The critics haven’t been especially kind to 3 From Hell, the new horror sequel from cult director Rob Zombie. WGTC’s own Matt Donato, for instance, panned the film as “an ugly example of too much wicked style over zero intended substance,” but just like any other release from this divisive director, Zombie’s long-awaited follow up to 2005’s The Devil’s Rejects still has its defenders. Filmmaker and podcaster Kevin Smith, for instance, attended the movie’s recent premiere, and came away more than satisfied.
The Clerks helmsman sang his praises via Twitter, before crediting Zombie for influencing his 2011 film Red State:
“Last night, @JayMewes and I went to the premiere of the new @RobZombie flick #3FromHell and it was horror Heaven! This was 2 nights after I got to tell RZ that DEVIL’S REJECTS was a big influence on RED STATE.”
At the time of writing, 3 From Hell holds a less than spectacular score of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes based on fourteen reviews, but the film has certainly generated its share of enthusiastic responses. Over on RogerEbert.com, for example, the flick earned a perfect score of four stars from Scout Tafoya, who praised Zombie’s latest as “his most earnest and laid back nightmare yet.”
In any case, fans of the director should know by now that it just isn’t a Rob Zombie movie without a mixed reception, so if you’ve stuck with the filmmaker up to this point, then you’re perhaps best seeing this one for yourself and forming your own opinion. If you weren’t able to catch the film during its recent three-day run in theaters, then you’ll have one more night to see 3 From Hell on the big screen when it returns to cinemas on October 14th. After that, the movie comes to DVD and Blu-Ray on October 15th. Either way, don’t miss it.
