3 From Hell

3 From Hell

Starring Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sid Haig, Richard Brake

Directed by Rob Zombie

 At one point in time Rob Zombie was best known for being the leader of the heavy metal band White Zombie, but in 2003 he turned to another passion of his: directing.  2003 brought his "House of 1,000 Corpses," and horror cinema found its new voice.  The film was unnerving to say the least, a movie that stuck with you in the worst ways possible but also showed why it was a horror masterpiece.  The movie introduced the world to the wicked, depraved Firefly family led by Otis (Bill Moseley), his psychotic sister Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), and killer clown Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), and Rob Zombie made each one despicable and deplorable, but also yet gave them a sense of appeal in the strangest ways.  Their story continued in 2005's "The Devil's Rejects," where it seemed that their journey came to an end - at least for the next fourteen years.

"3 From Hell" is Zombie's final swan song (probably) for these villainous no-gooders, but ultimately instead of ending his series with an exclamation point, it's more like a question mark - as in why did he have to make a third movie when the second tied everything together so perfectly?  Due to outside issues, the film itself felt very labored and unmemorable, unlike his two previous works which still haunts viewers to this day.  Maybe it's the changing nature, but the actions in "3 From Hell" almost seem commonplace now, and wasn't really all that shocking or edgy.

The film follows Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding after they're arrested for their atrocious crimes, and how they eventually break out of prison with the thanks of Otis's brother Foxy (Richard Brake), who makes his first appearance (or mention) here.  Again they continue their bloodbath that leads them to a small Mexican town where they have to take a stand against a cartel out for revenge, and this time around the villains don't seem as villainous, as those around them seem more deplorable than they do.

The film was supposed to focus on Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding once again, but due to Sid Haig's illness (unfortunately he passed away five days after the film's release), his role was severely reduced to a mere cameo, and in his place we get the new brother Foxy, whom we've never met before.  It's like taking a sturdy tripod and removing one of its legs and replacing it with a paper towel tube in hopes of supporting it - it just doesn't work.  While Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie continue to effortlessly give to their characters, Richard Brake struggles to find his footing and comes across as just another character that we don't have any desire to care about.

The first two films have several memorable scenes that are etched in the memories of those who watched it even all this time later, but no one will say that about "3 From Hell."  There's not as much violence or carnage that you'd expect, except for one scene in a suburban home, but not even that is really that gross or unsettling - again maybe it's because we're used to seeing things like that on film, but in any event it takes away some of its potency.  Plus this time around the gang doesn't target innocent people, but it seems like those they go after have it coming - from the bitter prison guards to the greedy warrens and ruthless cartels and shoot-first-ask-questions-later hillbillies, there's not many people who die in the film that doesn't really deserve it.  In a sense, the Firefly family are almost vigilantes rather than cold-blooded killers this time around, and it doesn't come off as believable or memorable.

While I eagerly waited for the conclusion to the Firefly family, "3 From Hell" sent the savage family out with a whimper than a bang, offering nothing more than a few grotesque kills and trying to be edgy in a world that's already moved way ahead of them.

The Score: C-