House of 1000 Corpses (2003) User Reviews (1,028)

Rob Zombie's nightmare world realized on film

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 1 June 2005]

In my opinion, House of 1000 Corpses is a fan movie. Fans of both the horror genre and Rob Zombie are likely to love it. Though I do not count myself a fan of either, I do like both at times, and I am quite familiar with both. Those familiar with Rob Zombie are likely to be the only ones who completely 'get' this clever little film - appreciating its depraved sense of humor and nihilism. Zombie's themes are fairly consistent - evil (without the usual religious connotations and clichés), murder, sex, insanity, and stereotype "hillbillies". Zombie's world is not a place for people who are terribly concerned with reality, but, for Zombie himself, it seems to supply endless muse for a prolific and interesting commercial creativity.

Two couples traveling across country and working on a book on bizarre roadside attractions stumble across a filling station / theme park run by a vaguely evil clown with a bad attitude - Captain Spaulding. Spaulding teaches them of a few local legends, including a mad surgeon who worked in a local insane asylum and came to be known as Dr. Satan for the grotesque surgical procedures he applied to mental patients in secret. They pick up a pretty blonde hitch-hiker on their way to see the tree where Dr Satan was hung, and run into some car problems, so the hitch-hiker invites them to her family house. The family, apparently headed by the phenomenally weird Karen Black, makes The Addams family look like the Brady Bunch.

My narrative has described the first 20 minutes or so of the film, and at this point the film, much like RZ's songs, is so campy that it seems a straightforward horror comedy. However, once our protagonists are in "the house", the plot takes a decidedly more sinister spin, and never lets up from that point forward.

This film successfully and entertainingly portrays all of RZ's themes in about the same proportions as his music. Of them all, sex is the least explored, and I, for one, am thankful for that. The film also walks a delicate line between Hannibal Lector grotesque art realism and supernatural forces. For example, at one point, one of the bad guys turns on a cassette player with low batteries so that the voice recorded on it sounds extra-satanic.

If you have problems with blood and other bodily fluids, and utterly repulsive surgically induced variations on the human body, you might want to avoid this film. If you don't have any great objections to standard hardcore horror imagery, or if you like it, you might want to see this. It is masterfully visualized and does a much better job of making horror into art than the standard Hollywood horror fair. This is Rob Zombie's art, and he does it much better than most. This first major effort in film bodes well for his future use of the medium, and I will look forward to his next.

fascinating mess of craziness

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 30 October 2014]

Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) is a foul-mouthed clown owner of the "Museum of Monsters and Madmen" and "Fried Chicken and Gasoline". On October 30, 1977, Spaulding shoots a bunch of holdup guys. Jerry Goldsmith (Chris Hardwick), Bill Hudley (Rainn Wilson), Mary Knowles (Jennifer Jostyn), and Denise Willis (Erin Daniels) are traveling the country investigating weirdness. Spaulding shows the group his roadside show and tells them about Dr. Satan. They go in search of the hanging tree where they hanged Dr. Satan. They pick up hitchhiker Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie). Their tires get popped and they end up with Baby's family.

I like directer Rob Zombie's weird outsider style. It's over-stylized Grindhouse. I just think that writer Rob Zombie needs help pulling all the craziness together into a coherent compelling plot. He needs to figure out rooting interest, and how to create tension. This is a bit of a mess but it's a fascinating mess.

Obvious love letter to old school horror

[eschase · 5/10 · 14 June 2020]

This movie is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If you've seen that, you've seen this. I don't need to explain the plot; that's all you need to know. It's TTCM with bizarre attempts at stylization. The victims are characterless twats, except for Rainn Wilson, who plays a lovable nerd. Other than him, the real stars are the family and Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding, but the two psycho women are both horribly annoying. It does break away from the basic formula for the third act of the movie, but I can't say it was for the movies benefit.

The stylization is the worst part of it; randomly cutting to 16mm film clips, random colored lighting that change in between shots, and a bunch of flashing quick cuts. If your over the age of 16, and/or are a seasoned horror fan, this movie is much more likely to give you a headache rather than scare you.

Pros- Sid Haig, nostalgic premise, and some decent gore

Cons- awful attempts at stylization, annoying characters, a twist that makes the movie worse.

If you're gonna watch it; you're gonna watch it. But don't expect anything too much.

One hell of a directing debut

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 29 December 2017]

Rob Zombie's House Of 1000 Corpses is a lot to sit through, and at times is a victim of its own overly zany ambition. Nevertheless, it's the first stepping stone in the path of one of the most fascinating and talented directorial careers in the industry, and is a completely batshit mental curiosity in its own right. Zombie sprung onto the scene with this one and has since been a controversial, much talked about and frequently hated voice of horror. Let's get one thing transparently clear: No one can be blamed for not enjoying his films, they're incredibly niche and not everyone's thing, but you are simply lying to yourself if you won't concede what a hugely talented writer, director and all round filmmaker he is. I've had to get quite stern in conversations with people whose tunnel vision stubbornness supersedes their ability to logically analyze his work, and I simply won't put up with it. Alright, scolding done, over to the film. I'll be the first to admit that House is a splattered mess at times and goes about six light years over the top, but the sheer grungy scope of production design is really something to see. In deepest backwoods Americana, the murderous Firefly clan preys on, terrorizes and murders pretty much anyone who gets in their path. Bill Moseley is a Manson-esque dark angel as Otis Driftwood, renegade bad boy brother, Sheri Moon Zombie is like Harley Quinn on bath salts as Baby, who is definitely the scariest, while gargantuan Matthew McGrory, walking decrepitude grandpa (Dennis Fimple) and giggling slutwhore Mama (Karen Black doing her very best freaky Betty Boop rendition) round out the rest of the brood. They live in some cluttered rural dump right out of Hoarders, luring unsuspecting travellers off the road and murdering them in really over elaborate, exhaustive looking ways. Oh and we see the birth of one of cinema's most jovial and sleazy killer clowns, Sid Haig's motor mouth Captain Spaulding, who bookends the film in uproariously raunchy comic relief. It's a neon fever nightmare of relentless commotion, visual excess, metal music, retro Americana pop culture bliss and sadistic gore, Zombie going all out to solidify his storytelling aesthetic that would continue, in augmented, evolved ways, over the course of his brilliant career. This is certainly as obnoxious a film as you'll find in his stable, and while it ranks in the southern end of my Zombie favourites list, there's just no ignoring the raucous, depraved celebration of all things gross, gooey and grotesque that parades by. Not to mention the whip-smart, trashy and endlessly funny dialogue, writing being skill that the man excels in on another level.

Weird black comedy

[shanekraus · 7/10 · 29 May 2022]

This is the first movie rob zombie ever made. While he would go on to make better movies, This was a great horror movie. Captain Spaulding is easily the most terrifying part of this movie. I kind of wished they had focused on him, and his museum of monsters and mad men more than on the fireflies.

I like horror movies, but I don't really like this movie, is that OK?

[smithwarrick · 4/10 · 16 May 2006]

I have to ask because it seems that I'm not a true horror movie fan if I don't like this movie. Thats a load of crap. I have seen all the Nightmare on Elm Streets, Halloweens, Friday The 13ths, Hellraisers, Evil Deads, etc. etc. I like film directors like John Carpenter, Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Eli Roth. I've seen some obscure horror films too, like Blood Beach, The Company Of Wolves and even seen The Last House On the left (even though I didn't like it that much).

Problem I had with this film was it was too sadistic for its own good (the "bunny" killing scene especially made my blood turn cold), the villains antics grew tiresome, and THAT scene where the gun was held on the guy's head was JUST TOO LONG. No matter how stylish it was meant to be, it was just a director letting the scene run for too bloody long!

That said, I didn't totally dislike this movie. I could see that Rob Zombie has an obvious fondness for the horror movie and he set out to create a familiar story with his own sadistic and creative additions. The film was effective at making me wonder if the actors playing the villains were really acting or not, they did seem genuinely disturbed. However, the victims were kind of ho hum.

The production design of the film looked impressive too, with a lot of visual points of references to horror clichés.

Main problem was that I didn't really enjoy watching it, and I grew bored with it in its latter stages. It was shocking (in parts) just for being shocking and was just a film made by an amateur film maker (albeit an obviously enthusiastic one)

A gritty, gory mess

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 14 October 2016]

If there's one thing modern cinema is criticised for, it's that it's made by executives and corporations rather than by fans of the genre itself. However, that cannot be said for the delightfully-titled 'House of 1000 Corpses.' It's made by the (equally delightfully-named) Rob Zombie, who, despite being better known at the time as a musician, is definitely a fan of the horror genre.

But, without even going into who made it, perhaps it's the title that should give you all the information you need to know as to whether or not you'll like this film. If you're expecting anything deep and meaningful then you're going to turn it off within minutes. What you have is a pretty standard 'slasher' flick (okay, so it probably bears more in common with 'Texas Chainsaw' types films than 'Scream,' but there are definitely 'slasher' elements thrown in there), but presented with a sense of art. Or, if you're feeling a little harsher, you could replace the word 'art' with 'bits-thrown-in-that-look-like- they're-taken-right-out-of-an-MTV-music-video.' Rob Zombie tries to do something different with the way the film is shot. It's got a lot of cutaway films and stylishly-filmed segments which break up the narrative. Some may find those interesting and different, others may find that they distract from the narrative – it's really a question of taste, but you can see his music video influence shining through.

But, you probably don't watch a film called 'House of 1000 Corpses' for its artistic integrity – you want the gore. And it doesn't disappoint on that one. It's packed full of disgusting characters and imagery – from grotesque mutants to gorgeous babes (who are equally grotesque when it comes to their tendency to murder people at the drop of a hat – Sheri Moon Zombie, I'm looking at you!).

Overall, 'House of 1000 Corpses' isn't an original story, but it's done differently enough and with the required levels of gore that will satisfy anyone who wants to watch a film entitled so. It does feel a little 'raw' here and there. Sometimes I felt that was almost intentional, other times I wondered whether Rob Zombie was letting his visions get a little too convoluted. However, he definitely proves that he can do more than sing (assuming you agree with that in the first place!) and, seeing as he's a fan of the genre, hopefully this will be a good stepping stone to launch what might be a promising horror career.

Fails to deliver comedy or horror

[ceeingred13 · 3/10 · 29 February 2012]

I have a hard time grading this movie because I'm never entirely sure what it was trying to accomplish. It was devoid of scariness because it never felt like there was any hope of survival or suspense. It just felt like a boring meandering route we had to take to see these characters ******************SPOILERS************************* die. Any movie that relies too heavily on gore, torture or shock value seems to fall into this trap.

If it was meant to be comedy, it failed because the over-the-top characters were goofy, but never clever.

Ultimately it was too silly to be scary and not silly enough to be funny. Very disappointing.

This is the one!!!

[bchisenhall-73717 · 9/10 · 31 August 2022]

If you want real horror....a movie that will keep you up at night...this is it! The eerie lighting and music, the Firefly family, Captain Spaulding, the Fish Boy. Its all just so magical. Growing up in the 90's I was bombarded with cheesy, low budget horror. What a treat it was when Rob Zombie released this absolute gem. I dont want to ruin anything, so I'll just say that this movie is worth watching again and again. It changed the way I looked at the horror genre and I havent been the same since. Do yourself a favor and give it a watch. I still remember the first time I watched this movie. With a group of friends, on the couch, senior year 2005. We loved it so much we all went together a couple of years later to watch Devils Rejects in theaters. I'll admit, 3 from Hell was a bit of a let down, but Hof100C and Devils Rejects are absolute classics. Im honestly bummed its not rated higher. This movie deserves to be at least a 7. Have fun with this one guys, its unforgettable.

Sid Haig

[k-schwertl92 · 7/10 · 1 September 2013]

It's not easy for me to criticize films like this. This film goes straight over the line. Long story short, I like this film a lot. Sid Haig is so enjoyable in his role. He's like Heath Ledger, he creeps you out with just the way he is, while making you laugh.

And that's the point where this movie does wonderful. Rob Zombie is a master in creating very interesting characters, especially the psychos. No matter if it's Otis, Spaulding or Otis's family, they are so fascinating and scary at the same time.

Some might have a problem with the films editing, but for me that just added very well to the creepy atmosphere.

Last words, SID HAIG ROCKS!

Incredible horror , grisly gore and bloody film

[ma-cortes · 4/10 · 28 September 2004]

The plot line centers two couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of murder end up sheltering at house inhabited by a loony and murderer family (formed by Karen Black, Sheri Moon , Sid Haig and others) . They are a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers .

The motion picture mixes a deal of gore , terror , screams , and spooky atmosphere . The storyline has got certain likeness to ¨Texas chainsaw massacre¨ , along with ¨Ed Gein¨ and ¨2000 maniacs¨. The film's script was constantly changing throughout filming, leading to an entirely different ending at one point . The actual house is the same used in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas(1982), which can be viewed during Universal Studio's tram ride. However, during filming, Universal refused to cease the tram tours, which delayed filming during many scenes .

There isn't interpretation of the actors because they only kill and shout . However , the cinematography by Alex Poppas and Tom Richmond is nice to difference ¨Texas massacre¨ which was granulated and worn-out . There are some black and white flashbacks upon killers , it is the most interesting bit of the film . This is Rob Zombie's directorial debut , and was filmed in 2000, but wasn't released until three years later. Rob Zombie has said that he was constantly shooting two versions of the gorier scenes to appease Universal. For instance, a shot at the start of the film in which the robber who was stabbed with the Axe is on the floor was shot two ways: with blood and without blood . The movie will appeal strong emotions enthusiasts and gore fans. Rating: 5/10 average .

Is a horror fan entitled to have a second opinion?

[Coventry · 9/10 · 16 August 2005]

I already had a user comment for "House of a 1.000 Corpses" submitted here on this site, dated over a year ago and…um…not very praising. In fact, my first viewing of this film was so disappointing that I excessively discouraged other people here to see it. Rather than to simply ignore the old comment and pretend I never bashed it, I wish to write a new – more positive – review, if it were only to convince other people (who also disliked at first) to give it a second change. Several factors (like the praising reviews on "The Devil's Rejects"-sequel and conversations with fellow horror fans) nearly forced me to re-watch "House of a 1.000 Corpses" and I'm glad I did. This truly is a film that requires multiple viewing before one can properly judge it. Rob Zombie's style is often innovating and so overwhelming that it might look overly hectic at first but, in reality, his dedication towards obscurity and his knowledge on classic cinema is one of the best things that could ever happen to the horror genre. And that is something you (or at least I) have to discover with repeated viewings…

The power of this film lies in the fact that the screenplay covers all kind of successful horror premises. Serial killers, mad doctors, a family of crazies, deranged clowns, devil-worshipers….you name the type of terror and "House of a 1.000 Corpses" features it! This movie is a small revival of the entire horror genre all by itself. No extended and boring intros or pointless red herrings in this film, "House…" is straightforward and surefooted sickness from start to finish and you're given almost no time to breathe. Some of the sequences in this film are so damn close to brilliant that I can't possibly figure out why I didn't love them right away!! The execution-scene guided by the moody "I Remember You"-song, for example, is amazingly atmospheric and quite unsettling. Although Rob Zombie's directing skills are still open for improvement (the abrupt climax, overly rough editing), his debut is a staggering gorefest that every horror fan has to experience…repeatedly! Bring on the sequel…I'm ready now!!

Pretty good start to a career

[chad13 · 6/10 · 18 March 2005]

With the creativity and overall "coolness" of his music, I was a little disappointed with his first movie. I have been a fan for years, and I do think that Rob will get better with time. The first White Zombie records were nowhere near what the later ones were, and I feel that his movies may develop in the same fashion. You do see flashes of brilliance in house of 1000 corpses, and the camera angles and tempo changes are pretty cool. If the evolution of his movie making skills goes along the same path as his music, then I think we will see great things from him. I may have had too high of hopes for this movie, and I should have spent more time appreciating the fact that Rob spent the time doing it. The fact that he ventured into this genre was very cool, and I hope he continues to make horror movies...they are a dying art, and us horror movie fans need more of them.!

Snore of 1000 Snores?

[QueenofBean · 1/10 · 5 October 2003]

I have always considered myself a fan of b-grade horror movies and cult-classics. However, this movie, I hope will never be considered either. Practically plotless, Zombie borrowed too many ideas from Texas Chainsaw massacre when scripting this musterpiece (meaning is that all he could come up with,) and lingered far too long on pointless camera shots in an attempt to capture an artistic sense of suspense(? is that what he was thinking??)

This film relied heavily on sex, foul language, and pointless gore to appeal to thirteen-year-old boy mentality. Who is Dr. Satan and what does that name have to do with this movie?-almost absolutely nothing. I have all but convinced myself that Rob Zombie just wanted to have a character in his movie named Dr. Satan because it was "cool" and kids would "dig" it. He should really stick to making boring music, at least in that area, he's somewhat talented, but then again, if all he was trying to accomplish was make money off of preteens and the rave generation looking for the next Rocky Horror play-along, well then, he's a bloody genius!

"It's true....the boogeyman is real, and you've found him.

[gorefreak5 · 13 April 2003]

I love that line! I remember hearing that line in a cool trailer I saw while watching "Urban Legend 2". Obviously, this was a way better movie!!! Besides "Scream," and "Funny Games," this is the best horror film in the past 15 years!!! We wanted blood, and we got it!!! Whoa, that would have been another great line in this "uber celebration of depravity" as those lame Universal execs so succinctly called it. This flick was definitely worth the wait!!!

First off, the directing: Rob Zombie gave this film a unique visual style I had never seen in a film before. It was well made and very well edited. I loved the split-screens, filters, stock footage, use of color, and that infamous slow motion shot (I loved that scene!). Although he borrowed a little from "Natural Born Killers," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Last House on the Left," what great horror film doesn't nowadays? Seriously!! So Mr. Zombie brought something new to the table, and will hopefully make a great contribution to horror (he has already in my opinion).

Secondly, the acting: Sid Haig and Bill Moseley totally stole the show!! They made horrifying, creepy, and relentless screen sickos, and gave me hope for the screen villain again (as opposed to lame efforts by thugs in cheap masks). Mrs. Zombie, or Sheri Moon, was totally insane as well as hot! Also, genre veterans Karen Black, Micheal J. Pollard, and Irwin Keyes brought creepiness to their insane roles! Tom Towles was also good in a good guy role! The late Dennis Fimple was hilarious as Grandpa Hugo! Newcomers Matthew McGrory and Robert Mukes were disturbing in their roles as Tiny and Rufus. As for the "victims," Chris Hardwick's Jerry was the only one I reasonably liked. The other three made lame efforts at acting, and need lessons from Marilyn Burns, and the cast of "The Hills Have Eyes"!! So it was hard to root for them, which was another twisted feat that Zombie accomplished. I actually rooted for the villains!!!!

Thirdly, the music: I loved the music!! It fit well with the atmosphere of the film! I own the soundtrack, and I loved it! My favorite song was the title theme, of course! I was expecting songs from Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Sex Pistols, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Blue Oyster Cult, and other "creepy" bands, but oh well. I was satisfied. I also loved the film's score.

Lastly, the atmosphere at the theater I was at: It was totally insane!!! People were screaming, jumping, laughing, walking out, and commenting loudly on how awesome it was!!! I was surprised there was such a packed audience, and it was barnone the best theater-going experience I had ever had!!!

Overall, this film is a creepy, intense, amazing, disturbing, and darkly funny attack on the senses!!! I definitely can't wait to see it again in the theater and to buy the DVD! Finally, a real horror movie with balls the size of Canada has hit the masses!!! This gives me great hope for the new wave of horror: the 70's throwback horror film!! There's plenty this year with "Irreversible," "Cabin Fever," "Wrong Turn," "Jeepers Creepers 2," "Highwayman," and the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake!!! Out of Five Stars: FIVE STARS!!!!! See this movie!! All Rob Zombie fans, metal music fans, horror fans, or people who want to see a hardcore horror film should go out and see this movie!! If you like it, you're awesome!! If you don't, I guess you're not ready for hardcore horror.

Awesome

[JayPatton88 · 7/10 · 30 August 2020]

Great horror movie that makes you cringe at times.

Deeply Sick Feature Derivative of 70s Horror.

[nycritic · 5/10 · 17 March 2005]

In a nod to 70s movies like THE HILLS HAVE EYES and THE Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE (and others), HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, while being the farthest away from even a decent slasher movie, does manage to weaken the stomach with its singularly twisted images of an insane family of cannibals who prey on a quartet of young twenty-somethings who happen to come within their reach and become fodder for their truly sick entertainment. Were it not for Karen Black, one wouldn't be sure these are actually actors playing their roles as if they were those barbaric, mentally defective sadistic killers, and while clearly Rob Zombie knows enough of movies to throw in a variety of references to Marx brothers movies as well as slasher classics, the very inhuman nature of the movie will be so forbidding that only hardcore lovers of this sort of movie will see it.

Unlike any other! Welcome to the freak show.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 15 April 2005]

Welcome to the world of Rob Zombie former lead singer and co-founder of the Heavy Metal Band White Zombie. Zombie writes and directs this horror flick not unlike a box of fetid steak and tomatoes from a collision of two semi-trailers. You have to be in the right mood to accept this one. Its horrid, gross, obtuse, scary, un-scary and nauseating. If you like a touch of the weird...grab hold with both hands.

Two young couples stray from the beaten path as they ride the back roads in search of an Urban Legend known as Dr. Satan. Check the tires...check the gas. These knot-heads have a blowout and find themselves lost and stranded only to find a bizarre family of murderers and satanic cannibals. Sadistic violence ensues and consumes.

Just part of this sordid cast: Chris Hardwick, Erin Daniels, Karen Black, Judith Drake, Jennifer Jostyn and Chad Bannon. A cult following is deserved. This flick is a couple of hoots and a toot. Don't be ashamed to dig it!

If you've ever dreamed of being a filmmaker, do not watch this disaster.

[MBunge · 2/10 · 2 September 2010]

This movie if definitive proof that life is not fair. There are probably thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people who would sell their firstborn child to be able to make a film with the budget and resources that went into House of 1000 Corpses. They'll never get that chance. Rob Zombie did, not because he demonstrated any ability or skill as a filmmaker, but because he was a rock star. And what's really unfair is that Zombie took this opportunity and created one of the worst and least scary cinematic goulashes you'll ever see.

There's literally not much more of a plot to this thing than "4 kids get lost in the backwoods and are brutalized by a family of weirdos". It's like a script wasn't actually written, but instead someone just took dictation as Zombie paced back and forth one night, rambling away about how this happens and then that happens and then this other thing happens. You could take the last 40 minutes or so of this film, randomly switch around the scenes and it would make about as much sense.

This movie is also a catastrophe visually. Zombie can't go more than a minute of two without indulging in some cheap effect or digression. It looks like a normal movie, but then there's some hand held video, then everything's shot with 16 millimeter film, then the film is reversed to a negative image, then there's a clip of a TV broadcast, then there's a clip from a old horror movie, then there's some stuff you can barely make out and it goes on and on and on like that. Have you ever encountered a little child trying way too hard to get and keep your attention? Imagine that kid having ADHD and injecting caffeine all night and you'll have some idea of what House of 1000 Corpses looks like.

I'm not even going to get into how the movie is clearly styled after films like The Hills Have Eyes (original, not the sucky remake) but then takes off on this Lovecraftian tangent where it appears as though Zombie forgot what kind of film he was making. Imagine watching The Verdict and finding out about 8 minutes of My Cousin Vinny has been spliced into it at the end.

The acting in this mess is also almost uniformly terrible. Except for Sid Haig, every other person in the cast could have walked around carrying signs saying "I am an actor" and it wouldn't have made their performances any less believable or involving. You can tell that the actors were told to do everything as "campy" as possible, but instead of "campy" they ended up with "crappy". Haig is the only one who makes his depraved beast of a character even vaguely interesting, and that's because Haig's Captain Spaulding doesn't spend every single moment on screen desperately trying to convince the audience how evil and provocative he is.

Almost all of the things wrong with this film could be forgiven, though, if it was really frightening or disturbing. But it's not. Oh sure, someone with a weak stomach may find some of it unsettling…but someone with a weak stomach isn't watching a movie titled "House of 1000 Corpses". None of the violence, none of the perversity, none of the gore has any affect at all. That's because none of it is connected to anything real. There's no real emotion and no real dilemmas, so there's nothing real to fear. This film is like that high school kid who thinks he's "edgy" because he dresses up like a goth vampire and drinks Clamato, pretending it's actual blood.

As dispiritingly bad as this movie is, Zombie got to make a sequel to it. That's the sort of unfairness that drives people to contemplate suicide. In fairness to Zombie, however, The Devil's Rejects is a much more professionally competent product. It still sucks hard, but maybe if he gets the chance to make 2 or 3 hundred more movies, he might finally come up with something halfway decent.

A revival of true horror

[zombie84 · 9/10 · 3 May 2003]

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 fans only. Everyone else just wont get it.

Good Fun

[Discopants · 7/10 · 15 August 2008]

First of all, don't (like me) go into this expecting a grim gore-fest, because it really isn't.

What it is however, is a darkly comic tale about a psychopathic family who have a nasty habit of torturing and killing people who happen to cross their paths. It's full of all the classic clichés and pays homage to a countless amount of films, particularly 1970's horrors. The loud, eccentric characters really make this film stand out and the vile Firefly family are portrayed perfectly. It also has a really good 70's soundtrack to it which gives it the sleazy, Southern American feel to it.

Some of the film is quite graphic but there's certainly a lot worse out there. There's a mixture of implied and "in your face" violence throughout but the thing you will feel most for is the sheer helplessness of there situation. But as I said earlier, it's all done in a slightly comedic way. I would definitely recommended this film, but not if you after a serious horror.

House of 1000 Movies

[LexiconDevil · 1/10 · 2 July 2007]

If you have not seen a vast majority of horror movies then this movie will probably seem exciting and new. It is most assuredly not. Neither is it scary, creepy, or really entertaining.

With a plot pulled from Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-visioned so that it can star Rob Zombie's wife, this film was a disappointment at first and then became comically bad as it progressed. So bad that it is now used as a drinking game for several friends and I as to who can guess which scene in this movie is a direct replica of another movie.

Really it all boils down to there is nothing original or even an attempt at original in this film. Instead every camera angle recalls another movie from Evil Dead II to Se7en. This movie seems to be a pandering attempt at teenagers who simply desire some sort of shock and gore with an almost elitist feeling of trying to seem as a homage but just comes off as a cheap bootleg version. I fear for Halloween as from various sources I have read it seems it is heading to the same fate as being a knock-off of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

Of course this is all my opinion. If you have not seen this movie, go ahead and watch it. It is only your time you will be losing and although I dislike it your opinion may be different.

Classic!

[pumpkin_queen-48903 · 10/10 · 24 March 2021]

My absolute favourite film 🖤 perfect in every way. I don't need to even say anything, it's just amazing

Erm...This is actually quite a good film

[owenarnold · 7/10 · 17 October 2008]

I'm really surprised at the low IMDb average rating this film has. I remember it was Halloween in 2004 I was going through a phase of watching really BAD horror movies like "Killer Clowns From Outer Space" and enjoying them for how amateur they were.

So I was at Blockbusters with some mates and I saw the DVD cover for this. Directed by Rob Zombie a rock musician!!! and Its called House of a 1000 Corpses. Its going to be so bad it will make a brilliant Halloween party right???!! By the end of the movie, all our reactions were the same "Is it me, or was that actually a good film??".

It was. The best way to describe the film is if Quentin Tarantino did a horror film. The way the characters talk, the intertextual references, "cool" music, gore, and some moments of humour and towards the end absolute terror.

For those who saw the far superior "Devil's Rejects" but haven't seen this film should give it a go.

For those who love horror movies but want something DIFFERENT then definitely give Rob Zombie a try. Cos the thing is I find his films have a twist on the genre (for example, Devil's Rejects isn't actually a horror movie, its more of a road movie) and its possible he could be the next auteur of horror films (guys, give up on Hideo Nakata, he's no good anymore!!!) and Eli Roth and co are just dumb.

Rob Zombie, whilst understandably selling out a bit for Halloween (which was average) in order to make a proper name for himself in Hollywood , I suspect his next film, Tyranosauras Rex will be his best yet.

Shame on IMDb for giving this film such a low average rating. Rob Zombie is going to be huge as a film director!!!

Awful and not good awful

[camsean · 1/10 · 20 March 2004]

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I don't object to the violence or the gore or anything like it. I object to the stupid barely there plot the bad acting and stupid storyline. The people in the cinema seemed to agree with me with at least 20 people walking out and lots of laughter at supposedly scary or gory bits. It is usually possible to find something that a movie has going for it but this one leaves me completely blank as to any positives. A truly bad movie.