My Thoughts on 'White Trash: The Movie' AKA 'Halloween' (2007)

[Rockshasa]

Rob Zombie sucks. Not only do his movies suck, but his music sucks as well. Basically, he sucks all around.
His movies make me feel like I need to take a shower after viewing them.
Rob Zombie is the very definition of "deplorable"...and I don't mean that in a good way.

[Chakor Channing]

I haven't bothered listening to any of his music, but I agree 100% with your statement about his films.  I actually DID take a shower after trying to watch this remake, before popping in my favorite horror films to cheer me up.  What really bothers me about RZ is that he can do WAY better than what he's already done.  Rather than writing films and stories with more depth, he chooses to stay cooped-up in the same old "horror meets white trash" circle that he's been cooped-up in since the day he started filmmaking.  If he directed something that was written by someone else, it might not be as bad...  But he still needs to understand that constantly shaking the camera so that no one can tell what's going on isn't doing him any good.

[Mord]

I fully agree, Chakor. If Mr. Zombie stuck to the directing, his films might actually be good. It is the writing that tends to bog down his films. While I'm trying to be fair here, his dialog always seems "over written" like some of Tarantino's later work. I feel that your idea of having someone else do the screenplay might actually lead to a decent film. I do feel that he has done a few good films ("Lords of Salem", "Devil's Rejects"), and is capable of much more.

[AlwaysWitty]

So, just to be clear, Rob Zombie is "the very definition of deplorable" because he makes movies y'all don't like, but threatening to violently assault someone because they make movies y'all don't like is perfectly acceptable, doesn't bother anyone, let's not acknowledge it.

What a f&*%ing joke.

[Chakor Channing]

To Anton, Rockshasa, and I, Rob's films are also f***ing jokes.

[Mord]

So, just to be clear, Rob Zombie is "the very definition of deplorable" because he makes movies y'all don't like, but threatening to violently assault someone because they make movies y'all don't like is perfectly acceptable, doesn't bother anyone, let's not acknowledge it.

What a f&*%ing joke.

Actually, Rob Zombie s a lot like most of us here. He is a monster kid and uses any opportunity to  spread his love of classic monsters.his live shows feafeature nice projections of vintage monsters. I could never hate a fellow monster fan. And, like I stated, I do like some of his films. Though, I have to agree that he over does it with the potty mouth a bit.

[AlwaysWitty]

Rob Zombie's Halloween is better than Pumpkinhead. A lot better. Just my opinion.

Still can't believe I'm the only one who seems to have a problem with Channing threatening to violently assault Rob Zombie if he ever remakes Pumpkinhead though. I don't care how bad a movie is or how badly it depicts something I care about, I'd never threaten to assault the director over it. For f&*%'s sake, that's getting into Charlie Hebdo territory. He's had numerous occasions to apologize, to say he was just kidding around, but he only doubled down on it.

And somehow I get the feeling that thanks to the general unpopularity of Rob's films around here, I'm the one being seen as a deplorable cretin.

I would hope that a very basic moral standard could be agreed upon regardless of whether or not we all like the same films but I'm not thrilled with how it's going so far.

[long live kong]

Actually, Rob Zombie s a lot like most of us here. He is a monster kid and uses any opportunity to  spread his love of classic monsters.his live shows feafeature nice projections of vintage monsters. I could never hate a fellow monster fan. And, like I stated, I do like some of his films. Though, I have to agree that he over does it with the potty mouth a bit.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was a member of the UMA, or at least an occasional lurker....be careful Chakor, you could end up getting a visit yourself!    - I'm joking btw!

[Hepcat]

The fact that Michael has to kill everyone either while or right after they're done having sex is annoying as well....

I hate that as well. It's as if all these directors are prudes who think sex is evil and therefore the practitioners should be punished.

[Chakor Channing]

Rob Zombie's Halloween is better than Pumpkinhead. A lot better. Just my opinion.

Still can't believe I'm the only one who seems to have a problem with Channing threatening to violently assault Rob Zombie if he ever remakes Pumpkinhead though. I don't care how bad a movie is or how badly it depicts something I care about, I'd never threaten to assault the director over it. For f&*%'s sake, that's getting into Charlie Hebdo territory. He's had numerous occasions to apologize, to say he was just kidding around, but he only doubled down on it.

And somehow I get the feeling that thanks to the general unpopularity of Rob's films around here, I'm the one being seen as a deplorable cretin.

I would hope that a very basic moral standard could be agreed upon regardless of whether or not we all like the same films but I'm not thrilled with how it's going so far.

At least in Pumpkinhead, despite most of the characters being hillbillies, they're not all portrayed as idiots and perverts as they are in Rob's films.  In Pumpkinhead, there's no one having sex with dead bodies or numerous shots of a woman's ass for no reason.  In Pumpkinhead, we have an original plot motivated by the love between father and son.  Two major themes of Pumpkinhead are "actions have consequence" and "who's the real monster?"  The "who's the real monster" theme is directly implied when the demon begins taking on the facial features of Lance Henriksen.  The people behind Pumpkinhead made the film out of passion and love, and the actor who played the monster, Tom Woodruff Jr., had to endure great physical pain in playing the creature because the "chicken" legs of the monster costume made it so that the metal parts of the leg "ad-ons" were practically seeping into Tom's feet, for lack of the better terminology.  As was the case with the original TCM, the actors weren't exactly having a picnic during filming either.  My understanding is that most of the film was shot during extremely cold nights, and the addition of a wind tunnel to help create the powerful atmosphere makes it all the more uncomfortable for the actors...  Only to be rewarded with a 6.5 on IMDb.  Meanwhile, we have actors pulled out of your local Wal-Mart for a film like RZ's Halloween (as well as all of his other garbage) that's made with the sole intention of profit, for ruining a classic might I add.

I would have apologized to say I was just joking, until you made that statement, BBW.  Unless you've actually seen both Pumpkinhead and Rob Zombie's Halloween, my advice to anyone who hasn't seen either is to not take BBW's word for it.  In my opinion, Pumpkinhead is not only a far superior film to all of Rob's trash flicks combined, but it's also not comparable to any of Rob's films.  You know why?  Because Pumpkinhead is a monster film.  Yeah, it's a horror film like Rob's stuff, but it's a horror in both the minimal amount of gore AND the horror of it that's based on irony.  For example, the horror of the boy's death, the horror of innocent people being killed due to misunderstanding, etc.  BBW, I'd say you've just blown your chances for me ever having respect for your opinions again.  I think you also broke the fabric of space and time with your first statement.

[AlwaysWitty]

I would have apologized to say I was just joking, until you made that statement, BBW.

Here's the thing: your ability to recognize right from wrong, to recognize that making a threat of physical violence against someone over a f&*%ing movie of all things, should be able to function REGARDLESS of anything I've said. That you can't do that speaks volumes about your character.

BBW, I'd say you've just blown your chances for me ever having respect for your opinions again.  I think you also broke the fabric of space and time with your first statement.

You'd have a hard time convincing me you ever respected my opinion. Clearly respect is something you only reserve for people who agree with you, and people who will gladly, strangely ignore that you made a threat of violence against somebody and just now REFUSED to acknowledge that it was wrong.

[Chakor Channing]

If you want to turn this into a court case to prove who's right or wrong, then be my guest.  My attorney is more than ready.

[Chakor Channing]

On a serious note...

Here's the thing: your ability to recognize right from wrong, to recognize that making a threat of physical violence against someone over a f&*%ing movie of all things, should be able to function REGARDLESS of anything I've said. That you can't do that speaks volumes about your character.

As far as I'm concerned, this is all moot for the time being.  Rob clearly can't recognize right from wrong in remaking Halloween.

You'd have a hard time convincing me you ever respected my opinion. Clearly respect is something you only reserve for people who agree with you, and people who will gladly, strangely ignore that you made a threat of violence against somebody and just now REFUSED to acknowledge that it was wrong.

Not necessarily.  On plenty of occasions, I don't agree with Mord at all, yet I still respect him and his opinions.

[Hepcat]

In Pumpkinhead, there's no one having sex with dead bodies....

Booooo to that!

...or numerous shots of a woman's ass for no reason.

Well so long as the women don't look like Beyoncé, I'll defend that in the name of artistic impression. Or something like that.

[the_horror_man]

Rob Zombie's Halloween is better than Pumpkinhead. A lot better. Just my opinion.

Still can't believe I'm the only one who seems to have a problem with Channing threatening to violently assault Rob Zombie if he ever remakes Pumpkinhead though. I don't care how bad a movie is or how badly it depicts something I care about, I'd never threaten to assault the director over it. For f&*%'s sake, that's getting into Charlie Hebdo territory. He's had numerous occasions to apologize, to say he was just kidding around, but he only doubled down on it.

And somehow I get the feeling that thanks to the general unpopularity of Rob's films around here, I'm the one being seen as a deplorable cretin.

I would hope that a very basic moral standard could be agreed upon regardless of whether or not we all like the same films but I'm not thrilled with how it's going so far.

Not at all. Like I mentioned, The Devil's Rejects is in my top 10 favorite Horror/violent movies. Also, I enjoyed his remake of Halloween. I also thought house of 1000 Corpses was decent. I used to like some of his music as well. Also, as I mentioned. He is living the artist dream, makes his own films, music, draws, makes props and has a hot wife. Also, he has given Bill Mosely and other great horror actors a chance to showcase their talent as well.

thm