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"HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES"
(2003) (Sid Haig, Billy Moseley) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Mild Extreme Extreme *Extreme Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate Moderate Extreme Moderate Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Extreme Minor Mild Moderate Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Horror: Two couples encounter more than they bargained for when they go searching for a macabre landmark and end up terrorized by a houseful of sadistic killers.
PLOT:
It's October 30, 1977 and Jerry Goldsmith (CHRIS HARDWICK) and Bill Hudley (RAINN WILSON) are two young men traveling across the state with their girlfriends, Denise Willis (ERIN DANIELS) and Mary Knowles (JENNIFER JOSTYN). About ready to run out of gas, they pull off on an exit that leads them to Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Madmen. Bill is fascinated by the place and asks many questions of Spaulding (SID HAIG), a bizarre fellow who convinces the four to take his tour.

During that, they learn about a local legend, Dr. Satan, who performed primitive surgery on mentally handicapped patients in hopes of creating a super race of humans. He was caught and hung, but his body mysteriously disappeared. After Spaulding informs them that the spot of the hanging is nearby, Bill convinces the others they must see it.

Along the way, they pick up hitchhiker Baby (SHERI MOON) who claims she lives nearby and knows of that macabre spot for which they're searching. When a local man, Rufus (ROBERT MUKES), shoots out their tire, however, they end up heading back to Baby's place where they await for their car to be repaired.

There, they meet Baby's bizarre "family," including Mother Firefly (KAREN BLACK) and Grampa Hugo (DENNIS FIMPLE), the disfigured and thus masked Tiny (MATTHEW MCGRORY), as well as the aggressive and long-haired Otis (BILL MOSELEY). Little does the foursome realize that these people have recently kidnapped five high school cheerleaders and are currently torturing them in sadistic ways.

When Denise's father, Don Willis (HARRISON YOUNG), informs the local police that she and her friends never arrived, he joins officers George Wydell (TOM TOWLES) and Steve Naish (WALTON GOGGINS) in a search for them. As they do so, the foursome quickly realize they're in deep trouble as the family sets its sights on them. From that point on, they try to do whatever they can to survive the gruesome and sadistic behavior that awaits them.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're into horror films or are fans of musician turned writer/director Rob Zombie or anyone in the cast, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong sadistic violence/gore, sexuality and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • SID HAIG plays the bizarre and profane owner of a macabre museum. He uses strong profanity, kills an intruder and may be involved with the Firefly family.
  • BILL MOSELEY plays the most aggressive and sadistic of the family members. He uses strong profanity, tortures, mutilates and kills various people.
  • SHERI MOON plays a beguiling young woman whose attractiveness belies her murderous tendencies. She also uses strong profanity.
  • KAREN BLACK plays her mother who's also involved in and/or accepting of the murders and torture.
  • CHRIS HARDWICK plays a young man whose interest in the macabre results in his and his friends' downfall. He uses strong profanity.
  • RAINN WILSON plays his friend who finds himself in the same situation and similarly uses strong profanity.
  • ERIN DANIELS and JENNIFER JOSTYN play their girlfriends who try to survive the sadistic behavior. They also use strong profanity.
  • WALTON GOGGINS and TOM TOWLES play two local law officers who investigate the disappearance of Denise and her friends.
  • MATTHEW MCGRORY plays the hulking, disfigured and masked member of the family.
  • ROBERT MUKES plays another family member involved in the murderous and sadistic behavior.
  • DENNIS FIMPLE plays the family's profane and belligerent grandfather.
  • HARRISON YOUNG plays Denise's father who goes looking for his daughter.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated horror film. Profanity consists of 51 "f" words, while other expletives and many instances of colorful language are also used. Some sexually explicit dialogue is present, a song has some sexual lyrics and many bare-breasted women (in old, archival type footage as well as on dead bodies, etc.) are seen (along with some brief shots of bare buttocks). Some sexual activity (some of it perverse) is also present.

    Violence consists of various instances of sadistic behavior where people are tortured, mutilated and/or murdered by various means. A great deal of related and resultant bloodletting and gruesome gore is present, much of which might be disturbing to some viewers. Those scenes and others (including various jump scenes) may also be tense, suspenseful or scary to viewers, although that really applies more to young and/or sensitive viewers rather than hardened horror fans.

    Those responsible for such mayhem obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes, while some drinking, smoking and imitative behavior is also present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Baby and a guy buy a great deal of liquor in a liquor store and later appear to drink some of it.
  • Rufus drinks while driving.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Two men who are killed are bloody, with blood coming from one's mouth.
  • During the opening credits, we see various brief images of dead bodies, but it's often hard to tell what we're seeing. The same holds true for various flash images that are interspersed throughout the film.
  • We see bloody water in a mop bucket.
  • We see fake blood on various items and figures in a tour of the museum.
  • We see some bound and gagged cheerleaders who have blood on their faces.
  • We see brief images of bloody bodies.
  • We see a brief and fragmented flashback of a man pouring gasoline or something similar throughout the house and onto his son and then setting him on fire (with some brief, gory results).
  • We briefly see some bloody cuts and other such marks on a girl's leg, while another girl appears to be dead (with blood on her head).
  • We see blood from one girl's nose and down the side of her head, while Otis has blood all over his hands and arms.
  • We see a dead guy from the torso up as he's been killed, mutilated and shaped into some sort of "piece of art" where the lower half of him is missing and his body has cuts and torn up skin, etc. and there's blood everywhere.
  • A guy is strung up and has blood all over his face. We then see Otis cut him with a straight razor with resultant blood flow. He then takes a hatchet and cuts off the guy's arm (we see the arm, but no related blood).
  • Some cops find a nude body in a trunk (due to the positioning, there's no explicit nudity), but we do see some bloody words that have been carved into the body.
  • We see various young women who are tied up, bloody and/or dead (one has an obvious slit throat).
  • Mother Firefly shoots a man in the head at point blank range (with bloody results).
  • Blood squirts out from the front and back of a man as he's shot and killed.
  • We see blood on the floor and other places, while Otis holds human skin over his face. We then see an extreme amount of blood on corpses that have been skinned as well as Otis wearing the skinned face and torso skin of a dead man.
  • Baby tackles, struggles with and then repeatedly stabs another woman with extremely bloody results (on Baby and the victim). Baby then licks blood from the knife.
  • We see blood dripping from a cross in the ground.
  • A woman runs through a tunnel where many decomposed or skeletal remains are hanging upright.
  • A man is very bloody.
  • A woman is bloody.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Spaulding refers to an unseen person as a "retard" and says that all such people want to do is "eat and f*ck."
  • All of those involved in kidnapping, torturing, mutilating and killing others obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes.
  • Some guys try to rob Spaulding's place at gunpoint.
  • We see a brief and fragmented flashback of a man pouring gasoline or something similar throughout the house and onto his son and then setting him on fire (with some brief, gory results).
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" might also be disturbing, suspenseful or frightening to viewers, but that will probably only be the case with very young viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for cheesy horror films featuring torture as well as characters, houses and other settings that are supposed to be creepy or scary. If that's the case, they'll likely find most of the entire movie that way.
  • Some guys try to rob Spaulding's place at gunpoint, with one holding his gun directly at Spaulding's head (who doesn't back down from this threat).
  • Spaulding acts upset and menacingly toward Jerry and Bill, but then proves to be just messing with them.
  • The two couples go through a sideshow/horror house type "ride" in Spaulding's museum of murder and madmen. Various recreations of violence and macabre material are present that might be unnerving to younger or sensitive viewers.
  • After the two couples arrive at Baby's house, for the rest of the film they encounter all sorts of weird and bizarre characters and occurrences, and things then turn deadly with murder, mutilation and torture taking place.
  • We see Otis apparently torturing some woman who's screaming in horror and/or pain.
  • We see a brief and fragmented flashback of a man pouring gasoline or something similar throughout the house and onto his son and then setting him on fire (with some brief, gory results).
  • The family brings in what looks like a near fully developed or perhaps even once delivered fetus/baby in a large specimen jar.
  • A masked figure drops to the ground and then attacks one of the guys, repeatedly hitting him with a large piece of wood (in a brutal fashion). The other guy tries to come to the first's rescue, but the attacker hits him with the wood and knocks him to the ground. Another figure drops to the ground, picks up the second guy and throws him onto a car hood. More hitting follows, with the women trying to close the car doors before the second figure gets to them. That figure then bashes the back window and drags out one of the girls, while the other bashes the windshield.
  • Otis shoots and kills a man by shooting him in the head from point blank range (after a very long pause where the camera slowly zooms out).
  • Baby tackles, struggles with and then repeatedly stabs another woman with extremely bloody results (on Baby and the victim).
  • Otis and others put a man and woman in a coffin and then lower them down into some sort of well-like structure where they leave them dangling just above the water while closing the entrance up top (essentially burying them alive). They then lower a lantern and tape recorder that's playing some sort of demonic sounding recording. Various blackened figures then suddenly emerge from the water, rip apart the coffin and drag the man away, much to the fright of the woman.
  • That woman then finds herself alone, crawls out of the well and ends up in a darkened tunnel. A figure approaches her, as does another and those two rip the bunny suit from her body. She then heads through a labyrinth of tunnels, including one where many decomposed or skeletal remains are hanging upright (with some falling on her).
  • She then ends up in a room where a demented doctor is performing some sort of surgery on a man who's still alive. A large, muscular man then slowly comes after the woman and swings an ax at her, missing her but tearing a locked door open. She flees and goes back through the tunnels and this man then again approaches her. He swings the ax again, but hits part of the tunnel and it then collapses onto him.
  • We see brief shots of a demented doctor apparently working on a woman who's screaming.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Shotguns/Knives/Axes: Used to threaten, wound or kill people. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Get the f*ck out of here," "F*ck you," "F*ck it," "Get the f*ck off him," "You stupid f*cking whore," "F*cking slut," "F*cking nut," "You f*cking freak," "You are f*cked," "You useless f*ck," "F*cked up," "What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?" "Sh*tter," "Crazy sh*t," "Horsesh*t," "I live for this sh*t," "You scared the sh*t out of me," "Don't know sh*t," "Piece of sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Sh*t-can," "Eat sh*t and die," "(Horny) retard," "Worse than a rabid-ass baboon," "Crapper" (toilet), "Ugly ass," "Balls" and "Nuts" (testicles), "Shut your trap," "Shut up," "Chicks" (women), "Freak out," "Holy crap," "Hell yeah," "Kick ass," "Jack-assy," "Bad ass," "You're damn right," "Bitch" (for men and women), "How the hell are you?" "Cut the crap," "What the hell /happened to you?" "Stupid ass," "Ass backwards," "Big ass," "Pigs" (for cops) and "Old bastard."
  • Spaulding gives some men "the finger."
  • Spaulding wears a T-shirt that reads, "If I wanted to listen to an asshole, I'd fart."
  • One of the girls mouths "F*ck you" while one of the guys mouths "Holy sh*t."
  • A man makes the tongue and spread fingers gesture for female oral sex.
  • Grandpa gives Otis "the finger."
  • Rufus drinks while driving.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Baby suddenly surprises Bill.
  • A person suddenly appears in front of a car.
  • Baby is suddenly next to a window.
  • A dog suddenly lunges out at a cop.
  • Part of a decomposed body falls onto a woman in a tunnel.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays throughout the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • Some songs had lyrics that couldn't be understood (thus offering the possibility of additional, potentially objectionable lyrics), but one had something about cutting you and watching you bleed. Another song, "Brick House," has the lyrics "She's a brick house. She's mighty mighty, just letting it all hang out." Later, that song is heard again, but this time has sounds of a woman moaning and repeating, "Oh yeah, give it to me."
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 51 "f" words (3 used with "mother," 1 used sexually), 24 "s" words, 6 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "p*cker" and "weasel"), 4 for female genitals ("p*ssy," 1 which is written), 1 for breasts ("t*ts"), 24 asses (9 used with "hole"), 8 hells, 7 damns, 4 craps, 2 S.O.B.s, 12 uses of "G-damn," 7 of "Oh my God," 4 each of "Jesus Christ" and "Swear to God," 3 of "Christ," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "Holy Christ," "Jesus" and "Oh Christ" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see a signed photo of a bare-breasted woman.
  • Spaulding and another man talk about a third man who they refer to as a "horny retard." Spaulding says that all such people want to do is "eat and f*ck." The other man then comments on that third man's next favorite thing next to "whacking his weasel."
  • During the opening credits, we see various old style film shots of bare-breasted women (as in real or faked archival footage).
  • Spaulding says that a former murderer liked to play with his victim's sexual organs.
  • We see part of Baby's butt crack as her low-rider pants hang low on her hips and she bends over. She then comes on to Bill while wearing a revealing top and states that the hot chocolate he's drinking isn't the only thing that's tasty in the house (possible sexual connotation).
  • We see flashes of some bare-breasted woman cavorting with a skeleton.
  • The grandfather does a sort of standup comedy act where he repeatedly talks about eating "p*ssy" and then makes the tongue and spread fingers gesture for female oral sex.
  • Spaulding says he likes his women a bit meatier than that of a girl in a picture. He then does some mock pelvic thrusting while saying, "The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushing."
  • Some man talks about a beast having impure relations with his wife.
  • Some cops find a nude body in a trunk (due to the positioning, there's no explicit nudity), but we do see some bloody words that have been carved into the body.
  • Mother Firefly shows cleavage.
  • We see various young women who are tied up, bloody and/or dead and we see some of their bare breasts in that state.
  • We see a sign for a store that reads "Red Hot P*ssy."
  • We see various old style images of nude women (including bare breasts and some woman straddling and gyrating on a guy's lap while some sexual sounds are heard) inter-cut with shots of Baby walking into a liquor store wearing seat-less pants that show her bare butt cheeks (seen several times).
  • SMOKING
  • Mother Firefly and Deputy Naish each smoke once, while a character is seen smoking or holding a pipe on TV.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • A father worries about his missing daughter and then finds her bloodied and strung up with other young women.
  • A daughter discovers that her father is dead.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Serial killers.
  • People who find some sort of enjoyment watching others suffer.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Some guys try to rob Spaulding's place at gunpoint, with one holding his gun directly at Spaulding's head (who doesn't back down from this threat). The gunman then fires a warning shot into the ceiling, but a masked figure then bursts in and attacks one man who shoots back at him. Spaulding shoots the other gunman, the figure steps down onto the wounded man, and Spaulding then shoots the wounded man dead.
  • One of the guys playfully kicks his friend on the butt.
  • A person shoots out a car tire with a shotgun.
  • We see Otis apparently torturing some woman who's screaming in horror and/or pain.
  • We see a brief and fragmented flashback of a man pouring gasoline or something similar throughout the house and onto his son and then setting him on fire (with some brief, gory results).
  • Throughout the film, we see the bloody and/or gory results of gruesome violence, but don't usually see the acts themselves.
  • One of the girls pushes Baby off her boyfriend (and to the floor) during a stage-like performance. Baby then pulls out a switchblade to use on her, but doesn't.
  • A masked figure drops to the ground and then attacks one of the guys, repeatedly hitting him with a large piece of wood (in a brutal fashion). The other guy tries to come to the first's rescue, but the attacker hits him with the wood and knocks him to the ground. Another figure drops to the ground, picks up the second guy and throws him onto a car hood. More hitting follows, with the women trying to close the car doors before the second figure gets to them. That figure then bashes the back window and drags out one of the girls, while the other bashes the windshield.
  • A guy is strung up and has blood all over his face. We then see Otis cut him with a straight razor with resultant blood flow. He then takes a hatchet and cuts off the guy's arm (we see the arm, but no related blood).
  • The sheriff grabs Spaulding by the shirt to get his attention.
  • Otis throws a girl into a cell where others suddenly jump on her.
  • Baby proceeds to scalp a person with a large straight razor (we hear him screaming).
  • Some cops find a nude body in a trunk (due to the positioning, there's no explicit nudity), but we do see some bloody words that have been carved into the body.
  • Otis playfully throws knives at a guy who's tied up to a wall.
  • Mother Firefly shoots a man in the head at point blank range (with bloody results).
  • Blood squirts out from the front and back of a man as he's shot and killed.
  • Otis shoots and kills a man by shooting him in the head from point blank range.
  • We see that a body has been skinned.
  • Otis holds a gun on a man and wants him to get into a coffin. Rufus then picks up that man and throws him into the coffin.
  • Baby tackles, struggles with and then repeatedly stabs another woman with extremely bloody results (on Baby and the victim).
  • Various blackened figures suddenly emerge from some underground water, rip apart a coffin and drag a man away, much to the fright of the woman with him.
  • Two figures rip a rabbit suit off a woman and then disappear.
  • A large, muscular man slowly comes after a woman and swings an ax at her, missing her but tearing a locked door open. She flees and goes back through some tunnels and this man then again approaches her. He swings the ax again, but hits part of the tunnel and it then collapses onto him.
  • We see brief shots of a demented doctor apparently working on a woman who's screaming.



  • Reviewed April 11, 2003 / Posted April 11, 2003

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