The Devil’s Rejects – the second installment of writer-director Rob Zombie’s demented Firefly trilogy – begins with revenge-crazed Sheriff Wydell and his men surrounding the Fireflys’ homestead, guns blazing – but when the smoke clears, Otis and his sister, Baby, have managed to escape. Taking refuge – and hostages – in a back-road motel, the most-wanted siblings rendezvous with their deranged partner in crime, Captain Spaulding, killing whoever happens to stand in their way. But as the body count mounts higher, Sheriff Wydell decides to “cross the line” and take the law into his own hands, paving the way for one of the most terrifying, mayhem-filled showdowns in cinematic history.

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Video Quality

The Devil’s Rejects debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation of the Theatrical Cut in 1.85:1 which allows the film to look better than it ever has at home. The accompanying Blu-Ray is also a new disc that contains the Theatrical Cut of the film. The original Blu-Ray release from Lionsgate in 2006 provided the film in its Unrated Cut, which is not available in this package at all. The changes between the two cuts are often brief but ultimately plentiful, and it is understandable if fans are disappointed by the lack of options here. The film was originally shot on 16mm and finished to a 2K Digital Intermediate. When the Unrated Cut was assembled for its initial home video release back in 2005, the unique elements were not properly preserved and as such were unable to be located for this 4K remaster. While having the Unrated Cut included even on Blu-Ray would have been a great compromise, the far-from-tame Theatrical Cut provides a great viewing experience for those who decide to check it out.

The complexity of the color palette is an area of substantial improvement in comparison to the Blu-Ray thanks to the implementation of Dolby Vision. Colors look more precise and deep in this presentation, even if it is not always a vibrant palette. The opening siege on the Firefly compound and the subsequent road trip through the dusty terrain leave the frame indulging in a lot of earthy tones that appear to be more dialed in and less harsh overall. Yet you also have sources like the neon lighting of certain establishments and the hues of certain costumes, clown makeup, and production design elements that wake up the screen in a pretty engaging way. Skin tones appear to be consistent throughout and show a terrific amount of facial detail including facial hair and wounds.

The most impressive upgrade comes in the handling of the contrast. With so much of this narrative taking place in shadows, you run the risk of crush and banding hobbling the experience, which it occasionally did in the old Blu-Ray presentation. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray shows off with impressive black levels and digital noise almost completely absent from the screen, only the 16mm grain thankfully remaining intact. The presentation also provides a firm handling of the highlights that show ideal clarity and no evidence of blooming. The 4K presentation provides a depth of field that simply cannot be achieved as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray. This transfer enhances the degree of detail in the smallest facets of the design elements. The uptick in detail is welcome in the textures of the props and landscapes. This is a worthwhile 4K UHD upgrade that represents the film the best that it can.

Audio Quality

This disc provides the film with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings quite a bit of complexity to the experience even without a Dolby Atmos upgrade. The sound design can be quite intense from the earliest moments with sounds of powerful gunshots and crashing cars commanding a deep response in the low end. The profane dialogue is presented perfectly clearly without ever being swallowed up by any of the competing sonic elements. This track is suitably immersive with the sounds of the world, such as diegetic music and automobiles, centering you in this nightmarish odyssey. Sounds are carefully deployed with considerate directionality from the more chaotic moments to the dialogue-driven moments, such as the motel torture. The soundtrack sounds as robust as ever with many classic tunes overlaying extreme violence. Lionsgate has done well by this one. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

This release comes with a sleek new SteelBook exclusively at Amazon which is quite fetching in person. The SteelBook features a removable clear slipcase featuring the title. The SteelBook underneath folds out to reveal an artistic depiction of various characters from the film. The interior sports a cartoon version of the three main characters. The release comes with six cards that have the snapshots of the script on one side and artistic renderings of the scene on the other. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Audio Commentaries: Two commentary tracks are provided that offer valuable insights into the creation of the film from two different perspectives.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director Rob Zombie

- Audio Commentary #2: Actors Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, and Sheri Moon Zombie

Blooper Reel (5:23)

The Morris Green Show – Ruggsville’s #1 Talk Show: A nearly 14-minute faux interview show that talks a little bit about the Firefly clan and the moral degradation of society.

Mary the Monkey Girl Commercial: A minute-long look at the commercial we get a glimpse of in the movie.

Spaulding Christmas Commercial: Another minute-long commercial with Captain Spaulding.

Cheerleader Missing – The Otis Home Movie: A 57-second sadistic video created by Otis.

Satan’s Gotta Get Along Without Me – Buck Owens’ Video (1:54)

Deleted Scenes: A 13-minute collection of unused material is provided here.

Make-Up Tests: A 13-minute demonstration of various character looks before production started.

Matthew McGrory Tribute: A two-minute piece that gives you some candid moments with the late actor on the set.

Still Gallery Montage (1:43)

Theatrical Trailer (1:19)

TV Spots (1:44)

30 Days In Hell – The Making of The Devil’s Rejects: A massive 2-hour-and-25-minute documentary is provided that delves into pretty much every aspect of the production that one could want to know.

Final Thoughts

The Devil’s Rejects is an ambitious exercise in depravity with an outlaws-on-the-run premise that is peppered with twisted violence and dark humor from the mind of Rob Zombie. Yet, for as upsetting as it can be, the film keeps things wildly entertaining with veteran character actors given a chance to shine with scenery-chewing dialogue. In our opinion, Zombie has yet to top the unhinged alchemy that was achieved with this feature, and it remains a personal favorite in the exploitation subgenre. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a strong A/V presentation and a robust number of special features in lovely SteelBook packaging. If you love the movie, this is well worth owning even if it does not have the Unrated Cut. Recommended

The Devil’s Rejects is currently available to purchase exclusively at Amazon on 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.