31 is a 2016 American action horror film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie, and starring an ensemble cast featuring Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Meg Foster, Richard Brake, Jane Carr, Judy Geeson, E.G. Daily, and Malcolm McDowell.
The carnies eventually manage to kill all of the male and female assailants, but not without sustaining their own casualties, with only Charly, Venus and Roscoe left alive.
The remaining three try to find a way out, but only manage to get one of their number – Venus – trapped inside a boiler room, where she is brutally murdered by the final Head, Doom-Head, who was brought in by the aristocrats to join the game.
Plans to create 31 were first announced in May 2014 via a teaser poster that showed the words "a Rob Zombie film", a bloody clown face, and the number "31".
[15] Zombie came up with the idea for 31 after reading a statistic that stated that Halloween is the "Number One day of the year when people go missing for some reason" and thought that it would make a good premise for a film.
[16] He also received inspiration for the film as he was walking around his frightfest Great American Nightmare and watched the employees work while dressed like chainsaw-carrying clowns.
[22] In March 2016, Saban Films announced that they had acquired distribution rights for 31 from Alchemy, who was dealing with financial woes and was selling off previous acquisitions, and that they would be giving it a limited theatrical release on September 16, 2016.
"[25] On January 5, 2016, the film was finally granted an "R" rating for "strong bloody horror violence, pervasive language, sexual content and drug use".
The site's consensus reads, "31 delivers all the high-energy gore Rob Zombie fans have come to expect, but a lack of fresh ideas and likable characters mean only the already converted need apply".
[33] Trent Wilkie of Fangoria gave the film a mixed review saying "It is violent and campy, with the requisite sex, blood, profanity and gore.
"[35] Shock Till You Drop gave the film approval with a caveat saying "Rob Zombie's 31 succeeds as a throwback to the days of quickie exploitation movies.
[36] In a similar vein, Film School Rejects commented that "31 is Zombie's mildly entertaining take on a stale and simple setup.