Released just over twenty years ago, in 2003, House of 1000 Corpses was Rob Zombie’s first writing and directing credit. The film follows a group of young adults who find themselves stuck in a strange town trying to find a phone. The group ends up at a deranged family’s house, amidst a Halloween Eve celebration.
Time- 5
I think for those that enjoy Rob Zombie movies, House of 1000 Corpses is regarded as one of his best. It fits into a very specific niche of horror that some love and some hate. But at just an hour and a half, it could be significantly more painful to sit through.
Rewatchability- 1
This is probably where my opinions on this film will affect the score the most. I really can’t get behind Zombie’s directorial style. I do enjoy his ideas and the way he writes storylines, but the execution on most of his movies leaves me feeling a bit empty so I really don’t rewatch any of his films unless it’s for a very particular reason. I left a point however, for the die-hard fans that really enjoy this movie and the works of Rob Zombie.
Cinematography/Editing- 2
There are many scenes that are visually really interesting but leave you wanting more. I wish the gore scenes didn’t cut away the second they became gross. I also wish there were less random bursts of creativity like using negative coloring in spots where it just didn’t quite make sense.
Plot- 8
I really enjoy the general storyline of House of 1000 Corpses. There’s really nothing wrong with the idea of an unlucky group of people stumbling across the atrocities the world really has to offer. I like how each character in the family has their own type of crazy and makes disturbing decisions based on what each of them want. But because this storyline has been used over and over, I deducted a couple points.
Acting- 5
Most of the actors within this movie portray their roles really well. I have always loved how careless and wacky Captain Spaulding is, in addition to most of the insanity given by the family. My main, and most unfortunate issue, lies with Rob Zombie’s wife, Sheri Moon, who acts in all of his films. I just find her acting to often be unnecessarily over the top.
Costume Design/Special Effects- 8
I think this category is one of the strongest for this film. There were several instances of really astonishing effects that make this movie as interesting as it is. I’ve always loved Sid Haig’s iconic clown makeup for his role as Captain Spaulding. In addition to the entirety of the actual house of a thousand corpses, Rainn Wilson’s Fishboy has always stuck in my head.
Gruesome Factor- 7
There are many factors within House of 1000 Corpses that make the film pretty gruesome; mainly due to the several scenes of really nasty body mutilation. However, despite all the torture, I think the film could have shown much worse. I think there were some parts that stopped as soon as it got gross, where they could have taken it a step further and gotten much better, fully shown gore.
Shock Value- 9
I’d consider this film to be pretty shocking all throughout due to the gore and storyline. This film fits perfectly into the fear of stumbling across something really horrifying in real life, and it’s executed in a way that truly evokes that fear.
Believability- 4
The characters and storyline help with the idea of all this being actually possible, but the execution and a lot of the special effects transition the film to a really outlandish type of horror that leads you to understand it’s not exactly possible, just a scary situation to imagine being in.
Ending- 8
I really like the ending of this film because it feeds into the trope of not letting your guard down just because you think you’re safe. I also like the choice of ending with no survivors, meaning this type of situation will be repeated again, adding even more corpses to the house that I’m sure already had well over 1000 bodies.
Points Total: 57% out of 100%
I can’t say I’m really surprised with this score. In fact, I am surprised it’s not lower. I wanted to challenge myself to pick apart a horror movie I don’t particularly like, and I’m glad I did. I found some pieces of House of 1000 Corpses that I really do enjoy, as well as actual reasons I don’t care for it overall. Rob Zombie is definitely an interesting creator, whether it’s in movies or music. Some like his style more than others, but I’m glad I can now hold a conversation about his work, rather than just writing them off as not good.