There’s truly no other filmmaker quite like Rob Zombie. Among horror fans, he’s either loved or hated, but either way, in elicits a strong reaction. Known for his ultra-violent, gritty, and graphic films, none are as iconic (or infamous) as The Devil’s Rejects. So in honor of its 15th anniversary today, we thought it would be fun to take a look at 15 brutal facts about The Devil’s Rejects!
1. Sheri Moon Zombie doesn’t see this movie as a sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, rather as just another movie that happened to have the same characters. However, it still carried over the storyline of the Firefly family murdering Sheriff Wydell’s brother in the previous film.
2. Karen Black reportedly wanted a pay raise from House of 1000 Corpses, but the budget was only slightly higher, and Rob Zombie was unable to afford it. Thus, she was recast with Leslie Easterbrook.
3. Before starring as Michael Myers in the Halloween remakes, Tyler Mane appeared briefly as Rufus Firefly at the very beginning of the movie.
4. When Captain Spaulding steals a car and gives his iconic “super top secret clown business” speech, his victim is none other than P.J. Soles, who played Lynda in the original Halloween and Norma in Carrie.
5. Initially there was scene with Dr. Satan at the very beginning, but Rob Zombie decided to cut it, feeling that it didn’t fit with the grittier, more realistic tone of the rest of the movie. Zombie has since somewhat retconned Dr. Satan’s appearance in House of 1000 Corpses, stating that perhaps it’s just a trauma-induced hallucination.
6. The Firefly house was shot at the iconic Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA. It’s also been used for shooting in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Haunted Mansion, Hatchet, Motel Hell, Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, and ironically enough the TV series Firefly. Rob Zombie would even return there for part of shooting The Lords of Salem.
7. Legendary Jason/Victor Crowley actor Kane Hodder gave a brief (uncredited) performance as a police officer.
8. Sheri Moon Zombie’s brother also played one of the officers. He was only on set visiting, but when Rob Zombie saw how well he handled firearms, he asked him to be in the movie.
9. During filming, Bill Moseley reportedly refrained from showering to better get into Otis’ head.
10. Otis’ infamous line, “I am the Devil, and I am here to do the Devil’s work” was a direct reference to Manson family member Charles Watson’s quote from when he participated in the murder of Sharon Tate. The line is also referenced in Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood.
11. In order to get the desired gritty/realistic tone, Rob Zombie hired Phil Parmet as Director of Photography because he had previously shot the 1976 documentary Harlan County, USA.
12. There was much more CGI in the movie than most people realize. Due to the budget that comes with practical effects (particularly gore), much of the blood, stabbings, and gunshots were done (at least partly) with CGI.
13. Much to everyone’s surprise, critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, writing, “There is actually some good writing and acting going on here, if you can step back from the violent material enough to see it.” He later admitted that he himself received “appalled feedback” for praising such a violent and gory horror film.
14. Stephen King loved how gritty and graphic it was, stating that “this must be what Quentin Tarantino meant when he did those silly Kill Bill movies.”
15. The movie was later dedicated to Matthew McGrory, who played Tiny in both House of 1000 Corpses and Devil’s Rejects. He also appeared in Big Fish and Men in Black II. He passed away from congestive heart failure only 3 weeks after the movie was released.
Which of these did you already know? Which ones surprised you? Let us know the comments!
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