House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Director:

Rob Zombie

Writer (WGA):

Rob Zombie (written by)

Release Date:

11 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

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 | Corpse | Serial Killer | Murder | Roadside Attraction

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Chad Bannon	...	Killer Karl
William Bassett	...	Sheriff 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

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:

Dolby Digital | SDDS (uncredited) | DTS (uncredited)

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 (No. 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:

Several characters are named directly after characters in five Marx Brothers films: Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding from Animal Crackers (1930), Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff from Horse Feathers (1932), Rufus T. Firefly from Duck Soup (1933), Otis B. Driftwood from A Night at the Opera (1935), and Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush from A Day at the Races (1937) (all portrayed by Groucho Marx); and, Signor Emanuel Ravelli from Animal Crackers (1930) (portrayed by Chico Marx). Baby's real name, Vera-Ellen may also have a Marx Brothers connection, as actress Vera-Ellen portrayed character Maggie Phillips in their film _Love Happy (1949)_.

Goofs:

Continuity: The TV announcer pronounces Dr. Wolfenstein's name "Wolfen-STEEN". Dr. Wolfenstein pronounces it himself "Wolfen-STINE".

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:

Referenced in "The West Wing: Here Today (#7.5)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Everybody Scream!

Haven't I seen this before?

Unnecessary rehash of mid to late 70's horror films with a dash of MTV flashy 'cutting edge' (sarcasm) cinematography. Tired premise that was baked, done, eaten, with the leftovers dried out as jerky. This film was supposedly held up due to excessive violence, grue, etc. I came away with the realization that the movie was just an overamped remake of every family slasher movie that had already come down the pike. General mismanagement of 'shock scenes' left me yawning. Perhaps I've seen too much of genre that this 'breath of fresh air to the horror film' just fell flat on its face.

I'd sooner watch the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Mother's Day, or The Hills Have Eyes.