House of 1000 Corpses (USA/2002), directed by Rob Zombie
Review written by Gauntgirl, April 18, 2003.
After years of hype and controversy, any film would be hard pressed to live up to the expectations of anticipative horror fans – particularly if such film tries to market itself as "The most shocking tale of carnage ever seen." Granted, such claims may fill a theatre full of 13 year old boys, but for a hardened horror fan it only serves as an impossible challenge. I wonder who came up with this disappointing tag line anyway. After all, it’s the kind of thing that one would expect from a studio exec who’s idea of a good, ‘scary movie’ is one that stars a former Party of Five cast member. I would expect, however, that Rob Zombie must know better since House of a 1000 Corpses appears to be an homage to the golden era of the American horror film – blatantly borrowing elements from the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead, or Halloween. Yet he fails to capture the essence, the mood, or the innovation of these predecessors. Why then should anyone care to see a movie that is merely a half-assed attempt at rehashing an antiquated horror aesthetic? Well maybe it’s not all that bad. Zombie does seem to be appropriating a few contemporary indy horror techniques – intercutting the narrative with what appears to be grainy documentary footage and shaky Blairwitchesque video for instance.
In other words, Corpses is merely a hodgepodge of the elements that make other horror films brilliant. But proving that he can copy the innovative techniques of the horror masters does not make Zombie himself an innovative filmmaker. It has been suggested to me that perhaps Zombie’s downfall is in trying to work with an already established Hollywood model. In fact, I would argue that a lower budget and complete studio independence would have forced Zombie to make a more interesting, challenging film. But it seems that Universal, despite refusing to distribute the film, has managed to taint Corpses with the pathetic, redundant stench of Hollywood. The bottom line is this, House of a 1000 Corpses is a mildly amusing way to spend 80 minutes, but if you are looking for "the most shocking tale of carnage ever seen" (or a plot for that matter) then you are barking up the wrong severed limb. There are numerous horror films from all over the world that put this film to shame in terms of gore, scares, and shock factor. None the less, I have no doubt that Corpses will be the stuff of 13 year old wet-dreams for years to come.
Final Word – Chick Appeal
I have strived at length to write about horror films in a manner that challenges the misconception that all horror is misogynistic. But even I am having a difficult time justifying the portrayal of women in House of a 1000 Corpses. One could determine from watching Corpses that Rob Zombie sees women as mindless sex objects or as cold, whiny, pretentious, and deserving of punishment (granted, one could also come to a similar conclusion from Zombie’s stage shows). Furthermore, Zombie casts his own girlfriend in one of the leading female roles as the brainless sexpot aptly named Baby. I wanted nothing more than to see Baby choke on her own peroxide hair, but alas Zombie’s female doppelganger survives the… um… “carnage”. In fact, I couldn’t care less about any of the film’s female characters – they are nothing more than lambs to be fucked and slaughtered by American rednecks. So, as far as female viewers are concerned, I only imagine that those who take pride in being empty headed Barbies will find any specific appeal here. And for the rest of us, there is solace in knowing that… ah shit! Just go rent Ginger Snaps!
