat) for this movie but it was just pretty terrible. i know i'll get laughed at by some for saying this but Rob's H2 is still my favorite of his films. as bizarre and un-HALLOWEEN-ish it was i genuinely liked it. at least the kills/gore in that movie (not that kills/gore are everything) were immensely brutal whereas in 31 (at least the R-rated version we've seen) the kills/gore was very much toned down/edited out. the movie (31) NEEDED more brutal kills/gore since the rest of the storyline was meh...

[–] wmcginty 8 years ago

I would have come to the same conclusion, but I met Rob and Sheri (veeeery briefly) this summer, and they were actually really nice...

[–] MartenBroadcloak 8 years ago

The only unlikable protagonist IMO was Roscoe (Jeff Daniels Phillips) which I think was deliberate. The other ones I found to be likable enough. I mean yeah they were crude but I had no problem rooting for them.

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[–] PoisonKeyblade 8 years ago

I actually really liked Venus and was rooting for her :( but I disagree about his protagonists all being unlikeable. What was so unlikeable about the leads in House of 1000 Corpses?

[–] ElectricWarlock 8 years ago

What was so unlikeable about the leads in House of 1000 Corpses?

I can think of likable characters in almost all of Rob Zombie's films as a matter of fact.

In The Devil's Rejects Banjo, Sullivan, Gloria, and Wendy weren't so bad. In Halloween I really liked Deborah Myers and felt very sorry for her. Laurie's parents weren't too bad either. I didn't really care for Laurie herself, though, until the second one. I felt bad for her, Annie, and Sheriff Brackett because the traumatic events of the first film really changed them. Then they were just going to have to go through it all over again. I didn't mind Heidi, the two Hermans, Francis Matthias, and his wife in The Lords of Salem either.

There are a few likable characters in all of Rob Zombie's movies. People just choose to focus on the bad, nasty, sleazy ones instead.

[–] JJett131313 8 years ago

horror2, i should have worded my comments a bit better. i'm not saying there have never been nice/sympathetic characters in all of Rob's films. sorry about my wording. i agree 100% with you that Sheri's Deborah Myers was a very sweet/likable/sympathetic character. and from what i remember (i saw the film so long ago i barely remember much of it) the protagonists (Chris Hardwick, etc) in 1000 CORPSES were somewhat likable. i should also mention that i am not a Rob Zombie (or his films) hater. i actually love his H2. i think he's very talented with visuals/camera shots/etc but his writing is not very good (it has it's moments from time to time though).

[–] matdog321 8 years ago

The first likable Zombie character i thought of was Annie from Halloween, played by the wonderful Danielle Harris

[–] amitynow 8 years ago

Laurie in both Halloween films would hands down get my vote as one of the if not THE most unlikable protagonists in the history of motion pictures. He's had a lot of other characters that have been detestable too but nothing comes close to her. She was irritating in every scene of those movies. Really seemed like he was trying to sabotage his own movies too by directing her so poorly since her character is obviously supposed to be sympathetic but comes across as the complete opposite.