House of 1000 Corpses Review

Written by: Constantce   

I am forever in debt to Rob Zombie.  The first time I tried to watch House of 1000 Corpses,  it was a stormy night, and my husband was so unnerved by the first ten minutes, that his fear rubbed off on me.  It didn't help that an evil clown (if you can call Spaulding that) led to a podunk dark ride.  My hubby made me turn it off, and I had to watch it alone the next day.  Even in the light, the mood of the film, the dark driving music, and the wildly brutal characters creeped me out.  So, thank you, Rob Zombie, for scaring this seemingly unflappable horror fan.

House of 1000 Corpses draws heavy inspiration from the great slasher movies of the past, predominantly Texas Chainsaw Massacre.   The films share the idea of a family of serial killers waiting like ticks in a tree for victims to come close enough to descend on.   The group of teens taking a trip are not terribly likable, which makes you almost sympathize more with Otis, Baby, Rufus, Mother, and Grandpa.  It is fun, after all, to watch them play cat and mouse games with the kids, and with the missing cheerleaders in the attic. 

The kids had wanted to learn all about Doctor Satan, an area legend, and Zombie seems to be shaking his finger alongside all responsible adults.  Heed the warning that chasing down demons might actually lead you to them.  Maybe Dee Snider was getting all philosophical with his nightmare, Strangeland*, but Mr. Zombie wants to entertain the pants off you.  Rob Zombie not only wants you to hunt down the terrors, but he wants to watch what happens when they get you.  The film spins off to the supernatural side of horror when the Firefly family offers their human sacrifice to Doctor Satan, who not only exists but lurks beneath the ground’s surface with his minions and captives.  The plot twist is a little fuzzy in the head, but it also is a welcome shift from the predictable homage to TCM. 

House of 1000 Corpses is one of my favorite movies because it slaps you silly.  It’s dark, twisted, and scary.  And it features Sheri Moon Zombie playing Baby, the most brutal, bloodthirsty, yet bodacious blonde to grace the big screen. 

* when I call Strangeland a nightmare, it is not a compliment.