House Of 1000 Corpses

Released: March 11 2004
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick, Jennifer Jostyn, Erin Daniels, Billy Moseley, Karen Black, Sid Haig, Sheri Moon
Director & Writer: Rob Zombie
Genre: Horror
Rated: R 18+
Running Time: 89 Minutes


The Most Shocking Tale Of Carnage Ever Seen.

Synopsis:
In "House of 1000 Corpses", two young couples take a misguided tour onto the back roads of America in search of a local legend known as Dr. Satan. Lost and stranded, they are set upon by a bizarre family of psychotics. Murder, cannibalism and satanic rituals are just a few of the 1000+ horrors that await.


My Verdict:
It has been a long time since a movie as gross and vulgar as "House Of 1000 Corpses" has been released. Given that it takes much of its story from previous horror flicks, it is still a unique piece in that it combines a multitude of effects, both visual and the suggested unseen.

Four American teenagers (who else?) are driving home on October 30, 1977 - All Hallows Eve - the night before Halloween. They run out of petrol and take a detour to a rather bizarre gas station that houses a museum of monsters and madmen. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig, and also one of many characters who takes the name from a Marx Bros. character) runs the gas station and is tour guide, always being dressed for the part and with clown makeup. Curiosity gets the better of the teenagers during the tour and they ask for directions to the nearby infamous Dr. Satan's house, a detour from which none of them will return.

Along the way they pick up an outrageous blonde hitchhiker, Baby (Sheri Moon), who befriends them instantly, taking them back to her house of horrors. The house is when the real fun begins and it is nice to see Karen Black answer the door as the spookily seductive Mother Firefly. One of the girls has phoned her father in advance to say they will be home soon, and when they don't appear, he phones the local sheriff and they set off to find the foursome. This leads to one of the most horrific, shocking scenes in the movie, when the sheriff's deputy is shot dead by the mad Otis (Billy Moseley). The memory of this scene will surely linger for a long time.

Be warned about this movie, as it is a feast of gore, blood, torture, naked flesh and killing in the extreme. The film is interspersed with nostalgic horror movie footage and uses a heavy metal soundtrack to pound home the terror. This is no picnic. See it if you dare.

Rating : B


- Christina Bruce