"Now we can have a real day of the dead."

It's like time never passed. I mean it when I say 3 From Hell feels like it was shot at the same time as it's acclaimed predecessor, The Devil's Rejects. Zombie's still got it and he absolutely nails his toot fucking fruity balls deep gore fest with near perfection. Now, I won't go too much in detail, because I'm assuming if you're reading this you're either a follower of me or a big fan of Rob Zombie wondering if this film is worth checking out. As a biased fan of all of his work, I would argue aspects of this surpass the sequel. Seeing this back to back as a double feature, I didn't get the impression I was watching a different film, made fourteen years later, but like a four hour epic of blood soaked proportions and twisted humor. Zombie understood what his fans were looking for, this plays off like a partial remake, only expanding the story to really where the Firefly family plans to go after their escape from prison. Sadly, during the film's production, Sid Haig was hospitalized and couldn't really reprise his role as the clown Captain Spaulding, but reduced to a really small role where he's given lethal injection on death row after his monologue is over. It was clear he was sick during the filming, but glad he was able to make an appearance. Instead, Richard Brake comes in to the picture as Otis' half brother, and he fills the shoes just fine, playing a deranged hillbilly that's obsessed with getting in to the Hollywood movies. With these three back in their usual shtick, Zombie just goes nuts. Whatever you liked about the previous, it's amped up a couple notches and played more for amusement. It doesn't shy away from the idea you're supposed to sympathize with these awful people. You have to disconnect their horrible crimes with where they are now to really get all the fun, and that may be difficult for some people. It's a lot like if Warren Betty's Bonnie and Clyde was turned in to a funny action movie, where Bonnie starts massacring the police with a bow and arrow as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" plays. The kills are as creative and brutal as ever, turning in to a southern fried Mexican showdown in the second half of the film, whereas the previous was the family on the run and being persecuted by the avenging sheriff, this film was finally their stance against the system, the battle to make up for their defeat before. They have a chance to escape from all their troubles and making a life for themselves out there, as odd and confusing as that sounds. The only thing I would say that just barely brings the film down is the main antagonist doesn't receive as much screen time as Forsyth's character, so the conflict of the justice system taking matters too far and having the audience ask the tough question, "Who's in the right?" This film answers the question for you and it delivers that answer coldly. But everything surrounding it's loose core is the spectacle. The witty jokes, the funny character moments, the exploitation, the profanity, the sex, and above all John Wick inspired action is what you're coming for. This film is obviously not for everyone, but for those that it is for, the depraved, the mad, the clowns, and the Zombie lovers, this has it all. It's one of Zombie's best films, on top of an already great catalogue. Check it out when it comes out on video.

Fans have been waiting for a _Devil's Rejects_ sequel for a very long time. Well _3 From Hell_ is finally here and it's... a bit of a letdown. Not **bad**! But, after such a great second installment, and such a wait, just... a bit of a letdown. I absolutely adore Richard Brake but his inclusion apropos of nothing and Sid Haig's early removal due to his recent sad passing, felt almost... Disrespectful? I don't know. Expecting a Rob Zombie movie to be respectful sounds silly now that I see it written in front of me - I mean, he's got his wife wearing a feather headdress front and centre on the poster. (On that, I feel it's not altogether unlikely that Zombie included that attire specifically so that people would complain about it and he could counter with "The character is already a serial killer, why are you looking for good behaviour from her, and why is her cultural appropriation the most offensive thing she's done to you?" Which would be... you know... A fair point.) But I digress. _3 From Hell_ a little disappointing, probably not the sequel we would have gotten if there hadn't been a 14-year gap between the second and third entries, but still, pretty decent, a fun time, especially considering that after _House of_ the subsequent films have used gross murderers as the outright protagonists.

_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._

Whether the ultimate failure of ‘3 From Hell’ lies in a troubled production or creative exhaustion on the part of Rob Zombie, this shambling revenant of a film is something that might only be appreciated by the most indiscriminate midnight-movie crowd and diehard fans of the series.
- Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-3-from-hell-they-should-have-stayed-there