HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES

Filmed in 2000 and shelved for three years due to NC-17 rating concerns and being dropped by BOTH Universal and MGM studios after they saw the finished movie (and later picked up by Lionsgate, home of Saw – go figure!), rocker Rob Zombie’s directorial debut, House of 1,000 Corpses, is an all-out assault on the senses and good taste. It’s disjointed. It’s sick. It’s depraved. It’s disturbing. And it’s fantastic.

The story concerns a group of four friends who are traveling the country backroads in search of serial killers and other local legends – most notably, the one of a sadistic madman known as “Dr. Satan”. When they stop at an intriguingly weird gas station/circus sideshow hybrid, they unknowingly step into a world of murder, cannibalism, sadism, torture, and Satanic worship at the hands of the Firefly family led by the gleefully twisted Captain Spaulding.

What transpires on-screen for the next 90 or so minutes is a rollercoaster of nervous humor, dazzling visuals, unsettling atmosphere and a wonderfully haphazard plot that keeps everything moving rather quickly. The movie’s style covers quite a wide array of the genre. The first half of House of 1,000 Corpses is an enjoyable throwback to the late ‘70s/early ‘80s era of slasher films, while the second half is reminiscent of the pacing of late ‘80s  and early ‘90s entries. Rob Zombie, who at the time of filming this movie had only directed a few music videos, does an effective job of blending flashy lights, quick cuts, and old archival-type footage into a workable finished product that will stand out on the merits of its style alone (one point of interest: Director of Photography, Alex Poppas, also serves as Director of Photography for SyFy’s ‘Ghost Hunters International’ - awesome!).

While the violence and realistic gore is definitely in strong supply, it is the subject matter of House of 1,000 Corpses that people will find most disturbing. The fact that its stars Sid Haig, Sherri Moon Zombie, Karen Black, and Bill Moseley all seem to be having WAY too much fun as the cannibalistic clan of murderers makes the film even that much more sickly enjoyable.

House of 1,000 Corpses is not for everyone. But if sick humor and twisted horror is your cup of tea (it certainly is mine), then grab some biscuits. The perfect movie for you has arrived.

 My Score: 8 out of 10