House of 1000 Corpses (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Rob Zombie has been a horror fan for years. So when he decided to make a film it was no surprise that he would make a horror film. House of a 1000 Corpses is his first nightmarish vision captured on film. Corpses, though a flawed film, does it's job at creating something new and… More
  Rob Zombie has been a horror fan for years. So when he decided to make a film it was no surprise that he would make a horror film. House of a 1000 Corpses is his first nightmarish vision captured on film. Corpses, though a flawed film, does it's job at creating something new and exciting. We are introduced the most deranged family in horror history since the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. One thing thats very interesting about the characters is that every characters are named after Groucho Marx characters. House Of A 1000 is a thrilling, rejuvenating film in the horror genre and some fans and critics alike have noticed similarities between this film, and TCM. Some claim that Rob Zombie plays out his as a homage to the old school horror films. In part, I'd say it's true. But in the end, who cares? He's made a good little horror film thats worth to check out, and it doesn't matter if it's a homage or not. The film still terrifies across the screen, and by the films end you know that the Firefly family are not to be messed with.

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] In his directorial debut we learn that Rob Zombie was obviously a fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House on the Left because there are huge similarities between these horror classics and House… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] In his directorial debut we learn that Rob Zombie was obviously a fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House on the Left because there are huge similarities between these horror classics and House of 1000 Corpses. It's visual style seemes to be that of a heavy metal music video and it didn't really work or for that matter scare me on any level despite the attempt and it's need to be fast paced. The storyline is very predictable and it wasn't really that good or as scary as it could have been. I didn't dislike the film entirely because I laughed a lot, and I thought it's cheesiness may have been Zombie's deliberate attempt at some humour. The soundtrack is by Zombie's nature very suitable and the gore and make up effects are bloody well perfect. It's mostly good visually but it's not atmospheric like the two great films that inspired this messy but interesting exploitational "horror". It tries to be disturbing but miserably fails and just comes off as weird.

• Jason C

  
  Rob Zombie's horror movie debut was a complete disaster. It's obvious that Zombie was a big fan of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I'm not sure if he was paying homage to it, or if "House of 1000 Corpses" was a piss-poor attempt at ripping it off. It… More
  Rob Zombie's horror movie debut was a complete disaster. It's obvious that Zombie was a big fan of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I'm not sure if he was paying homage to it, or if "House of 1000 Corpses" was a piss-poor attempt at ripping it off. It doesn't really matter, because it fails miserably either way. You'd think with as much gore and deviant behavior that's... shoved down the viewer's throat, scenes would be occasionally, or at least accidentally disturbing. The film never accomplished anything that even made me mildly uncomfortable. The direction has no attention span, the movie just bounces around incoherently. People with taste in music should avoid Rob Zombie, and fans of horror should avoid "House of 1000 Corpses".

• Rachel F

  
  I'm not a huge horror movie fan, but it was hard to resist something directed by the infamous Rob Zombie. It's gory and twisted and everything you'd expect from this director.

• David L

  
  Rob Zombie obviously is an enthusiastic fan and true connoisseur of classic Horror/Exploitation cinema, which also manifests in his films. While today's American Horror cinema is dominated by tame and crappy remakes, Zombie brought us two great, gory and rancid Shock features… More
  Rob Zombie obviously is an enthusiastic fan and true connoisseur of classic Horror/Exploitation cinema, which also manifests in his films. While today's American Horror cinema is dominated by tame and crappy remakes, Zombie brought us two great, gory and rancid Shock features that are among the most notable Horror productions of the decade, starting with "House of 1000 Corpses" in 2003. This is a traditional Hillbilly Horror film in great, gritty 70s style, upgraded with loads of innovating new aspects, a magnificent sense of black humor, wonderfully demented characters, brutal gory violence, genuine creepiness, delightful sickness and unrestrained shocks. A bunch of young people are traveling through Texas in order to write a book on offbeat roadside attractions. After meeting Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) the owner of a gas station with an attached Horror/Murder museum, their car breaks down and they are forced to seek refuge in the house of a truly demented family of hicks... Though most obviously inspired by the Hillbilly Horror classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), "House of 1000 Corpses" pays tribute to various Horror classics and is thereby extremely innovative. The film is an utterly demented mix of Hillbilly Mass Murder Horror, Mad Science and various other elements, which is as darkly funny as it is extremely creepy and sometimes genuinely scary. Personally, I was a big fan of Sid Haig even before I first saw this film a few years ago, for his appearance in countless 70s Exploitation classics, such as "Coffy", "Spider Baby" and others. One might well say that "House of 1000 Corpses" and the even greater 2005 sequel "The Devil's Rejects" mark the highlights of Haig's career, as he plays a leading role, and his Captain Spaulding is arguably the most notable Horror character of the decade. Some other highly memorable roles are that of Bill Moseley as the utterly demented Otis, and director Rob Zombie's wife Sheri Moon Zombie as the incredibly sexy yet incredibly wicked daughter of the murderous Firefly family. "House of 1000 Corpses" is gory, brutal and demented unlike most contemporary Horror films and has a fantastic sense of pitch black humor. Apart from an innovative and wonderfully demented story, uniquely eccentric characters, countless Horror references, gore and morbidity, this film features some of the greatest Horror moments of the last 20 years. Overall, this film, as well as the even superior "Devil's Rejects" is most highly recommended to any fan of Horror and Exploitation cinema.

• Conner R

  
  If only more movies could be this warped and funny. Rob Zombie knows what a horror movie should have. It's the definition of horror comedy and is directed so perfectly that it makes it a modern masterpiece. The dialogue is so good at being just off balanced, tricking you into a… More
  If only more movies could be this warped and funny. Rob Zombie knows what a horror movie should have. It's the definition of horror comedy and is directed so perfectly that it makes it a modern masterpiece. The dialogue is so good at being just off balanced, tricking you into a warm and friendly environment. Then when the torture starts happening, you don't know what to think. Horror movies are rarely this fun, you'd be a fool to pass it up.

• Anthony L

  
  Tribute to 70's horror films or just a rip off? Just a rip off really. Sid Haig is good though!

• Cassandra M

  
  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… More
  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.

• Tim S

  
  A true Grindhouse-style movie that steals from every great underground horror film and spins a yarn of fun.

• Greg S

  
  Four college aged kids stumble into the web of family of bizarre, yet cliched, backwoods killers. First time director Rob Zombie tries to cover up the lack of a story with an excess of style; the result looks a lot like what you would get if you took THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE… More
  Four college aged kids stumble into the web of family of bizarre, yet cliched, backwoods killers. First time director Rob Zombie tries to cover up the lack of a story with an excess of style; the result looks a lot like what you would get if you took THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974), removed all the scary, and replaced it with annoying.

• Arash X

  
  "Better you leave here with your head still full of kitty cats and puppy dogs"

• Ginny  

  
  Welcome to the Dark Carnival! Bwahahahaa!!! House of 1000 Corpses - Rob Zombies directorial debut in the film industry, this film is almost like his homage to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, nonetheless it was an awesome retrographic horror film! The cast did a great job with the… More
  Welcome to the Dark Carnival! Bwahahahaa!!! House of 1000 Corpses - Rob Zombies directorial debut in the film industry, this film is almost like his homage to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, nonetheless it was an awesome retrographic horror film! The cast did a great job with the acting, the image slaps were very retro. Loads of clowns (and trailer trash?) <b>Historia:</b> Due to nuclear testing in the American west prior to the Cold War, an entire mining community has been mutated into horrific cannibals. Sick, Sadistic and Twisted, Enjoy the ride ghouls and boils! HaHAhahAHhaAHAaa!! <b>Best suited for Mature Audiences only.</b><br><br><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/11/29/00/11290011_gal.jpg" width=35 vspace=2 hspace=2 align=left><b>Plus:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/House-1000-Corpses-Various-Artists/dp/B00008JL80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220368035&sr=1-1">&nbsp;<u>Checkout the awesome soundtrack!</u> YAAHHOO!!</a><br><br><font size=1>This film is Juggalo friendly!!</font>

• Brian D

  
  Rob zombie the king of horror.

• _kelly .

  
  a misunderstood and underrated movie

• Aaron N

  
  Captain Spaulding: Howdy Folks! You like blood? Violence? Freaks of nature? Well then, come on down to Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Mad-Men. See the Alligator Boy, ride my famous Murder Ride. Most of all, don't forget to take home some of my tasty fried… More
  Captain Spaulding: Howdy Folks! You like blood? Violence? Freaks of nature? Well then, come on down to Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Mad-Men. See the Alligator Boy, ride my famous Murder Ride. Most of all, don't forget to take home some of my tasty fried chicken! Ha ha! It just tastes so damn good! It's easy to see where Rob Zombie was coming from on this movie. He loves old grindhouse horror flicks, which this movie draws from, particularly The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This movie is all about how crazy, sick, absurd, and disgusting it can get. The whole thing really plays like a creepy amusement park ride. It is a whirlwind of colors, strange and random scenes, wacky characters, and off the wall set design. It follows some innocents heading into the back country for whatever reason, and they come into trouble in the form of one terribly fucked up family. While the sequel to this, The Devil's Rejects is done in a more gritty and realistic manner, this film is all about sticking to its crazy stylized look, and while 'Rejects' is a much better film, this is still a sick but entertaining horror house movie. Mary screams] Otis: Shut your mouth! [more screams] Otis: I said, shut your fucking mouth! [screams] Otis: Listen, you Malibu middle class Barbie piece of shit, I'm tryin' to work here. Work? You ever work? Yeah, I'll bet you have. Scoopin' ice cream to your shit-heel friends on summer break. Well I ain't talkin' about no goddamn white socks with Mickey Mouse on one side and Donald Duck on the other. I ain't readin' no funny books, mama. Our bodies come and go but this blood... is forever.

• Emily A

  
  I was only half watching this, but I remember really liking it. It's always nice to see a reverant homage movie made by someone who is very obviously a fan of the genre. I like the way he nailed both the brutality and quirkiness of the characters, and made the victims'… More
  I was only half watching this, but I remember really liking it. It's always nice to see a reverant homage movie made by someone who is very obviously a fan of the genre. I like the way he nailed both the brutality and quirkiness of the characters, and made the victims' breaches of etiquette spell thier doom. They have a code of honour that is reminiscent of that of the good Dr. Lecter, in a more crude form. This movie is not long on story, but is such a fun grindhouse experience, that fact is easy to forget.

• Nani V

  
  Crazy movie!

• Chris W

  
  A trippy and surreal homage to 70's exploitation and horror films that deserves to be watched at least once.

• Lafe F

  
  Rob Zombie's masterpiece in filmmaking. I'm with the half of the horror fans who loved this movie! It's so wild and wacky. The characters are all great fun with great costumes and dialogue. Those who say it's a ripoff of Texas Chainsaw Massacre probably… More
  Rob Zombie's masterpiece in filmmaking. I'm with the half of the horror fans who loved this movie! It's so wild and wacky. The characters are all great fun with great costumes and dialogue. Those who say it's a ripoff of Texas Chainsaw Massacre probably weren't paying close enough attention to the variety of silly things going on, and the whole attitude of the characters. It's like a big live-action horror cartoon. The house and caverns have many tricks and monsters in every room. They included so many types of freaks, it manages to be a huge horror variety show. The actors did wonderful over-the-top jobs without winking at the camera and spoiling their personas. The Alice-in-Wonderland inspired climax was wonderful fun. There are classic scenes and dialogue. I was howling with laughter and delight through most of it. Rob Zombie's techniques were a bit inconsistent, like a new kid playing with all the editing tools available. He should perhaps re-cut the movie without the special filters in place. I didn't like the sequel "Devil's Advocates" much, because it was a total departure to the brutal and less fun wild highway trip.

• James A

  
  What horror movies today should strive to be.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings