Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) are on the run after the police raid the farmhouse. This is the story of their escape and the descent into madness of Sherriff Wydell (William Forsythe), brother of Lieutenant Wydell from House of 100 Corpses, slides into while hunting the family of murderers that killed his brother.

This film was a big improvement over HOATC. Rob Zombie is definitely learning from each movie he makes. This is still nothing groundbreaking in the horror genre but entertaining. It was a roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. There were three times where you think the good guys are going to win just to be beat down by Captain Spaulding and the gang. And, although the end sequence was a bit drawn out and a tad melodramatic, I almost felt sorry for the Rejects at the very end of the flick. It was also disturbing that for the last quarter of the movie I was rooting for Sherriff Wydell and then to feel sorry for the bad guys? It messed with my head a little.

The classic rock music choices fit well but seemed out of place for a Rob Zombie film. I mean, at least I noticed the music in this one. Noting jumped out at me from HOATC. I wouldn’t mind picking the soundtrack up.

Casting – Sid Haig wasn’t as funny in this one, but then again he was the best actor in the HOATC. I hated Bill Moseley in HOATC, but his performance in this was much better, and he looked a lot better too. Seemed to have bulked up a bit and didn’t look so scrawny this time around. Sheri Moon’s Baby was better too. At least she lost that Evil Dead wannabe laugh from the first one. William Forsythe was such a badass in this. I was really rooting for him to get them. I guess I should’ve known better. Leslie Easterbrook’s Mother Firefly was fucked up in this movie. I liked her a lot better than Karen Black. The way her facial expressions kept changing during her police interrogation was one of the high points of the film. Did anybody else realize that she was Callahan from the Police Academy movies? There were so many cameos and smaller roles that I have to list them. I kept going “I’ve seen him in something?”, “Him too!” or “where have we seen her?” So here goes-

• Roy Sullivan – Geoffrey Lewis: Anybody remember him from Every Which Way But Loose?

• Gloria Sullivan – Priscilla Barnes: Was Suzanne Somers replacement on “Three’s Company” as well as the topless psychic in “Mallrats”

• Rondo – Danny Trejo: From almost all of Robert Rodriguez’s films.

• Jimmy – Brian Posehn: The creepy janitor on “Just Shoot Me”

• Candy – Elizabeth Daily: Dottie in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”

• Fanny – Ginger Lynn Allen: Porn star from the 80’s

• Morris Green – Daniel Roebuck: Many, many TV shows. Recently Arnst in “Lost” He got blowed up real good.

• Dr. Bankhead – Duane Whitaker: Maynord from “Pulp Fiction”. “Get your foot off the nigger”

End note – While not one of my favorite horror films, a great improvement over House Of A Thousand Corpses. If you like HOATC even a little bit then watch this. Although I do wish that there was a Captain Spaulding skit in the menu like the first, there is a pretty funny blooper reel, a boring makeup test and a nice little tribute to Matthew McGrory. I will be looking forward to Rob Zombie’s next effort.