Like most people, my assumptions about Rob Zombie were almost entirely based on his name and his image - two things which tell you virtually nothing about a person. But then again, when he appears on an album cover with a Charles Manson "X" on his forehead, a pentagram in the background, no pupils, and that garish "monster" type of lighting, the reaction is almost predetermined. Having never listened to his music or seen his movies, I left pretty well alone and pretty much forgot about him.
And then I heard "Dragula" in full.
It was used perfectly in The Matrix soundtrack, and watching the video you see someone who's actually doing some interesting things visually and musically... but I still had my reservations. After all - one song doesn't amount to much in this crazy world. A few years after, though, Rob Zombie made himself positively infamous when his House of 1000 Corpses was all but barred from public view until upstart company Lionsgate bought the rights and "dared" to release it. That gave me my first taste of what Zombie was capable of.
Frankly, it didn't impress. The story wasn't particularly inventive, and for a film supposedly so gruesome and grotesque, it didn't seem particularly outrageous either. The film did stick in my mind, though. Sid Haig and Bill Moseley turned in some great work, and a few scenes were genuinely chilling and disturbing. The final product was mediocre, but it was obvious Zombie had potential.
His next film was what really caught my attention. The Devil's Rejects is pretty extraordinary: a sick, unsettling experience nevertheless full of humor and charm... Now I'll admit, there is not a single noble or "good" character in the entire film, but it takes a special kind of talent to make a band of psychopaths watchable... and even, in a twisted way, sympathetic. Despite all the death and mayhem they've wrought, in the end you still kind of like these people for some reason. The Devil's Rejects is not a pleasant film to watch - this is not fun "violence" (quote marks emphasized), a la Quentin Tarantino - but it is a great one nonetheless. There is nothing quite like it.
And that's really what intrigues me about Rob Zombie. At times, his fixation with murderers, madmen, and white trash/hillbilly subculture verges on caricature - almost as though his films are populated by side show freaks - but there is nevertheless a sincerity and deep understanding that sets his work apart. For what ever reason, Zombie understands that dark, grisly world, and he can intellectualize it. That's what differentiates The Devil's Rejects from not only most other films, but even his own body of work: the most disturbing things in the movie have little to do with blood or gore; the most devastating pain is mental in its origin.
His output since then has not been as daring. Halloween was a fairly disappointing venture into typical "slasher" fare; and Halloween II, though full of some great moments and a very good film overall, just came up a bit short... the potential was there, it just got lost in the body count.
Two for four, only one of which is a ringing endorsement. Not a very good average. And yet, as mentioned, there's something intriguing about what Mr Zombie is up to. It's not as though he's breaking new ground, but he's also not being purposely derivative (again, a la Tarantino)... Rob Zombie is trying for greatness, and he wants to do it on his own terms. I respect that. He has a unique outlook, an uncompromising vision, and an understanding of his material which rivals any filmmaker. And yes, I mean any filmmaker. He does not rank among the greats, but this is a man who swings for the fences at each and every turn; he is not content to turn in standard work, and he will play it safe for no one, least of all himself. Makes me excited to see what he'll do next. Bring on Lords of Salem.
I think what makes Rob Zombie's horror films interesting, even when unsuccessful, is that he takes the genre seriously. Even Halloween, a film that has a lot wrong with it, still is trying. The stuff with Michael Myers mother is heartbreaking. And you know I hold Halloween 2 in higher esteem than you do. For all the flaws, and yes, Michael's segments are the most problematic, what it does right (anything with Laurie, Annie or the Sheriff) it does SO right. I think it achieves greatness enough for me to overlook the issues.
ReplyDeleteBut disagreements aside, he was really trying with Halloween 2. We like him because, as said before, he feels, and accurately, the horror genre is deserving of the same respect as any.