'Rejects' a disturbing treat

Despite his rather disappointing directorial debut "House of 1000 Corpses," Rob Zombie's pseudo-sequel "The Devil's Rejects" drops the creepy carnival-esque camp found in its predecessor, replacing it with 70's grind house grit. \n"Rejects" revisits the Firefly family, the same band of murderous maniacs that weren't all that convincing the first time around. You have Captain Spaulding (a foul but amusing Sid Haig), a creepy clown mimicking John Wayne Gacy; Otis Driftwood (a disturbing Bill Moseley), a necrophiliac channeling Charlie Manson; and Baby (Rob Zombie's real-life wife Sheri Moon Zombie, who needs some acting classes), the bitchy daughter of Captain Spaulding who seduces strangers with her homicidal hormones. The trio, who call themselves "The Devil's Rejects," have killed more than 75 people until one day the Bible-bumping, shit-kicking Sheriff Wydell (character actor William Forsythe) and his troops surround their house to bring the family down and end their rampage. Firefights ensue, but the Fireflys escape and now a dual-revenge tale unravels as Sheriff Wydell seeks to avenge his slain brother while the Fireflys want payback for their murdered mother and a little more bloodshed along the way. \n"Rejects" isn't a horror film and thankfully so. It's all about serial killing 70's exploitation which Zombie does a great job on capturing the look and feel of the era. There's plenty of filth and degradation to be found. The violence is raw, nudity is full-frontal and there is a sense of uneasiness that reeks throughout it all. \nWhile the acting jumps between psychotic and ridiculously awkward (blame Rob Zombie's somewhat oddly penned dialogue), the cast is sure to surprise even cult film lovers. "Dawn of the Dead" alum Ken Foree plays a freaky brothel owner whose only friends are his whores and Michael Berryman AKA Pluto from "The Hills Have Eyes." You also get mean-looking Danny Trejo and former WCW wrestler Diamond Dallas Page as Rondo and Billy Ray Snapper respectively, two bounty hunters hired by Sheriff Wydell. Even Matthew McGrory is utilized (Karl the Giant from Tim Burton's "Big Fish") as Zombie pays a bit of homage to the kind of inbred freaks found in some cannibalistic redneck films like, you guessed it, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."\nZombie even gets credit for picking one Southern-fried soundtrack, including cuts from the Allman Brothers Band, Steely Dan and Lynryd Skynryd, whose classic "Free Bird" serves as the backing to one massive firefight. \nSure "The Devil's Rejects" has a few problems in the overacting and screenplay departments, Rob Zombie has still made one worthwhile R-rated flick that is sure to push a few people's buttons, make a few bucks and leave some audience members with uncomfortable bowels.