House of 1,000 Corpses
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Movie Reviews of House of 1,000 Corpses
Movie Review: An Insane New Brand Of Horror
Summary: 5 Stars
More shocking than the first "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" "The Exorcist" or even "Basket Case", and probably more extreme than the "Hellraiser" series, "The House Of 1,000 Corpses" is one of the most brutal, merciless and graphic horrors ever filmed, and certainly among the best of its extreme kind ever made. Turns horror conventions upside down in the following way - in most horror movies, the antagonist, whether a tragic monster or a purely evil psychopath or whatever, has to have something impressive about him or her or it, some sense of awe or special-ness to make it work, and often something likable. The inhabitants of the House, however, provide the exception to the rule. Some of them are visually frightening, yes, but not so much in an 'impressive' way. This is the most vile, unlikable, nastiest, most despicable band of psychos ever to terrorize the screen (even exceeding the filthbags in "Last House On The Left"(!) by virtue of the one villain in that movie who had some shred of decency and remorse within himself), and while a movie like "Candyman" works by giving the viewer a wreaker of evil who carries considerable mitigating factors and enough of a sense of tragedy to generate empathy, and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" works by putting out there a purely evil entity but one who's darkly engaging and fun to love to hate, "The House Of 1000 Corpses"'s villains are just so blood-boilingly detestable, that This is what makes this particular movie so completely riveting. I have never rooted so hard for the hideous demise of the bad guys so much in all the years I've watched movies. And it's utterly brilliant.
Set in the late 70s with a couple of apparantly intoxicated fraternity-type guys driving around and whooping it up, thinking it's a cool way to spend the evening cruising around looking for evidence of local rural legend Dr. Satan, with their exasperated and smarter girlfriends tagging along for the company and to keep their beaus from getting into too much trouble. After picking up a female hitchhiker, it's all downhill and straight to hell for the unlucky foursome. And yet it's not quite as straight forward as it sounds. There'a few characters where you may not necessarily know if they're going to be part of the evil or not, there's occasional black humor amonst the mayhem, and there are shocks that aren't solely associated with just the extreme nature of the violence but are truly unexpected plot twists. There are movies that start out frightening from the first frame, this goes it one better by starting Before the movie's opening frame with the interactive menu, featuring Captain Spaulding (played with genius by Sid Haig) talking to the viewer in a friendly manner as if he can see you right there in your front room, an amusing and almost campy way to start off the DVD that, if you let it run for a while before pressing play, starts to become very creepy and uncomfortable.
This is the first movie directed by industrial shock-metal master Rob Zombie (who provides plentiful music for the show, along with a lot of peppy, happy non-metal whose prescence during such brutal scenes is so inappropriate that it's unnervingly masterful). Zombie helms the film with perhaps-unexpected skill and tremendous style and originality. I hope to see a slew more horror movies over the years by this man (although I hope he doesn't abandon his music either), but I have to say he shows enough innovation and technical know-how that he's going to be able to direct other genres of movies too if he chooses to; anyone who shows this much talent on their debut can make any kind of film they please. A straight drama or non-dark romantic comedy occasionally inserted in between ultra-horrors? I don't see why not. How about it, Mr. Zombie - show the critics that horror specialists are every bit the equal of any other genre's masters.
One of the best horror movies of 2003 (possibly horror's greatest year ever). Not recommended for non-diehards of horor though. If you're just getting into the field, you might want to try some of the many other horror movies that are just as great and often just as scary, but not as gorily graphic, like the "Halloween" series or "The Blair Witch Project", before something this demented, and then see "House Of 1000 Corpses" after a while.
On a closing note, what's perhaps even scarier is that Zombie apparantly plans to make the upcoming sequel, "The Devil's Rejects" even darker and more gruesome, and its villains even More despicable. He's set himself a hard task, but to think that he just might be up to it....Yikes!
Movie Review: Hell on earth!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hell on earth. It was high-time a horror movie of this callibre returned to the silver screen. This presentation incorperates elements in a Twin Peaks / Lost Highway, David Lynch vein, with intermittant flashes of images projected to be disturbing with a seeming antithesis of the current scene at hand, as if the pleasant life memories of the victim display within their mind as they die, to accentuate the progressive horror of their demise. The movie begins with carnival music resurrected by Dr. LaVey in his infamous Music Room scene from Speak of The Devil, accompanied by a mascot with a bald head and goatee bouncing about the place from time to time. Suburban college kids travel with their girlfriends in 1977 to persue the urban legend of "Dr. Satan" {obvious LaVey influence} and various roadside attractions of the bizarre kind along the way, when they come upon a backwoods museum of the strange, hosted by a yokle attired in clown motif who also runs a funhouse called "The Murder Ride" featuring true crime displays, including profiles on Albert Fish the cannibal, among others, infamous in those parts.
So the foursome are out to to find out if any of the tales are true. Little did they know that a short while earlier, the place was almost robbed by a couple of incompetent brutish bafoons who are quickly outwitted by the clown and his elderly friend, both experienced freaks of the trade. Yet the likes of this was to pale in comparison to what they were yet to experience for real. After having taken the Murder Ride Tour, quite enjoyable as it was, with the host displaying an attire similar to KIng Diamond's , including face-paint and top hat, they persist to interview the keeper more about the legend; so he decides to direct them to an area where it was said to have originated from. On the way, they pick ujp a delightfully doll-like cowgirl {played by Zombie's girlfriend / fiancee' "Sherry"} who leads them into a trap in alliance with a shadowy phantom in the wilderness who shoots their tire out from under them. She offers to walk over to her brother's, who just so happens to own a tow-truck - then the true horror begins - one by one they are preyed upon by the resident homicidal hellbillies in various methods of mutilation, psychological torture until death is mercifully bestowed, in a very Texas Chainsaw Massacre style.
One scenario that I found to be of particular and amusing mention was when the remaining two of the suburban four are marched off to meet Dr. Satan {also seems to be an exagerrated composit of Dr. Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death}, dressed in rabbit foo-foo costumes, which establishes the differentiation between the predator and the prey, both the more and less evolved creatures' interaction. Another notable bit was the use of Aleister Crowley's poem narration in slow-motion while the foos were being lowered into the Black Earth, while inside of a coffin displaying a cross on the lid, which I found to be meaningful symbolism, as crucifixes and crosses are symbols of death, which were also drawn upon one character's face who performed a priest role in the mock funeral of those who have gone below.
In the end, House of 1,000 Corpses is a recommended film, and definitely stands out amongst all of the films currently released in this time frame, but what really makes it work is the remarkable style of the 70's, which did spawn the remarkable constant-classic Halloween. And there have been few outright, gut-wrenching serious horror movies which have been able to reach this level of entertainment, most of which are usually relegated immediately to video shelves because they prove to be too frightening for the masses, but are preserved for the serious Horror fantom. This is not a goofy parody passed as a "horror" flick, as the humor herein is truly black, as My companion and I were the only ones in the theatre laughing many times. I noticed sheeple leaving on a couple of occasions, seemingly just too disturbed to remain there being subjected to the nightmarish progression therein, which I would consider to be quite a compliment for a horror writer, director, or producer, who also happens to be a Satanist.
"There is no good or evil. You just do what you gotta' do."
Extra bit of horror trivia: There was also a movie named "House of Seven Corpses" starring John Carradine and John Ireland which was released in 1973.
Movie Review: THE BOOGYMAN IS REAL, AND YOU FOUND HIM!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I snatched this DVD off the shelf the day of its release, and for good reason. "House of 1000 Corpses" is absolutely the greatest grisly horror film I've ever seen! Watching the movie in its original theatrical premiere gave me the thrills and chills, and I don't even listen to any of Rob Zombie's music. What makes this film quite excellent is that it has finally reawakened the celluloid corpse of the horror genre; before this, Hollywood has churned out an obscene number of dull PG-13 teeny bopper flicks, including "Scream" and "I Know What you Did Last Summer." While paying homage to the low-budget shockfests of the 1960's and 70's, Zombie gives "House" a post-millenium twist with acidic photo negativity and twisted montages incorporating topless strippers, mutilated cadavers and snippets from campy black-and-white monster movies (provided by Dr. Wolfenstein's Creature Feature Marathon). Rob Zombie himself commented that a majority of "House's" gritty home video footage was shot through a hand-held camera in parts of Zombie's own basement! Also notice how NO high-tech computer effects were used; because "House" is set in the rural American South in 1977, the makers intended to stay true to that period (not to mention achieve realistic gore without overspending the budget). And of course the larger-than-life characters of "House of 1000 Corpses" are just as memorable as those in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." In fact, in the DVD's featurette, Sig Haig happily confessed how he would like to see this film presented in any tiny theatre where audiences can yell back at the screen! Who wouldn't love to visit Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Madman and sample a bag of tasty fried chicken? Would you dare purchase a ticket to the scary Murder Ride and learn the legend of Dr. Satan? Or how about the psychotic Spiderfly family, who light up the flickering candles on Halloween night and fiendishly participate in a gruesome celebration (one in which cheerleaders are gagged, tied up and tortured)? Better yet, when was the last time a cinema fanatic witnessed a cult ritual of blood and fire, dedicated to the famous Dr. Satan himself?! Although I enjoy watching this film from beginning to end, I do have a few favorite moments. The first that immediately comes in my head is none other than the creepy Murder Ride, complete with cross-shaped tombstones, animatronic zombies and the awesome Captain telling the tragic tales of real-life serial murderers, molesters and cannibals (most notably Ed Gein, the notorious killer whose farmhouse was borrowed for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.") I love the part when Baby (Sherie Moon) struts her way to the stage in her glittering evening gown, lip-synching to "I Wanna Be Loved by You" like a cute Hollywood starlet. Such bizarre charm! Yet another moment that stands out in my mind is when the sadistic Otis (Bill Moseley) lops off a victim's right hand with an axe...all while the funky Commodore's hit "She's a Brick House" blares on the radio! Mother Firefly (played by the voluptuous Karen Black) sort of reminds me of a blond, venomous Sharon Osbourne from the South!
You kiddies will be happy to know that actors Sid Haig, Sherie Moon AND Bill Moseley actually host the different menus on the DVD; after returning to their delightfully creepy roles in the film, they each provide color commentary DIRECTLY TO YOU! Unfortunately, the list of extras DOES NOT include any hardcore deleted scenes, but if you carefully listen to Zombie's commentary, you might get just a hint as to which kind of footage was edited out. The interviews segment is quite interesting to watch too. I think I like the part when Sid Haig (clown greasepaint and all) chose "House of Wax" as his most favorite horror movie. Each interview even unveils a brand new character action figure!
I can hardly wait to see what Rob Zombie has in store for us in the future, when he prepares to unleash an even more violent sequel! RIP Dennis Fimple.
Movie Review: It's about time!
Summary: 5 Stars
Halloween comes early, and how! House of 1000 Corpses is a spiraling descent into the fiery pits of hell, or at least debut film director Rob Zombie's interpretation of such. What's one to expect from the King of the ultra-sonic groove and power chord crunch? The cinematic equivalent of his music is what.
House is the antithesis of Hollywood Horror of late and is one big nod to Zombie's favorite horror film directors and their stylish and sometimes not-so-stylish works.
Six Cases in point:
The savvy casting of Bill (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) Mosley, Sid (Spiderbaby) Haig, Karen (Trilogy of Terror) Black and Tom (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) Towles.
The familiar Texas Chainsaw Massacre-like plot of a haywire-hayseed murdering clan reeking relentless havoc on city-folk.
The character Baby's nonstop little girl giggle taken from Sam Rami's Evil Dead. Even Baby's bloody dagger lapping scene is culled straight from Rami's horror classic.
The clan's floorshow is very reminiscent of Bette Davis' uneasy performance in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
The character Tiny resembles real-life human oddity Rondo (The Brute Man) Hatton.
The film also lovingly and gracefully recreates the looks of the colorful Hammer horror days of the 60's, the gritty, grimy drive-in fair from the 70's and even the silent era German expressionism of the 1920's.
Any seasoned horror/exploitation veteran will pick up on a bevy of the accolades but homage is not all that is offered in this celluloid barnburner. Though Zombie makes no qualms about his film's similarities to Tobe Hooper's Chainsaw, his assailants, the Firefly's, are not killin' for chili fixin's but "because some people just need to be killed" (this writer concurs).
The Firefly's seem to have great disdain for our western culture and what it has become. Everyone from the passionate sports fan to the mindless consumer to the diligent thrill seeker is fair game for this bunch. Their warped sensibilities about liberation and freedom lead them to titillate, terrorize, torture, maim, mock and mutilate their victims in a mind numbing variety of ways - or are these hapless cretins really victims at all? For the most part the backwoods kin are sick of those who subscribe to the insipid behavior of the American masses and seem to view these murders more as mercy killings. (This writer again concurs with the clan's actions.)
There's no downtime to speak of here. Once the ball of blood, gore and hate is rolling it never stops. The murders are slow and merciless but the attacks are violent and furious. No room for anonymities either, when these hill folk strike they mean business. The Firefly's, Captain Spaulding and Doctor Satan all deliver spooks and horror not seen on the silver screen in more than 10 years.
Sadly some of the much-touted gore has been not so surprisingly kept at bay in order to receive the R rating. However in lieu of this we have some very impressive implied horror and what is delivered in the carnage department is executed in an impressive and organic `ole school' style. If you want CGI, puppeteering and robotics then stick with Resident Evil or some other Tinsel town drekk. House of 1000 Corpses is a glorious throwback to the late 60's, 70's and early 80's approach of horror filmmaking; think Deranged, Night of the Living Dead and Motel Hell and you'll begin to get the picture.
At the end of the day Rob Zombie is a man who loves horror movies and he's made a film that he hopes like-minded genre buffs will embrace. Whether these would-be fans have been sufficiently polluted and dumbed-down by Hollywood horror standards remains to be seen. What is obvious however is that Rob Zombie has as much creative genius in the filmmaking department as he does with music.
By Christopher Curry
Movie Review: "Why", you ask? "Why" is not the question. How? Now, that is a question worth examining.
Summary: 5 Stars
Its sad that a film as wonderfully made as this is so grossly misunderstood.
Let me say this right off that bat. If you're idea of a horror film is I know What You Did Last Summer and you consider Scream and The Exorcist to be the most shocking films ever made, this is not a film for you. If you havent seen I Spit on Your Grave, Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead or Last House on the Left, this is not a film for you. If you've never listened to "Living Dead Girl" or "Superbeast" this is not a film for you.
Now having said that, this is a film for me. It is a film for true horror fans, the kind that stay up and watch Dawn of the Dead and The Beyond, who know who Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento and George Romero are. This is a film that was meant to be seen by people like this and will only be enjoyed by people like this. This is not exactly mainstream stuff here. Only a small percentage of people enjoy this stuff, and for those people, this film is a true rivival of classic exploitive horror.
Rob Zombie has created a homage to 1970's exploitation/horror films, and he has been extremly successful in achieving that goal. The film borrows largely from Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Last House on the Left, with his own little bits of original demential thrown in and an assortment of other horror film references. The film tells the tale of four teenagers who are terrorized and tortured by a bizarre southern family living in a remote farmhouse in 1977. The film uses all sorts of camera tricks--negative colouring, split-screens and seemingly random inserts of grainy snuff-like footage of various S&M and gore images; the off-the-wall effect is similar to what Oliver Stone did in Natural Born Killers. The film is not about plot, or about characters. Its purpose is to shock and disturb, to serve no other function than to entertain through exploitation and disgusting and bizarre violence. Just as you think the limits of weirdness are approaching, Zombie takes the film a step farther, and before long you surrender yourself to the mercy of the film and just accept things for what they are. The film has the feeling of an out of control freight train being piloted by a madman and the climax of the film is truly bizarre. The reviewers who wrote the film off as overly-sadistic with little in the ways of character development, plot or suspence have come to see a different kind of film, perhaps more at home with titles like The Sixth Sense or Silence of the Lambs. The have no busineness debasing a great film like this.
Rob Zombie has created a film that is both a homage and derivative at the same time; most things in the film have been done before, in one shape or another, and the level of gore is a fraction of what was intended, due to its shameful R-rating. To see the inevitable Unrated Directors Cut on video is going to be a true horror experience.
But this film is something has hasnt been seen in decades and it has been made with the utmost care that only a true horror fan could provide. It is a film made by horror fans for horror fans, a true labor of love by Mr. Zombie, despite some flaws. If you arent sitting the theater going "hey, theres Bill Mosely from TCM 2!" or "hey, that shot is a homage to the cover of Evil Dead!" or "hey, he wears peoples skin like Leatherface!" then you probably arent meant to be seeing this film. But for those who are, the film is a true gem and a rarity; it is a kind of film that hasnt been seen on the screens in over twenty years and probably wont be for another twenty years. Get out there and enjoy this rare experience while you still can.
An instant cult-hit.
Grade: A
For true horror and Zombie fans only. Everyone else just wont get it.
If you don't like that.....You can get the what??? Thats right... F#@K out!