House of 1000 Corpses...opinions?

Hello ATS and welcome to Halloween Weekend!

I start all weekends on Thursdays and this being a rather significant weekend I thought I'd take in a bit of senseless violence and watch a few horror flicks to prep for the approaching high holiday of the macabre.

One movie that has always unnerved me is Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses". I used to see it on the shelf in Blockbuster (yeah a while ago) and eventually gave it a chance in spite of the title.

It proved, for me, to be one of the most disturbing cinema experiences so far. And Ive gone out of my way to seek out disturbing horror movies.

The film gets pitiful ratings on sites like RottenTomatoes and IMDB and so Im wondering if perhaps Im pretty much alone in my assessment of this movie. I acknowledge it makes little sense, but in its ability to evoke gutteral and instictual terror, it's in my top 5 for sure.

Not to mention you get Sid Haig, arguable a horror legend, Chris Hardwick who now hosts "Talking Dead" and Rainn Wilson of "The Office" fame and I just think it deserves more than these movie rating sites award.

Anybody seen it and have an opinion?

a reply to: Urantia1111

I'm a big fan of Rob Zombie, in music and in film. I've had the opportunity to meet him on one occasion as well.

The thing about House of 1000 corpses, is that it's not his full vision. A good portion of it was cut and from the plot holes, you can surely tell.

Initially filmed in 2000, House of 1000 Corpses was purchased by Universal Pictures, thus a large portion of it was filmed on the Universal Studios backlots. The film was made with a budget of $7 million. Zombie worked with Scott Humphrey on the score of the film. House of 1000 Corpses featured a graphic amount of blood and gore, and controversial scenes involving masturbation and necrophilia. The project was ultimately shelved by the company prior to its release due to fears of an NC-17 rating.[4] Zombie later managed to re-purchase the rights to the work, eventually selling it to Lions Gate Entertainment. The film received a theatrical release on April 11, 2003, nearly three years after filming had concluded.

en.wikipedia.org...

I watch it every year or so along with The Devils Rejects. Were going to watch his new one this weekend.

I agree, it doesn't get as much critic love as it should but it's worth watching!

a reply to: Urantia1111

I personally love that film, and most everything else directed by Mr Rob Zombie. He has a long experience in the shock rock genre of music, and his films reflect a deep love for the slasher genre of film, as well as an extensive understanding of the human psyche, in so far as every one of his films is capable of getting that reaction you speak of from the audience.

Some of his later work, like Lords of Salem, has an almost Kubrick like approach to horror as a concept, but House of 1000 corpses is just one hundred percent Zombie in terms of style. What I like about his films is that the line between protagonist and villain is not merely blurred, but literally places the villain at the dead centre of the story telling. It is clear from the outset of House of 1000 corpses, that the characters the director identifies with the most, are the villains. Unlike many mere slasher films, he makes a grand effort to allow his creations to breathe, to attain and clearly possess life, wit, humour, they are not merely masked freaks with a kill boner, although they are surely that as well as anything else they might be. Many people gave this, and other films by Mr Zombie, a bad rating because they were expecting to be certain from the get go, of who they were supposed to be rooting for, but his concentration on the villain, means you get insights into the minds of the villains of the piece, become interested in the interaction between these figures, rather than merely screaming for the victims to look behind them, or run away, or any of the usual reactions, because some deeply broken part of you will always want to know what happens next!

I remember watching House of 1000 corpses for the first time, and I did not want it to end. It made me laugh, it made me jump, it did everything I wanted it to do, and more. I highly recommend you check out Mr Zombies other films, like the Devils Rejects for example. Highly recommended!

a reply to: JinMI

His new one?

Are you talking about 31?

That's a fun film, let me tell you.

a reply to: Urantia1111

House of 1000 Corpses is one of my favourite movies, but I am a Rob Zombie fan so that possibly tints my bias an itty bit. Still, I found it an enjoyable movie, and I watch it at least once a year.

I don't tend to trust reviews or the critics. We all have different tastes and as such someone's garbage may be another's treasure. A lot of my favourite movies rate poorly on imdb and rotten tomatoes and the like, but, I enjoy them and that's all that matters to me!

a reply to: JinMI

It's definitely on the ragged edge of "acceptable" as legit entertainment. Interesting to find out there are parts edited out.

Some of the scenes of "Baby" (Sherry Moon Zombie) are absolutely suggestive of necrophilia and that remains solidly in the realm of taboo subjects for filmography here in the US.

Of course I had to see "Devil's Rejects" too, but found it overall less entertaining and felt like they simply expounded on the most effective elements of the original as many sequels do and less effective.

Thanks for the reply.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Yes, that's the one!

We're looking forward to it!

Great write up btw! Explained it better than I ever could.

a reply to: Urantia1111

Female necrophilia at that!

Taking TrueBrits explanation into the same lens for The Devils Rejects; you continue to follow the story from the "bad guys" eyes. It's not as engaging as H1000C granted, but it's still a good watch.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Flattered that youre responding here mate 👍

I agree that Zombie and whomever assisted him with this particular effort had some quality insight on the human condition and knew exactly how to push the buttons required to elicit a strong horror response, which many of us are genuinely looking for in films of this type, and which we see missed comically in spite of obvious efforts so often.

The cinematography, sound effect and soundtrack combine to reach deep into the primitive fear centers of the brain and skillfully pluck the strings of what scares us somehow.

Im thinking of doing a Captain Spaulding costume this year...

Girlfriend got me hooked on the Rob Zombie films. One day , you need to check out "31"

a reply to: Onesmartdog

I absolutely will!

The guy has skills. It's not easy nowadays to get a legitimate scare out of a "horror" movie. Or perhaps im becoming desensitized...

I remember reading about it for years in rock magezines as the movie too gory to show. Saw in theaters in 10th grade with my girlfriend at the time. Needless to say I wasn't allowed to see the end as she wanted to leave part way through. Haha and hey, 16 year who just started dating a girl so sure why not.

I liked it when I was younger but it's not really my cup of tea anymore. I'm not a big horror buff anyway but I find it just too disturbing nowadays. But I will gladly admit it was original and a wonderful film if you can stomach that stuff. If someone asked me for a movie recommendation or something that's sick and twisted that would probably be at the top of my list.

a reply to: rollinondubs

A right proper endorsement!

Forced to leave early and too shocking to re-watch?

Yes, that'll do. 😆

originally posted by: Urantia1111
a reply to: Onesmartdog

I absolutely will!

The guy has skills. It's not easy nowadays to get a legitimate scare out of a "horror" movie. Or perhaps im becoming desensitized...

I became desensitized after the original Night of the Living Day. It's only a movie and entertainment.

a reply to: Urantia1111

See I thought House of 1,000 Corpses was kinda meh. It had it's moments. Devil's Rejects on the other hand, I really liked.

a reply to: Urantia1111

Just a few small details I wasnt impressed by, but great movie overall. For instance I always thought they could come up with a better name than "Dr Satan" for Walter Phelan's character. Maybe my expectation of a serial murderers literacy is way too high though.

on a side note, semi-related , "Otis" and "13 Ghosts" are much more up my alley, so Im probably not the best critic of real gore films.

a reply to: drewlander

I agree it's not the most imaginative name for a villain, but I feel like it's almost a tribute to the 70s era horror genre when things were at best campy and contrived and classically terrifying anyway.

Plus Sig Haig's triple intro to Dr Satan in the "murder ride" scene is epic.

Excellent movie, the first and sequel. I've seen both Halloweens he did as well, and enjoyed them very much. To me, H1000C was a true epic horror film. I've been watching horror, which I am a big huge fan of, since like 3rd grade. My older brother used to let me watch horror movies with him, when he would have to watch me while the folks worked. I grew up on all the good ol' gore, and splat movies, and somewhere in there before puberty I think I became desensitized to horror in general. That is until I saw H1000C. Something that after 30 years of watching all types of horror, this made me jump out of my skin a couple good ones, which surprised myself. You really have to hand it R.Z., the man can do horror like no other. To me, it's like a reverse noir film. The good guy characters never change, and things get worse, and worse for them until they die in the end, but what makes this reverse noir for me is that the bad guy characters change so much throughout the film you never know what to expect next. two thumbs up, and F*** rotten tomatoes.

a reply to: Onesmartdog

Couple weeks ago I attended a "Living Dead Weekend" in western Pennsylvania where a lot of those Romero films were done and got to meet the guy who played "helicopter zombie" (top of skull chopped of by rotor blades) in 'Dawn of the Dead' 😆

One of my favorite zombie kills of all time.

a reply to: Urantia1111


Ummm......