A follow-up (but not exactly a sequel) to his 2003 cult hit "House of 1000 Corpses," Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" carves off a sizable slab of classic '70s Southern gothic horror with all the bloody trimmings. The picture, which represents a technically assured leap forward from the shock-rocker's directorial debut, is still a little heavy on the influences -- it plays like "Bonnie & Clyde" as made by a committee comprised of George Romero, Sam Peckinpah, Tobe Hooper, Sergio Leone and John Waters -- but Zombie still manages to inject a pervasive flavor all his own. Handed its premiere at the CineVegas Film Festival, the hard-R Lions Gate release should definitely please those select fans, while firmly establishing the musician as a legitimate player in the filmmaking arena.

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