It’s been a while since I wrote about horror on this blog and, so, I thought I’d come back to the topic by discussing a very interesting series of films by musician turned film director Rob Zombie. The Firefly trilogy, not to be confused with a popular one season TV series with the same name, is absolutely fascinating to me not just because of the films themselves but also the transitions in style from film to film. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting to share some of my thoughts on Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy, what I think of each film and the trilogy as a whole.
Of course, we’re going to start by taking a look at the first film in the trilogy, House of 1000 Corpses. Originally filmed in 2000 but whose release was delayed until 2003 due to behind the scenes issues with the content, House of 1000 Corpses introduces us to the Firefly family who capture unsuspecting travelers and subject them to all sorts of torture, sadism and mutilation. House of 1000 Corpses was Rob Zombie’s directorial debut and it feels, from a technical perspective, easily the roughest out of the whole trilogy. It is also very tonally different from the other films with a much more over the top and goofy feel. That’s not to say that there isn’t good stuff in this film, the soundtrack is great, there’s some very interesting cinematography and the mixture of comedy and violence can be quite satisfying but it’s still what I’d call a mediocre experience.
However, it’s the second film of the trilogy that really draws my interest to this series. The Devil’s Rejects, released in 2005, is, as far as I’m concerned, a masterpiece. The shift in tone is immediately palpable with the local law enforcement launching an attack on the Firefly family’s household due to the events of the previous film, resulting in several members going on the run. What ensues is a horror Western revenge film as the Firefly family commit all kinds of diabolical acts as they flee while the Sheriff, John Quincy Wydell, begins to sink deeper and deeper as he takes the law into his own hands, in order to get vengeance for his brother’s death. Every aspect of The Devil’s Rejects is improved compared to House of 1000 Corpses such as acting, cinematography, lighting, storytelling, dialogue, soundtrack etc. Even the comedy is superior which, while not as upfront as House of 1000 Corpses, benefits from the improved acting and dialogue with standout scenes being a discussion of Star Wars at a brothel, a Groucho Marx fan who hates Elvis Presley and, of course, the chicken f**ker scene. It truly is a remarkable film and I have no hesitation in declaring it as one of my favourite horror films.
It wasn’t until many years later, after I’d seen both House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, that the third and final film, 3 from Hell, was released in 2019. Having miraculously survived the ending of The Devil’s Rejects, the three have now been imprisoned for the carnage that they’ve committed. There are some nice touches in the film that tie-in to previous plot threads and I was actually quite engaged during the prison sequences. However, the latter half of the movie felt like a mere rehash of The Devil’s Rejects and was nowhere near as good. It’s also sad that Sid Haig’s character of Captain Spaulding is hardly in the film but I do acknowledge that his health issues prevented him from being able to participate to a greater degree. While I would personally argue that 3 from Hell is a better crafted movie than House of 1000 Corpses, it also feels like it has the least distinct identity out of the trilogy.
The Firefly trilogy is a real rollercoaster ride when it comes to quality but it’s one that I do continue to admire, both for how much I love The Devil’s Rejects and for the good qualities of both House of 1000 Corpses and 3 from Hell. I don’t know if there will ever be another film in the series, I kind of think there shouldn’t be, but I will always admire what Rob Zombie did with these films.
Let me know your thoughts on Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy, which films you’ve seen and what you liked or disliked about them, which ones have been your favourites, what you think of Rob Zombie as a director, the stylistic changes between the films and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!