Quentin Tarantino Says This Rob Zombie Film on HBO Max is One of the Century’s Best
On The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Quentin Tarantino tasked himself with ranking his 20 favorite movies of the century so far. It’s an unenviable task, one certain to invite not only criticism from cinephiles but a profound sense of internal guilt as well. At least, that would be the case for me. My favorite movie changes daily, and I’d be hard-pressed to lock in 20 into perpetuity. I recently wrote about how Cabin Fever clocked in at number 19 on the list, and if we move a few spaces down, we’ll see one of the early aughts’ most controversial horror masterpieces: Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects.
The Devil’s Rejects came in at number 16. The Devil’s Rejects isn’t the Rob Zombie masterpiece I’d personally go with. That’d be his Halloween II, a movie so profoundly better than you remember. To each their own, though, and if you’re curious about whether The Devil’s Rejects holds up, especially since the trilogy is now complete, you can catch it streaming on HBO Max.
Hillbilly Horror
Speaking on the podcast, Quentin Tarantino remarked, “This rough Peckinpah – cowboy – Manson thing– that voice didn’t really exist before [in House of 1000 Corpses], and he refined that voice with this movie. Peckinpah wasn’t part of horror before this. He melded it with sick hillbillies, and it’s become a thing now.” For anyone familiar with Zombie’s output, hillbilly horror is a pretty apt description. That’s not a slight, either, since Zombie has uniquely tapped into a particular, rural sensibility few other modern filmmakers have. That’s not always to everyone’s liking, though it’s certainly helped Zombie cement himself among the modern masters of the genre.
Earlier this year, Rebecca Sayce, writing for Dread Central, shared, “Far from being a bloody display of Zombie’s practical effects chops and gnarly imagination that was forgotten as quickly as it caused uproar, The Devil’s Rejects became one of the most crucial films of his career while offering a stark look at the nature of evil, fear of the other in a post 9/11 society, and the consequences of unchecked violence.” It’s a remarkable piece I’d encourage you to check out, especially if you’re not a fan of the film—Sayce’s insights might just change your mind.
Of course, as the remainder of Quentin Tarantino’s list comes in, we’ll be certain to keep you updated. For now, I want to hear your thoughts on The Devil’s Rejects. Is it a masterpiece? Is there another Rob Zombie movie you prefer more? Let me know over on Twitter and Instagram.
Categorized: Streaming News
