The third movie in Rob Zombie’s trilogy started with House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil’s Rejects (2005), 2019’s 3 From Hell picks up almost immediately where the latter left off. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) are alive but badly injured following their shootout with police, and all are incarcerated. When Otis’ half brother Winslow (Richard Brake) is locked up in the same prison, the Devil’s Rejects embark on one more ride of intense bloodshed and mayhem.
+ I’m a fan of Bill Moseley and Sid Haig in their horror movie roles, and this movie was no exception. Haig’s illness, and subsequent, recent death, meant he was not in this movie much, but the parts he was in were show-stealers. I’ll miss him, and his run as Captain Spaulding
+ it’s strange, and enjoyable in a different way that these horrible villains are our protagonists. I don’t know if I was meant to be rooting for them, as such, but after three movies (for Otis and Baby at least) I am attached to them, and while they certainly deserve everything coming to them it is still not what I want to see
+ of the film’s three acts, I thoroughly enjoyed the first and third; the beginning for some fantastic monologues from Haig and Moseley, and the last for a long form shootout that never departed from the horror roots of the series
– I’m not usually against Sheri Moon Zombie, but something about her performance in this was just grating. I know that Baby is meant to be the innocent, perhaps naive member of the villainous trio, but I found her simply unlikable here, unlike the (arguably) more depraved parts of the triumvirate
– the middle third or so of the film is particular slow and un-engaging. There is more than enough sex and violence to say that it is not entirely uneventful, but after two other films int he series, and however many more of Zombie’s similarly-styled offerings, it is kind of clear as to where it’s all going
Should you see this film: If you’ve seen House of 1000 Corpses or The Devil’s Rejects, you won’t get anything mind blowing here. Sid Haig’s Captain Spaulding was one of the real highlights of those early 2000s horror films, and his small role here is the real highlight. If all you want is some gory action and implied sexual assaults then you’ll get something from this, but otherwise don’t bother.
MoshFish Reviews 