DVD Corner

Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy 4K UHD Review

“Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy” has its moments.

Back in 2003 rock musician Rob Zombie made his directorial debut with the horror-comedy “House Of 1000 Corpses.” Drawing from influences like “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and monster movies, Zombie began creating his own horror universe with the first installment in what is now known as the Firefly Trilogy. Set in 1977, the story finds 4 individuals on a road attraction road trip stopping off at The Museum of Monsters and Madmen which is owned by Captain Spaulding. It is a stop they soon regret as the four soon come face to face with the murderous Firefly family which is made up of Mother Firefly, Grandpa Hugo, siblings Baby, Otis, and Tiny, along with a few others (no spoilers).

“House Of 1000 Corpses” is a movie I want to love. There’s so much that works here from the rocking soundtrack, the roadside attraction angle, the grungy atmosphere, the production values, the story set-up, and the deranged Firefly family characters. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite come together and feels like the work of a promising first time filmmaker. The story really goes off the rails in the final act when the infamous Dr. Satan enters the picture. The clumsy and sometimes downright dreadful dialogue doesn’t help matters either. Still, it’s an entertaining retro house of horrors film.

With the sequel “The Devil’s Rejects” (presented in its unrated form), Rob Zombie not only grew as a filmmaker, but made his best work. The 70’s grindhouse inspired movie is less of a horror tale and more akin to westerns and fugitive stories like “Bonnie And Clyde.” Taking place after the events of “House Of 1000 Corpses,” the story finds survivors Baby, Otis, and Captain Spaulding on the run from the police and bounty hunters. The 3 killers embark on a crime and murder spree along the way. It’s a dark twisted retro tale with standout performances by Sheri Moon Zombie (Baby), Bill Moseley (Otis), and Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding). Zombie really solidified himself as a horror auteur here.

The third and possibly final entry is “3 From Hell” (also presented in its unrated version) which finds Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding in prison at the start. Spaulding is executed, but both Otis and Baby break out of their prisons with the help of Foxy (the half-brother of Otis). The trio flee to Mexico, but the past catches up with them. The third installment suffers from being made too late. While Sid Haig does have a small cameo as Captain Spaulding, the character had to be written out as Haig tragically passed away. Nothing against Richard Brake (who plays the new character Foxy), but the dynamic between him, Otis, and Baby just doesn’t have the same appeal. The plot is also rather aimless this time around. Still, it’s nice to see the characters again and I’m glad Zombie was able to return to this world.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How do the films look? All 3 films look spectacular in 4K. They all maintain the grainy retro style Zombie was going for while also looking sharper than previous home video releases.

Audio Tracks: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 for ‘Corpses,’ 5.1 DTS-HD MA for ‘Rejects,’ and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 for ‘Hell.’ How do they sound? Despite all having wildly different audio tracks, all 3 films sound crisp and clean.

Extras:
* A fold-out poster
* Art cards
* A booklet with behind-the-scenes photos
* Digital copies of all 3 films
* Blu-ray copies of all 3 films
* Commentary by Rob Zombie on “House Of 1000 Corpses” (on the 4K), commentary by Rob Zombie on “The Devil’s Rejects” (on the 4K), commentary by Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie on “The Devil’s Rejects” (on the 4K), and commentary by Rob Zombie on “3 From Hell” (on the 4K and Blu-ray).
* “The Devil’s Rejects” archival extras on the 4K: Theatrical trailer, TV spots, still gallery montage, make-up tests, Matthew McGrory tribute, 13 minutes of deleted scenes, Mary The Monkey Girl and Spaulding Christmas commercials, Buck Owens video for “Satan’s Gotta Get Along Without Me,” Cheerleader Missing- The Otis Home Movie, blooper reel, and The Morris Green Show- Ruggsville’s #1 Talk Show.
* “To Hell And Back: The Making Of 3 From Hell”- An in depth 90 minute making of (on the 4K and Blu-ray).
* “House Of 1000 Corpses” extras on the Blu-ray: Rob Zombie commentary, making of featurette, HOTC: Zombietron game, short behind-the-scenes extra, casting footage, Lionsgate ads, interviews with Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Wayne Toth, rehearsals for Bill Moseley and Jennifer Jostyn, Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick and Erin Daniels, and Chris Hardwick and Erin Daniels, and “Tiny F***ed A Stomp” (jokes).
* All the same archival extras for “The Devil’s Rejects” on the Blu-ray plus the Banjo and Sullivan TV commercial, bloody stand-up, comic book preview, soundtrack CD promo, trailer gallery, EPK featurette and featurette-day 8.
* “House Of 1000 Corpses Bonus Features Blu-ray: Cast and director interviews with Rob Zombie, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Karen Black, Robert Mukes, Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick, Erin Daniels, Irwin Keyes, Jennifer Jostyn and Wayne Toth. 5 BTS extra, Dr. Satan and Professor tests, EPK and teaser trailer.
* “The Devil’s Rejects Blu-ray Bonus disc featuring “30 Days In Hell: The Making Of The Devil’s Rejects” which is a 2 hour 24 minute documentary about the making of the sequel.

November 1, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 3 From Hell, Bill Moseley, House Of 1000 Corpses, Rob Zombie, Rob Zombie's Firefly Trilogy 4K UHD Review, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sid Haig, The Devil's Rejects