House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Rob Zombie

Writer (WGA):

Rob Zombie (written by)

Release Date:

11 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The most shocking tale of carnage ever seen.

Plot:

Two teenage couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of serial killers end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.

Plot Keywords:

House | Serial Killer | Corpse | Hitchhiker | Roadside Attraction

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sid Haig	...	Captain Spaulding
Bill Moseley	...	Otis Driftwood
Sheri Moon Zombie	...	Baby Firefly (as Sheri Moon)
Karen Black	...	Mother Firefly
Chris Hardwick	...	Jerry Goldsmith
Erin Daniels	...	Denise Willis
Jennifer Jostyn	...	Mary Knowles
Rainn Wilson	...	Bill Hudley
Walton Goggins	...	Deputy Steve Naish
Tom Towles	...	Lieutenant George Wydell
Matthew McGrory	...	Tiny Firefly
Robert Allen Mukes	...	Rufus 'R.J.' Firefly Jr. (as Robert Mukes)
Dennis Fimple	...	Grandpa Hugo Firefly
Harrison Young	...	Don Willis
William Bassett	...	Sheriff Drake Huston (as William H. Bassett)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sadistic violence/gore, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

89 min | Argentina:105 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:18 (cut) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (uncut) | Denmark:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #37744) | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18A (British Columbia)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Spectacle Entertainment Group

Trivia:

The film's script was constantly changing throughout filming, leading to an entirely different ending at one point. Originally Grandpa Hugo was going to be revealed as the mad doctor (who in the rough cut was not even called Dr. Satan).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mother Firefly pulls the pistol on Lt. Wydell the revolver seems very large, and the hammer has been cocked back. When she fires, the hammer is already down and does not drop. The gun also appears to be a different, smaller weapon when the scene cuts to Wydell being struck and killed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer: Attention boils and ghouls, it's time for Dr. Wolfenstein's Creature Feature Show.
Dr. Wolfenstein: Ah! The doctor is in! Don't scream, don't move. Stay tuned for channel 68's Halloween Eve movie marathon! I'm your host, your ghost ghost, with the most, Dr. Wolfenstein! I will be with you until the end!

Movie Connections:

References Army of Darkness (1992)

Soundtrack:

Little Piggy

A Rob Zombie film.

House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) marks the directorial debut of Trash/Industrial Artist Musician Rob Zombie. This film was sitting on the shelf for a couple of years before Lion's Gate released it theatrically. A homage of sorts to Zombie's favorite genre, southern fried horror. Throw in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, add a little Eaten Alive and a dash of FunHouse and you'll get the flavor of this film.

Four twenty somethings are riding along the back southern roads when they come across a roadside carnival run by an eccentric clown named Captain Spaulding. He gives them a personnel tour of his fun house of horrors and tells them the tale of a local ghoul named Doctor Satan. Inspired by phantasmagorical tale of the good doctor, they decide to search for his grave. Captain Spaulding draws them a map and gives them directions to an area where the Doctor allegedly died. On the road, they meet a pretty blond hitch-hiker who also knows about the legend of Doctor Satan...and a little more! What happens next? You'll have to visit House of 1,000 Corpses!

A great film that does what it sets out to do. I'm so glad to see old school grind house horror is back in the mainstream. A sequel is out and it's even better! I have to strongly recommend this movie. You won't regret it!