Could ‘H2’ Hurt Rob Zombie’s Career?

 

Back in 2007, up and coming visionary director Rob Zombie took a gamble and tackled on the gruelling task of remaking (or re-imagining) one of the ultimate horror classics of all time.  After witnessing the unyielding leaked workprint, the boo-scare infused theatrical cut and the unrated DVD version which unevenly merged both cuts together, it  was no surprise to hear that Rob Zombie wanted nothing to do with a sequel to the remake that  made him compromise his “no holds barred” artistic integrity.  

Although, after a few failed attempts of getting his Post-Halloween effort,  Tyrannosaurus Rex off the ground, it also came as no surprise to hear that the masochistic director was willing to come back for more when he signed on to direct a sequel to the money-making remake.  This time around however, there is more at stake than just pissing off devout Halloween fans. It turns out that critics, fans and general viewers everywhere are starting to wonder if Mr. Zombie is really the visionary director the media has made him out to be and their questions are likely to be answered depending on the critical success or failure of H2.  So does H2 have a chance of redeeming the director’s seemingly tarnished reputation or will it turn out to be the equivalent to an ill-fated game of Russian Roulette?  Let’s weigh the pros and cons shall we?

PRO: Rob Zombie’s Vision-Rob Zombie has something most directors in the horror genre are lacking—and that is a keen and unique eye to detail and a love for the genre.  Unlike most horror directors who care mostly of taking care of their outstanding escort fees and cocaine addictions,  Zombie is far more concerned about creating a influential viewing experience for the fans rather than cashing in on a product.  He likes things a certain way and he has made it publicly known of the clash with the producers for the theatrical cut of Halloween because of that.  This time he is allowed to make the movie he wants rather than what movie the studio wants and if the movie is a 100 percent passion project, then audiences are in for something else.

CON: Rob Zombie’s Vision- His biggest strength could also be the film’s greatest detriment. Although I personally loved Zombie’s take on the Myers family in the first instalment, I as well as others was not prepared for some of the new revelations he had integrated into the new and white-trash improved Haddonfield. His version is a far darker tale than the one that fan boys/girls have grown up on and he even went as far as having a gang rape scene in both the leaked workprint and in the unrated DVD. Surprisingly enough, I was one of those few horror fans that actually preferred the tamer and leaner theatrical cut, because it had the perfect blend of ingenuity and nostalgia that goes into making a successful remake. 

Now that Rob Zombie has full creative control, general viewers who were shocked by Zombie’s intentions in the first film might steer clear of the second. (Please no more rape!)

PRO: Good with Sequels-Rob Zombie’s debut House of 1000 Corpses may have been more hated amongst critics than a double bill of Glitter and Gigli, however, the filmmaker was able to surprise viewers worldwide with his superior follow-up, The Devil’s Rejects. The fact that Zombie got Roger Ebert to give that film a thumbs up after repulsing him with House of 1000 Corpses speaks volumes.

CON: Halloween Remake was a Severe Critical Failure-When I had seen an advanced screening of Rob Zombie’s Halloween nearly two years ago, I had raced home to write my honest and positive review for it. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I was one of the only reviewers out there that actually thought it was  worth seeing.  Even though the film made tons of money at the box office, it didn’t seem to please many filmgoers and some suggest the idea of a sequel excites them as much as a sequel to Wild, Wild West would. 

PRO: Deepening the Laurie Strode Character-One thing that really bugged fans was how Scout Taylor Compton portrayed the iconic Laurie Strode character in the Halloween remake. After being witness to her barking like a dog and inappropriately sticking her finger in and out of bagel holes, audience members were praying for Michael Myers to take her out. It wasn’t until the showdown of the Myers siblings at the climax of the first film when Compton showed her real acting chops. 

After viewing the trailer, it looks like she has far more to do in this one than squealing over her crush, Ben Tramer and thank god for that, because her squealing definitely rivaled Baby’s annoying as f*ck laughing in House of 1000 Corpses. 

CON: Injecting His Wife Into All his Projects-For all of Zombie’s directorial efforts, I had (as well as other fans) welcomed Sheri Moon Zombie’s presence in his films. However, now it seems that Zombie is starting to pull a “M.Night Shyamalan” and inject his wife into important yet equally unnecessary roles simply because he can. When the H2 trailer hit the web recently, even the horniest of fanboys felt the need to complain over the overabundance of Sheri Moon Zombie. Her character blew her brains out…was it absolutely necessary to make her into “Mrs.Voorhees” too?  Wasn’t Michael Myers scary enough by just being an enigma? Did we really need to add a case of “mommy issues” to the mix?

PRO: Loyal Fanbase-Already having a fanbase from his previous films, Halloween fans have also jumped on the Rob Zombie bandwagon.  Even though the film made a hell of a  lot at the box office, it is essentially the fans that are the primary reason why the sequel has been made in the first place. 

CON: Haters-Rob Zombie has always had a “love/hate” reaction come out of filmgoers, but the hateful reactions are far more prominent now due to the bad reviews for the original remake which has been giving haters far more ammunition to blast Zombie. It doesn’t help that it has been made public that Zombie will NOT be using the iconic “Halloween” theme in his film and that Michael Myers is walking around maskless for a good chunk of the film, which  has not been good news for hardcore Halloween fans to hear. My solution for this? Compile a creepy acoustic rendition of “Mr. Sandman” and remind fans of the horrid mask catastrophe in H20.

PRO: Zombie’s Enthusiasm-It helps to hear that the filmmaker is in good spirits about this project and is confident in delivering the film hardcore fans would like to see….

CON: Hypocritical Statements-….however, it could all be bullshit.  I love Rob Zombie. I really…really do…but the man has a history of constantly contradicting himself.

When asked about doing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake years ago, he was quoted saying this: “I feel it’s the worst thing any filmmaker can do. I actually got a call from my agent and they asked me if I wanted to be involved with the remake of Chain Saw. I said no fucking way! Those movies are perfect – you’re only going to make yourself look like an asshole by remaking them. Go remake something that’s a piece of shit and make it good. Like with my movie (House of 1000 Corpses) I have elements of Chain Saw in it because I love that movie so much, but I wouldn’t dare want to “remake” it. It’s like a band trying to be another band.”

As we all know, he took on a remake shortly after that and even though he also said he wouldn’t do sequel, he signed on to H2. 

He then said this recently on his myspace blog: “When I finished Halloween I was so fucking burnt out that the thought of doing another seemed totally insane to me at the time. I was done. But after a year and a half break I started to think that maybe another one wasn’t such a bad idea. I love the characters and felt that I had only just scratched the surface of what could be done with them. The basic story was out of the way and now the series could go anywhere. Seeing the aftermath of Michael’s rampage through the eyes of Laurie and Loomis was very exciting to me. So I came back and now we have a movie. Never say never.”

Ironic, considering he was quoted saying this on the Halloween: 25 Years of Terror documentary about horror sequels just a few years back: “…they’re not meant to be good films, they’re meant to cash in on a franchise because they know horror fans are so desperate to watch horror movies and love them so much. Everybody I know will go see a sequel knowing it’s a piece of crap.”

If the man would just realize that if he was quoted saying, “The money is good and I have free reign to do whatever the f*ck I want on this one” then he would probably be more respected. 

Overall, despite the negative buzz this film is already creating, it’s not enough for me to skip out on this sequel. I hope Rob Zombie’s H2 shocks the hell out of skeptics because I will sure be seeing it (and hopefully enjoying it) come this August 28, 2009.  

Your thoughts?