9 Facts About ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ You May Not Know

You may not realize this, but Rob Zombie is a huge fan of the classic comedian Groucho Marx. In fact, this fandom led directly to incorporating several references to Groucho in The Devil’s Rejects, with character names, in particular, paying homage to the entertainer. For example, the name Captain Spaulding is also what Groucho’s character was called in the 1930 film Animal Crackers. Rufus Firefly and Otis B. Driftwood are also Groucho character names, and the comedian’s film A Girl in Every Port is even directly referenced in the movie.

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While we’re on the topic, it’s worth noting Zombie has previously been reported to be working on a Groucho Marx biopic called Raised Eyebrows, though it has yet to come to fruition.

The Firefly family members meet their match in The Devil’s Rejects when they are pursued by two bounty hunters known as the Unholy Two. Consisting of Danny Trejo as Rondo and Diamond Dallas Page as Billy Ray Snapper, the duo succeeds in capturing the Fireflys, resulting in their torture at the hands of Sheriff Wydell.

As it turns out, we could have had two former WCW stars playing the Unholy Two rather than just the one we had in DDP. As revealed in his autobiography Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, wrestling superstar Chris Jericho auditioned for the role of Rondo. However, the wrestler was reportedly turned down by Zombie for being “too pretty.”

Although Dr. Satan had such a prominent presence in House of 1000 Corpses, he had no part in the plot of The Devil’s Rejects. However, the sinister menace was originally a much bigger part of the story. An entire subplot was devoted to furthering the lore of the character, although it was ultimately completely scrapped and left on the cutting room floor.

As for why Zombie chose to nix the scenes, it’s because they just didn’t feel right mixed in with the new tone set by the sequel. Zombie has been quoted as saying putting him into The Devil’s Rejects would be “like seeing Chewbacca in Bonnie and Clyde.” Dr. Satan actor Walter Phelan agrees though the scenes were restored to the film for its home video release.

A side effect of removing Dr. Satan from The Devil’s Rejects also meant the loss of a scene with Rosario Dawson. While the actress has since found success by starring in movies like Clerks II, Death Proof, and Top Five, but she could have also appeared in The Devil’s Rejects, albeit just to be killed off soon after her introduction.

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In the cut scene, Dawson appears in the hospital as a nurse named Marcia, tasked with the unfortunate duty of caring for an injured Dr. Satan. Without warning, he reaches up and grabs her by the throat, ripping it completely out and leading her to bleed to death.

While The Devil’s Rejects clearly takes inspiration from classic films like Badlands and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Rob Zombie looked to a real-life murderous “family” for inspiration as well. This is evidenced by a particular line of dialogue uttered by Otis in the film: “I am the Devil, and I am here to do the Devil’s work.”

True crime aficionados may recognize this line, as it’s almost exactly what Manson Family murderer Charles “Tex” Watson told his victims in the midst of their mass murder.

You surely wouldn’t be shocked to know that The Devil’s Rejects was originally given a rating of NC-17 by the MPAA. Rob Zombie chose not to be light on the gore, and the nature of the kills in the movie is especially horrific. Still, certain parameters needed to be followed to obtain a necessary R-rating, causing Zombie to snip some of the film’s more extreme moments.

This was easier said than done, however. After cutting out more content and resubmitting the film for a new rating, it took a total of eight attempts before the MPAA was finally content enough to label The Devil’s Rejects as R-rated. Perhaps the motel scene was the most affected of all, as two entire minutes of the sequence wound up being cut.

When helming House of 1000 Corpses, Rob Zombie’s intent was for the film to be a one-off, and no sequels were in mind when the movie was made. However, the success of the film brought about a big-money offer for Zombie to make a sequel, and Zombie wasn’t about to turn it down.

“If someone’s willing to put up that money and make your film happen, you really can’t look that gift horse in the mouth,” the filmmaker explains in a 2013 interview with ComingSoon. Still, if a sequel had to be made, Zombie wanted it to stand on its own, adding: “So I thought, what I’ll do is take the characters that I really like and eliminate some of the others and continue the story on as a different movie more in the style of what I want to do.”

In the first movie, the matriarch of the Firefly family is memorably portrayed by Karen Black. However, many changes were made to the characters when they returned for The Devil’s Rejects. This includes Otis no longer being albino, Captain Spaulding is far less cartoonish, and Mama Firefly is now played by a different actress. So, what happened to Karen Black?

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Apparently, it all came down to a matter of money. The payout Black was asking for to be a part of the sequel was higher than what the budget could afford, leading to the actress getting replaced by Leslie Easterbrook – who turns in a very memorable performance of her own.

Matthew McGrory was a gentle giant and the world’s tallest actor, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. His stature and acting style landed him very memorable roles in movies like Big Fish, Bubble Boy, and Constantine. Of course, horror fans will remember him best as Tiny Firefly in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.

Sadly, McGrory died in 2005, almost immediately after the release of The Devil’s Rejects. The film was released on July 22 of that year, with McGrory passing away on August 8. The film was dedicated to his memory.

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