Customer Reviews

House of 1000 Corpses [UMD for PSP]

5 star:		(262)
4 star:		(122)
3 star:		(77)
2 star:		(60)
1 star:		(210)

 

 

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.

I went into this movie expecting to see a fun-filled throwback to the classic drive-in slasher movies of the 70's and that is exactly what i got. This movie was awesome. Unwanted by two major studios, Lion's Gate gave Rob Zombie the chance of a lifetime. He wasn't trying to make the most amazing horor film of all time, he was trying to pay tribute to classics such as: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left, and The Hills Have Eyes. Taking a classic plot: a group of kids is stranded in the middle of nowhere, onlt to be terrorized and brutalized by the family from hell, he twists it into a fun-filled nightmare. The family in this movie is one of the funiest and most terrifying families you will ever see on film. This family lures unsuspecting passers-by with the youngest member of the family (played by Zombie's real life girlfriend) and then proceeds to torture, eviscerate, sodomize and do just about everything you can to someone. The actors delivered as well. Sid Haig is hilarious as the foul-mouthed Captain Spaulding. The acting is corny, as well as it should be. Some might get bored after the hilarious opening scene. The first two thirds of the movie introduce the characters and the disgusting family. The final one third of the movie is a terrifying nightmare that morphs from a gore-filled slasher film to a science fiction acid trip. The ending might make some mad, but I found it fitting to the whole plot. I had heard a lot of hype saying how violent this film was. It is to a point. I am a gore hound so I din't find this as violent as Dead Alive or Cannibal Ferox(One of the sickest movies of all time) and the r rating takes a good chunk of the film away from the viewer. I can't wait for an unrated director's cut to be released

OK, this movie got a generally bad review by the Brie-sniffing, wine-swine critics who feel only foreign movies are worth a view. Having said that, House of 1000 Cropses is not a 'GOOD' Film: It's a 'BAD' film, a really 'BAD' film! And yet it has those endearing qualities that fans of bad horror films have come to love: the stuff of what cult classics are made of. It's clearly what director Rob Zombie had in mind. To the question of whether or not he has succeeded, only time will tell.

In a nutshell, two teenage couples on a Halloween date end up in a gas station museuem run by a foul-mouthed clown named Captain Spaulding and an aged Michael J. Pollard (remember him from Bonnie & Clyde). The mueseum is sort of a chamber of horrors, depicting modern day serial killers such as Ed Gein (the basis for Tobe Hooper's TSM movie). Here the kids learn of the legend of the mad Dr. Satan, the local serial-killer.

Dragging their dates along, the boyfriends want to go in search of Dr. Satan landmarks and end up running into a beautiful blonde hitchhiker named 'Baby' who leads them right into an ambush. The couples take refuge in an old farmhouse that turns out to belong to Baby and the rest of her demented Pyscho-Killer family who proceed to put the teenagers through a series of tortures right out of the Tales of Arabian Nights.

Karen Black (Trilogy of Terror, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces) plays Mother Firefly, trying to outdo her equally demented daughter Baby in the tortures she puts her 'Guests' through.

OTIS (Otis was the name of serial-killer Henry Lee Lucas's sidekick), played by Bill Mosely is the head of the family resembling a mean-spirited Riff-Raff (Rocky Horror Picture Show).
His Mansonesque vision underscores the remainder of the movie's scenes which mostly depict a series of fun-house horrors.

Characters and scenes are, for the most part, culled from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, itself heavily spoofed throughout the movie. The DVD adds something special over the film: a selectable menu hosted by Captain Spaulding who berates the viewer with filthy-mouthed taunts, while a less intimidating, but equally menacing baby seduces you with herseself and nit-wittery through a menu of of the usaual DVD Featurettes.

A must see for any true Horror/Cult Film Fan.

I'm not a big fan of Rob Zombie's music, but I've always admired the man's taste in horror films. At a concert I saw, he showed scenes from Fulci films and such on his big screen, and I thought that was the coolest part of the concert. Well, for his first film, he certainly tried to make it all he could. If you're looking for another I Know What You Did Last Summer, you'd better hightail it outta the theater, coz Zombie has made the kind of film that he enjoys; The kind of gruesome, schlocky film that us horror fanatics have grown up with and loved. Because of this, many people just aren't gonna like this film, but that's okay, coz I'm sure Zombie himself knows that this movie is going to appeal only to a certain crowd of people: People like him.....and myself. There's no message, no moral play, no real scares for that matter. The movie's just messed up and gruesome. It's got a great cast. Zombie didn't take the easy route and rely on young, fresh star power for the film's success. He uses veteran, cult horror actors like Sid Haig, Karen Black and Bill Moseley(and if you don't know who they are, shame on you!). The plot "borrows" very heavily from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films(Part 2 had Bill Moseley in pretty much the same role, only crazier!) and Spiderbaby(which had Sid Haig). Zombie had to compromise to get this picture out by cutting out many scenes deemed too gruesome and disturbing for our fragile little minds. This would have awarded him an NC-17 rating-THE TRUE MOVIE KILLER. Well, I went to see the trimmed version to support Zombie and hopefully get him some cash back to release the version he wants on dvd. Plus, I wanted a taste of what the film was gonna be like. I'm not sure if it was as good as everything I've read in the last few years, but I really admire the ballsy move of making this, knowing he was going to have alot of people saying, "Boy, that was terrible!" My only complaint is the little artsy touches he throws in, in the form of Oliver Stone-esque flashes of stock footage and grainy 16mm film. It looks too much like he's trying to make a rock video or he's trying out all the cool little toys on his camera. That's a small complaint though, and you get used to it pretty fast. So, if you wanna experience a cinematic time warp that'll take make you feel like you're back at the drive-in or your local run down/small/yucky/sticky/bad acoustics theater(the kind you could actually smoke in, GOD FORBID), House Of 1000 Corpses is the best real horror flick to come along in a long time......and I doubt we'll see one like this again for quite some time. So, get off your behind and see it.

Fans have anxiously awaited Rob Zombie's directorial film debut for over 3 and a half years now, and while the finished product of House of 1000 Corpses isn't scary one bit, it's a very fun dirty little film that reminds us that horror films are supposed to be fun. In the late 70's, four kids go cross country and come across hearing the legend of Dr. Satan; an insane doctor who performed ghoulish experiments on his patients. Soon they pick up a hitchhiker (the oh so hot Sheri Moon; Rob Zombie's real life girlfriend), and from this point any veteran fan of horror films knows whats going to happen next. Soon we meet her family which includes Trilogy of Terror vixen Karen Black and the always excellent Bill Moseley. Next there are plenty of predictable scares followed by some nice gore and make up effects, and the film bares a stunning resemblance to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Zombie partly succeeded his intention; to make a truly scary horror film like the ones of old, and while House of 1000 Corpses isn't the most brilliant piece of horror film (or the most intelligent for that matter), it's a fun ride nonetheless, and Zombie shows some true directorial talent. The performances are great with Moseley stealing the entire show, his performance bearing striking similarities to his zany and hilarious deliverance of Chop Top in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and the cast also includes a foul mouthed clown faced Sid Haig and a southern drawl spewing Walt Goggins (Shane on TV's The Shield). All in all, House of 1000 Corpses is a gritty little movie that horror buffs will find some appreciation for. If you find you like this check out older horror films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 & 2, Last House on the Left, and the original Hellraiser.

I was one of the fortunate few who received advance screenings of this film for focus group purposes. It was complete in story but some of the effects and music were not finished. As you all have heard from Rob, it is an Homage to all the early 70's slasher films. It was gritty, graphic and gory. The story was simple but very taught and suspensful. It has one of the best death scenes I have ever seen (Deputy Barney). Myself and a small group of others were chosen to stay after the film and give our opinions to the producers and to Rob himself. Once this film is released, it could very easily be the next big MIDNIGHT MOVIE. I am looking forward to see how much it has changed in the two years that have past since I saw it, but it is definitly something I could watch over and over again. A horror film made by a horror fan for horror fans. What more could you ask.

Okay This movie had me hooked up until we get to Dr Satan. The begining is awsome. I wouldnt call it scary but their are freakishly unsetteling moments. And what can you say about Cpt Spaulding. He a friggin riot! Cpt. runs a roadside museum of horrors and gas station. He has the best lines the movie produces and is unspeakabily entertaining.
Enter the victims. Four kids visit him and get directions to a Tree were a serial killer was supposedly hung. On root they ofcourse get stuck and end up getting help from a family of freakish serial killers. Now if Rob had left it at that he would have been golden! But in the last 1/2 hour he spins off into a world of mutant monsters that couldnt ever exist. I absolutely hate it when horror movies start off in reality and spin off into the unrealistic. Like Jeepers Creepers. They start off good and set a scary premiss and then you find out the serial killer has wings and a tail. Anyways. If Rob could have stayed a little more realistic this movie would have been rated higher. Just the same I will give it 4 stars simply because I dont want anyone to be deprived of The CPT!!!!

I had been hearing and reading about this movie since I first learned about back in 2000. I was actually interested in seeing it. One of my friends reccomended that I don't. He said it will "'f' with your head." I should have listened. The violence was very graphic, particularly when Baby (played by Mr. Zombie's real-life girlfriend Sheri Moon) procedes to scalp one of the male characters. For a directorial debut, I must applaud Mr. Zombie for this effort. It couldn't have been done better if Tobe Hopper did it. As for actual movie quality, there is no plot the acting is just plain B-A-D and the film itself holds no redeeming purpose. For those of you still plan to see it based on the Zombie name alone, be forewarned: don't expect their to be a happy ending a la the original "Texas Chainsa Massacre."

I also waited a long time for this movie to come out. Maybe I had high expectations but, I thought Rob Zombie was a little more original than this. I have read the reviews where people call this movie a welcome throwback to 70's horror. I call it a rip off of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre without the feeling of terror. When Massacre came out it was original, shocking, and a shot in the arm to the horror industry. This movie is none of that. The best part of the Movie is when we actually get to see Dr. Satan, but sadly it comes late in the movie and only for a brief moment. If they would have focused more on Dr. Satan and less on the inbred [...], maybe I would have had better things to say. I can only hope and pray that Rob Zombie will redeem himself with a "directors cut" dvd.

I had seen scenes from this flick on IFC, so I finally decided to watch the whole thing. While there are a few plusses, there are many more minuses. There was some really good production design here, the cinematography was good, and there are some funny moments (one of the killers has a shirt on saying "cheap Halloween costume", and there's a poster for a missing dog head). The performances by the 2 cops (in one scene anyway) are actually pretty good. I think this has to do more with the 2 actors than Zombie's directorial skills. Now the bad. One reviewer has noted that essentially this is a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, except nowhere near as good (or intense). First of all, you don't really give a damn about the victims here (2 couples who seem to despise each other). They're really obnoxious and stupid at the beginning, and after they get abducted, tortured, and killed, you don't really care. There are so many references to other horror films (and some blatant ripoffs, especially of Chainsaw) that it seems like a cover version rather than an original film. The acting is obnoxious and pretty bad, except for the 2 cops. But even their performances are strange. They are only in 2 scenes. They are absolute jerks in their first scene, but in their second scene, they show some depth and are sincere. I think that's indictative of the movie. Sometimes it seems it wants to be funny, other times horrific. Of course, there's no real explanation to the actual "house of 1000 corpses" that one of the girls gets thrown into at the end of the film. Zombie wasn't trying to be ambiguous or anything. It just doesn't make a damn bit of sense. And the ending sucks. It seems that they just did it to give it a lame twist ending. There are many plot holes (after the police are killed, there are no cops that follow up on it. There would be in real life). Overall, it's a pretty stupid film.