House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

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

Director:

Rob Zombie

Writer:

Rob Zombie

Stars:

Karen Black, Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie

6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chad Bannon	...	Killer Karl
William Bassett	...	Sheriff Frank Huston (as William H. Bassett)
Karen Black	...	Mother Firefly
Erin Daniels	...	Denise Willis
Joe Dobbs III	...	Gerry Ober
Judith Drake	...	Skunk Ape Wife
Dennis Fimple	...	Grampa Hugo
Gregg Gibbs	...	Dr. Wolfenstein
Walton Goggins	...	Steve Naish
Sid Haig	...	Captain Spaulding
Chris Hardwick	...	Jerry Goldsmith
Ken Johnson	...	Skunk Ape Husband
Jennifer Jostyn	...	Mary Knowles
Irwin Keyes	...	Ravelli
Matthew McGrory	...	Tiny

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

house | corpse | murder | psychotic | hitchhiker | 

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Taglines:

You'll never get out alive.

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

1000 cuerpos

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$196,725 (Australia) (12 March 2004)

Gross:

$268,127 (Australia) (12 March 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spectacle Entertainment Group, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (uncredited) DTS (uncredited)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sid Haig beat out Jon Polito and Red West for the role of Captain Spaudling.

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Goofs

During Bill's torture his sweater vest has a different pattern.

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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!

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Crazy Credits

The end credits show a dedication to Dennis Fimple (Grampa Hugo) who passed away in 2002, the year before the movie was finally released.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Devil's Rejects (2009)

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Soundtracks

"I Remember You"
Written by Johnny Mercer (as John Mercer) and Victor Schertzinger
Performed by Slim Whitman
Courtesy of Capitol Nashville under license from EMI Film & TV Music
Use by permission of Paramount Pictures Corporation
All rights reserved

User Reviews

"It's true....the boogeyman is real, and you've found him.

I love that line! I remember hearing that line in a cool trailer I saw while watching "Urban Legend 2". Obviously, this was a way better movie!!! Besides "Scream," and "Funny Games," this is the best horror film in the past 15 years!!! We wanted blood, and we got it!!! Whoa, that would have been another great line in this "uber celebration of depravity" as those lame Universal execs so succinctly called it. This flick was definitely worth the wait!!!

First off, the directing: Rob Zombie gave this film a unique visual style I had never seen in a film before. It was well made and very well edited. I loved the split-screens, filters, stock footage, use of color, and that infamous slow motion shot (I loved that scene!). Although he borrowed a little from "Natural Born Killers," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Last House on the Left," what great horror film doesn't nowadays? Seriously!! So Mr. Zombie brought something new to the table, and will hopefully make a great contribution to horror (he has already in my opinion).

Secondly, the acting: Sid Haig and Bill Moseley totally stole the show!! They made horrifying, creepy, and relentless screen sickos, and gave me hope for the screen villain again (as opposed to lame efforts by thugs in cheap masks). Mrs. Zombie, or Sheri Moon, was totally insane as well as hot! Also, genre veterans Karen Black, Micheal J. Pollard, and Irwin Keyes brought creepiness to their insane roles! Tom Towles was also good in a good guy role! The late Dennis Fimple was hilarious as Grandpa Hugo! Newcomers Matthew McGrory and Robert Mukes were disturbing in their roles as Tiny and Rufus. As for the "victims," Chris Hardwick's Jerry was the only one I reasonably liked. The other three made lame efforts at acting, and need lessons from Marilyn Burns, and the cast of "The Hills Have Eyes"!! So it was hard to root for them, which was another twisted feat that Zombie accomplished. I actually rooted for the villains!!!!

Thirdly, the music: I loved the music!! It fit well with the atmosphere of the film! I own the soundtrack, and I loved it! My favorite song was the title theme, of course! I was expecting songs from Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Sex Pistols, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Blue Oyster Cult, and other "creepy" bands, but oh well. I was satisfied. I also loved the film's score.

Lastly, the atmosphere at the theater I was at: It was totally insane!!! People were screaming, jumping, laughing, walking out, and commenting loudly on how awesome it was!!! I was surprised there was such a packed audience, and it was barnone the best theater-going experience I had ever had!!!

Overall, this film is a creepy, intense, amazing, disturbing, and darkly funny attack on the senses!!! I definitely can't wait to see it again in the theater and to buy the DVD! Finally, a real horror movie with balls the size of Canada has hit the masses!!! This gives me great hope for the new wave of horror: the 70's throwback horror film!! There's plenty this year with "Irreversible," "Cabin Fever," "Wrong Turn," "Jeepers Creepers 2," "Highwayman," and the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake!!! Out of Five Stars: FIVE STARS!!!!! See this movie!! All Rob Zombie fans, metal music fans, horror fans, or people who want to see a hardcore horror film should go out and see this movie!! If you like it, you're awesome!! If you don't, I guess you're not ready for hardcore horror.