3
FROM HELL (2019)
Starring
Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Richard Brake, Sid Haig (RIP),
Pancho Moler, Dee Wallace, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Emilio Rivera,
Daniel Roebuck, Danny Trejo. Directed by Rob Zombie. (115 min)
ON
BLU-RAY FROM LIONSGATE
Review
by Tiger the Terribleđž
I’ve
always been a Rob Zombie fan, though never really cared for
most of his movies. I get what he’s doing – parlaying his love of
the same sleazy horror he embraces in his music – and he’s
actually a pretty skilled director. But he also tends to overindulge
in excess for its own sake.
For
me, The Devil’s Rejects was an exception. Not that Zombie
backed away from the usual mayhem and parade of sideshow freaks, but
this time his over-the-top style completely suited the story. While
still an homage to the grindhouse aesthetic of the ‘70s, it was
more than just the sum of his influences. The murderous Firefly
family may have been introduced in House of 1,000 Corpses, but
Rejects is when they
got
interesting.
Though
one would assume the climax of that film precludes
any notion of a follow-up, Otis, Baby and – very briefly –
Captain Spalding return for more nastiness in 3 From Hell,
Zombie’s belated sequel. It
turns out that even though each was shot more than 20 times, they
were only mostly dead
(to coin a phrase). Sure,
their resurrection is contrived and health issues relegate
the late Sid Haig to a mere cameo, but while 3 From Hell
does not reach the heights – or depths – of The Devil’s
Rejects, it’s arguably
Zombie’s best film since.
 |
| Body by Bud. |
3
From Hell is
essentially divided
into two stories. Following
Spalding’s unceremonious exit (by execution), the
first half has Otis (Bill
Moseley) escaping prison with the help of half-brother “Foxy”
Coltrane (Richard Brake). A massive manhunt ensures, during which
time these two force sleazy warden Dallas Harper (Jeff Daniel
Phillips) to break Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) out of jail by holding
his wife and friends hostage. Afterwards, the three hole-up in a
seedy Mexican village. This sets-up the second half, in
which druglord Aquarius (Emilio Rivera) seeks
to avenge the death of his father, Rondo (Danny Trejo), who
was murdered by Otis during
his escape.
Spread
throughout is all the sadism, murder, blood and flamboyant
performances that have become hallmarks of this franchise. Zombie’s
penchant for ugliness is on full display and he skillfullly
maintains the same greasy look and tone of The Devil’s Rejects.
However, 3 From Hell
doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. It’s
another film of bad guys squaring-off against worse guys, which is
perfectly fine if
more-of-the-same is what you’re looking for. Spalding is also
sorely missed. “Foxy”
Coltrane is obviously introduced to
keep this group a trio, but he’s not as interesting and Richard
Brake is no Sid Haig. Additionally, Sheri Moon’s “look how insane
I’ve become” performance grows irritating after awhile.
But
while there aren’t any real surprises,
3 From Hell is seldom
boring, the worst sin a movie can commit, good or
bad. Like
The Devil’s Rejects,
it’s
fast-paced and unquestionably
horrific (though I still
don’t understand how either are considered
horror films).
Storywise, Rob
Zombie hasn’t figured out anything new to do with his characters,
but it more than justifies
his ongoing second career as a director.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"TO
HELL AND BACK: THE MAKING OF 3 FROM HELL” -
A feature-length, 4-part documentary with cast/crew interviews and
behind-the-scenes footage.
AUDIO
COMMENTARY – By Writer-Director Rob Zombie
UNRATED
(Blu-ray) AND R-RATED (DVD) VERSIONS
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE MONDO SEX HEAD.
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