3 From Hell
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- Release Date: September 19, 2019
- Directed by: Rob Zombie
- Written by: Rob Zombie
- Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Series: Firefly Trilogy
I remember being very excited when Rob Zombie announced a sequel to The Devil's Rejects. While I thought Rejects had a perfect ending for its central characters, I was open to seeing their story continue since I found them so charming. As a whole, I find 3 From Hell to be a fun but flawed movie. The Firefly family is just as crazy as they are in the other movies, remaining very quotable and memorable. Bill Mosely and Sheri Moon Zombie slip right back into their roles as if no time has passed at all. The movie also has a lot of fun cameos from genre stars like Dee Wallace, Clint Howard, Danny Trejo, and more. Rob Zombie's trademark grimy film look is still here, creating a great retro feel that goes hand in hand with Rejects.
For me, the most glaring issue of this movie is the absence of Sid Haig's Captain Spaulding character. The single scene he has in the movie is a good one, but it's really sad that it's all we get to see of him. I followed the production process of this movie, and knew he was in failing health for some time. I read somewhere that once Rob Zombie met with Sid and saw just how bad of shape he was in, he decided to cut his role down with each draft of the script, and eventually replaced him with Richard Brake's character of Foxy. He's entertaining, and I really like Brake in just about everything I've seen him in. Foxy is just no Spaulding. He just doesn't have the same level of wackiness and menace that Sid brought to his character. He's not bad, just not what I wanted.
I kind of wish that Rob had simply shelved the movie and instead adapted the script into a comic book once he learned of Sid's failing health. I'd really like to see what the original vision of this film was like. As is, it's a fun time, but it pales in comparison to Rejects.