Rob Zombie’s signature projects as a director are his trio of films about the Firefly Family of killers, and here’s how they stack up, worst to best. After spending decades as a rock star, first fronting the band White Zombie, then as a solo artist, Rob Zombie decided to turn his love of horror films into a career, becoming a writer/director. His first film, 2003’s House of 1000 Corpses, went through hell on the way to finally being released, being dropped by two different studios before Lionsgate saved it.
2005’s The Devil’s Rejects took the three main villains of House of 1000 Corpses, and turned them into sadistic antiheroes. Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), and Captain Spauding (the late Sid Haig) fought the law, and while the law won, the trio of redneck radicals went on one hell of a crime spree prior to that conclusion. It wouldn’t be their final stand though, as the Firefly Family returned for 2019’s 3 From Hell, which saw Haig take a diminished role, reportedly due to health issues.
It remains to be seen whether Zombie will choose to add a fourth Firefly movie to his filmography, but if he does, one can be sure hardcore fans of the franchise will be out in force, just as they were for 3 From Hell’s limited theatrical release. Without any further ado, here’s all of Rob Zombie’s Firefly Family films, ranked.
3 From Hell (2019)
If one is a fan of Rob Zombie’s filmmaking, and of the blood-soaked antics of the Firefly Family, none of these movies are outright bad. But something had to take the bottom spot, and 3 From Hell earns that place due to its unfortunate lack of Sid Haig’s Captain Spaulding. Conflicting reports about Haig’s health at the time of 3 From Hell’s production aside, Spaulding’s early death is a major downer, and while he does his best, Richard Brake’s Foxy just doesn’t manage to fill the hole Spaulding leaves behind. Still, the film is sure to please fans, with more gory kills, and Firefly carnage.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Whether one enjoys House of 1000 Corpses or The Devil’s Rejects more tends to come down to which style of horror one prefers. House of 1000 Corpses is an energetic, colorful, roller coaster ride of terror, and almost plays like a feature-length Rob Zombie music video. The film feels like a party, albeit one that happens to include shocking deaths, torture, physical and mental abuse, and necrophilia. This is a hardcore movie, even in its R-rated theatrical form, and it’s easy to see why studios were hesitant to back it for wide release. It’s a pity the deleted footage cut at the behest of the MPAA no longer exists.
The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
The most common choice for best Firefly Family movie, and in fact best Rob Zombie movie period, is The Devil’s Rejects, and for good reason. A loving tribute to the unapologetic exploitation cinema of the 1970s, The Devil’s Rejects transports Otis, Baby, and Spaulding into what almost feels like a horror western, with its sun-soaked locations, and desolate highways. It’s hard not to like the Fireflies, especially when they’re faced with a sheriff arguably even more unhinged than they are. Of course, it’s also hard not to regret that same admiration whenever Otis, Baby, and Spaulding go back to maiming and murdering innocent people.
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