HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES
PLOT-Two young couples researching a local legend find themselves face to face with a family of psycho cannibals.
VIOLENCE-Graphic shootings, stabbings, zombie attacks, and disgusting experimental surgery.
SEX/NUDITY-Some brief ass shots of one of the female leads.
WHY I WATCHED IT-I never was a huge fan of Rob Zombie's music, but I always appreciated his usage of horror movie imagery. When it was announced that he was making a movie, Rob promised it would be heavily influenced by the gritty, downbeat drive-in classics of the 1970s. Given that Rob seemed to know his horror shit, and his music videos were very creative, I was pretty sure the movie would rock.
THE DOPE-Well, it took a few years, but HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES finally got released to theaters in the spring of 2003 after much-publicized delays and setbacks. As with any film that's "controversial" (it was financed by a major Hollywood studio that ultimately thought the film was too intense to release), the buildup was so big and the wait was so long that disappointment and fan backlash was inevitable. Luckily, the movie struck a chord with everyone who saw it, good or bad. People either really dug it or thought it was utter shit. I fall into the first category. First, I loved Rob's story. Simple and efficient, and a great throwback to movies of the past that I love, a style of horror that seemed to have been forgotten over the years. Second, the casting was brilliant. He littered the film with b-movie greats like Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Tom Towles and Karen Black, and gave them characters that exploded off the screen with energy and vibrance. I was extremely pleased to see this. The sets and visuals are stunning as expected. Again, if you ever saw one of Rob's music videos, you know the motherfucker has a firm grasp on all things scary, in his own twisted funhouse way. The movie itself just completely kicks ass, I don't mind saying I went to see it 5 times. I love the way it starts, I love the humor, and I love the way it gets progressively more and more fucked up and intense. Rob Zombie scored as far as I'm concerned. So-called horror fans who spoke out against HOUSE didn't realize it was a gift to us, one that didn't insult us and try to grab our cash, but instead celebrated a bygone era of horror filmmaking and did a damn fine job at creating a modern drive-in classic. Sadly, drive-ins are all but gone now, and with them, the appreciation of a truly good b-flick, it would seem. However, HOUSE made enough money and garnered enough fan devotion to ensure its righful place among the best modern cult films. When people go to a movie dressed like the characters, you know it's a winner!
MEMORABLE SCENES-The late Dennis Fimple as "Granpa" had some of the greatest lines and delivery out of the whole cast. When he got onstage and shot the audience a bird, I applauded. I extend that same bird to anyone who didn't like this film.
DVD NOTES-Rumors of a director's cut featuring 30 extra minutes may or may not be true, but for the purposes of the official DVD release, all you're getting is the theatrical version. But there are still several reasons to buy it! First, the menus on this disc are the best and most entertaining I've seen to date (footage of Captain Spaulding, Otis, and Baby was filmed specifically for this release, and fans are gonna love it). The extras are plentiful, too. There is a great making-of featurette, some on-set footage, a few hilarious cast interviews, a wonderful segment called "Tiny Fucked A Stump" that had me rolling, trailers, photos, and rehearsal footage. The Rob Zombie commentary is enjoyable and informative, but while he discusses the problems with making the movie, he never once touches on all the studio controversy.
(July 2003)
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