House of 1000 Corpses
Encyclopedia
House of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 exploitation
horror film
written and directed by Rob Zombie
; it is his directorial debut. It was released in the United States
on April 11, 2003 by Lions Gate Entertainment
.
), Bill Hudley (Rainn Wilson
), Mary Knowles (Jennifer Jostyn
), and Denise Willis (Erin Daniels
) are two couples out on the road in hopes of writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions. When the four meet Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig
), the vulgar but friendly owner of a gas station and "Museum of the Strange", they learn the local legend of Dr. Satan. As the four take off in search of finding the tree from which Dr. Satan was hanged, they pick up a young hitchhiker named Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), who claims to live only miles away. Shortly after, the vehicle's tires burst in what is later seen to be a trap and Baby walks to her family's house along with Bill. Only moments later, Baby's half-brother, Rufus (Robert Allen Mukes
), picks up the stranded passengers and takes them to the family home.
Soon following, the four friends meet Mother Firefly (Karen Black
), Baby's mother; Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley
), Baby's adopted brother; Hugo (Dennis Fimple
), Baby's grandfather; and Baby's deformed giant half-brother, Tiny (Matthew McGrory
). While being treated to dinner, they discover that the family lives on weird Halloween traditions. Mother Firefly then explains that her ex-husband, Earl (Jake McKinnon
), had previously tried to burn Tiny alive along with the Firefly house. After the dinner is over, the family puts on a Halloween show for their guests, where Baby offends the four friends by acting flirtatiously. After Baby is threatened, Mother Firefly tells the friends to leave and that their car is repaired. As they try to leave, though, they are attacked by the other members of the Firefly family, knocked unconscious and captured. Not long after, Otis creates a work of art out of Bill's body, Mary is tied up and abused, Denise is bedbound while dressed as a doll for halloween, and Jerry is scalped
because he cannot guess who baby's favourite movie star (Bette Davis
).
After Denise does not return home, her father, Don (Harrison Young
), calls the Police to search for her. Two cops (Walton Goggins
and Tom Towles
) find the friends' abandoned car in a field with a tortured victim in the trunk. Don is called and arrives at the scene to go with the two cops to search for information. They arrive at the Firefly house and upon finding bodies, the three are quickly killed. Later that night, the three friends are taken to an underground well (they are dressed as rabbits, a reference to something Otis had said earlier in the film about how "scared kids run like rabbits, run little rabbit, run!") and Mary manages to escape, only to be killed by Baby moments later. Meanwhile, Jerry and Denise are lowered into the underground chamber, where a number of undead
figures pull Jerry away and leave Denise to find her way through the underground lair. As she journeys through the mysterious chambers, she encounters Dr. Satan (Walter Phelan) and a multitude of mentally handicapped patients. Dr. Satan has Jerry on his operating table, horribly torturing and skinning him alive. As Dr. Satan yells for his mutated
assistant, revealed to be Earl, Mother Firefly's ex-husband, to capture Denise, she outwits the monstrous figure and escapes the underground chambers. Moments later, she is picked up by Captain Spaulding and passes out from exhaustion in the front seat, only for Otis to appear in the backseat with a knife. The duo take her back to Dr. Satan and she is last seen being torture
d by Dr. Satan.
The names of the villains were taken from the names of Groucho Marx
characters (Animal Crackers
"Captain Spaulding", A Night at the Opera
s "Otis B. Driftwood", Duck Soups "Rufus T. Firefly", and A Day at the Races
"Hugo Z. Hackenbush", among others). While this was left as a subtle allusion in the first movie, the sequel The Devil's Rejects
brought it out into the open, with the names becoming integral to the plot. Dr. Satan was inspired by a 1950s billboard-sized poster advertising a "live spook show starring a magician called Dr. Satan" that Zombie has in his house.
had a very small list of credits in film at that point. He had done animation for the 1996 film, Beavis and Butt-head Do America
, tried to write a script for The Crow: Salvation
, and directed some of his own music videos but little else. He had little directing experience but he wanted to get involved with film. Zombie designed a haunted maze attraction for Universal Studios
which lead to a friendship with them. Bill Moseley
presented Zombie an award for his design in 1999. Moseley would later star in Zombie's film. Back in the late 90's and in 2000, Rob Zombie was instrumental in reviving Universal Studios annual "Halloween Horror Night". The musician used his knack for the gruesome and macabre, to lure fans to the California, and Florida theme park venues, to witness and experience this man's vision of horror. Due the popularity this garnered Zombie, Universal was extremely interested to see what he could do with a camera, and was all too eager to greenlight his vision of terror.
disbanded and after his debut solo album. Zombie took his script for House of 1000 Corpses to Universal with his manager Andy Gould to pitch the project.
loved Zombie's script and greenlighted the project. Zombie would serve as writer and director. The film was shot on a 25 day shooting schedule in 2000. The starting budget was $3–4 million, but finished at $7 million.
.
and $2,522,026 on its official opening weekend. The film grossed $12,634,962 domestically and $4,194,583 in foreign totals. Altogether the film made a worldwide gross of $16,829,545; a success based on its $7 million budget.
wrote that the film "lives up to the spirit but not the quality of its inspirations" and is ultimately a "cheesy and ultragory exploitation horror flick" and "strangely devoid of thrills, shocks or horror."
Clint Morris of Film Threat
slammed the film as "an hour and a half of undecipherable plot" and found the film to be "sickening" overall. James Brundage of Filmcritic.com wrote that the film was simply "hick after hick, cheap scary image after cheap scary image, lots of southern accents and psychotic
murders," and was "too highbrow to be a good cheap horror movie, too lowbrow to be satire
, and too boring to bear the value of the ticket."
Though not popular by critics, the film has developed a rather large cult following. It was followed by a sequel, The Devil's Rejects
.
in 2005, The Devil's Rejects. Many cast members returned from Corpses, except Karen Black
. When Black demanded a higher salary — which Zombie could not afford — to reprise her role in Corpses, Leslie Easterbrook
was approached and later cast as her replacement. The film received mixed reviews, but the critical reception was generally better than its predecessor.
The three Corpses leads (Sid Haig
, Bill Moseley
, and Sheri Moon Zombie) also appear as voices in Zombie's animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
. Haig and Moseley made cameo
s as their characters from both films, Captain Spaulding and Otis B. Driftwood, respectively, while Sheri voiced one of the lead characters, Suzie X.
with Scott Humphrey
. It is isolated on the DVD
as a separate audio track.
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
; it is his directorial debut. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 11, 2003 by Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
.
Plot
In 1977, Jerry Goldsmith (Chris HardwickChris Hardwick
Christopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist...
), Bill Hudley (Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
), Mary Knowles (Jennifer Jostyn
Jennifer Jostyn
Jennifer Jostyn is an American actress.Jostyn attended Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. She has appeared in many movies since the early 1990s, including House of 1000 Corpses, The Brothers McMullen, Milo, Omega Cop, Focus, Dr. Benny, A Perfect Little Man, Rancid and The Life Coach, a...
), and Denise Willis (Erin Daniels
Erin Daniels
Erin Daniels is an American actress. She is known for her role as Dana Fairbanks on The L Word .-Early life:...
) are two couples out on the road in hopes of writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions. When the four meet Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig
Sid Haig
Sid Haig is a American actor. His roles have included acting in Jack Hill's blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's horror films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects...
), the vulgar but friendly owner of a gas station and "Museum of the Strange", they learn the local legend of Dr. Satan. As the four take off in search of finding the tree from which Dr. Satan was hanged, they pick up a young hitchhiker named Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), who claims to live only miles away. Shortly after, the vehicle's tires burst in what is later seen to be a trap and Baby walks to her family's house along with Bill. Only moments later, Baby's half-brother, Rufus (Robert Allen Mukes
Robert Allen Mukes
Robert Allen Mukes is an American actor living in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Sometimes credited as Robert "Bonecrusher" Mukes, got his start later in life after a failed shot at pro-wrestling .The 6' 10" actor is best known for his role as Rufus "R.J." Firefly, Jr...
), picks up the stranded passengers and takes them to the family home.
Soon following, the four friends meet Mother Firefly (Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
), Baby's mother; Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
), Baby's adopted brother; Hugo (Dennis Fimple
Dennis Fimple
Dennis Clarke Fimple was an American character actor. Throughout his career, he made guest appearances in a variety of TV shows, including Here Come the Brides, Petticoat Junction, M*A*S*H, Simon & Simon, Sledge Hammer!, Knight Rider, Quantum Leap and ER...
), Baby's grandfather; and Baby's deformed giant half-brother, Tiny (Matthew McGrory
Matthew McGrory
Matthew McGrory was an American actor, known for his great height.-Early life:McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. McGrory studied pre-law at Widener University, where he resided in campus housing on the first floor of Howell Hall. Studied Criminal Justice at West Chester University....
). While being treated to dinner, they discover that the family lives on weird Halloween traditions. Mother Firefly then explains that her ex-husband, Earl (Jake McKinnon
Jake McKinnon
Jake Thomas McKinnon was a fictional character on NBC's now-cancelled daytime drama Another World, and on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns. He was portrayed by Tom Eplin.-Tom Eplin's History as Jake McKinnon:...
), had previously tried to burn Tiny alive along with the Firefly house. After the dinner is over, the family puts on a Halloween show for their guests, where Baby offends the four friends by acting flirtatiously. After Baby is threatened, Mother Firefly tells the friends to leave and that their car is repaired. As they try to leave, though, they are attacked by the other members of the Firefly family, knocked unconscious and captured. Not long after, Otis creates a work of art out of Bill's body, Mary is tied up and abused, Denise is bedbound while dressed as a doll for halloween, and Jerry is scalped
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
because he cannot guess who baby's favourite movie star (Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
).
After Denise does not return home, her father, Don (Harrison Young
Harrison Young
Harrison Richard Young was an American film and television actor. He is perhaps most recognized for his role as the elderly Private James Ryan in Steven Spielberg's 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan...
), calls the Police to search for her. Two cops (Walton Goggins
Walton Goggins
Walton Sanders Goggins, Jr. is an American actor best known for his roles on the FX Networks series The Shield and Justified, portraying Detective Shane Vendrell and Boyd Crowder, respectively. He is also known for his character roles in the films Miracle at St. Anna and Predators...
and Tom Towles
Tom Towles
Tom Towles is an American actor.Towles was born and raised in Chicago. He became an actor after a stint in the U.S. Marines, beginning with an uncredited performance in Dog Day Afternoon . He has appeared in film and television extensively since the 1980s...
) find the friends' abandoned car in a field with a tortured victim in the trunk. Don is called and arrives at the scene to go with the two cops to search for information. They arrive at the Firefly house and upon finding bodies, the three are quickly killed. Later that night, the three friends are taken to an underground well (they are dressed as rabbits, a reference to something Otis had said earlier in the film about how "scared kids run like rabbits, run little rabbit, run!") and Mary manages to escape, only to be killed by Baby moments later. Meanwhile, Jerry and Denise are lowered into the underground chamber, where a number of undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
figures pull Jerry away and leave Denise to find her way through the underground lair. As she journeys through the mysterious chambers, she encounters Dr. Satan (Walter Phelan) and a multitude of mentally handicapped patients. Dr. Satan has Jerry on his operating table, horribly torturing and skinning him alive. As Dr. Satan yells for his mutated
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
assistant, revealed to be Earl, Mother Firefly's ex-husband, to capture Denise, she outwits the monstrous figure and escapes the underground chambers. Moments later, she is picked up by Captain Spaulding and passes out from exhaustion in the front seat, only for Otis to appear in the backseat with a knife. The duo take her back to Dr. Satan and she is last seen being torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d by Dr. Satan.
Cast
- Sid HaigSid HaigSid Haig is a American actor. His roles have included acting in Jack Hill's blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's horror films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects...
as Captain Spaulding - Bill MoseleyBill MoseleyWilliam "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
as Otis B. Driftwood - Sheri Moon Zombie as Baby Firefly
- Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
as Mother Firefly - Chris HardwickChris HardwickChristopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist...
as Jerry Goldsmith - Erin DanielsErin DanielsErin Daniels is an American actress. She is known for her role as Dana Fairbanks on The L Word .-Early life:...
as Denise Willis - Jennifer JostynJennifer JostynJennifer Jostyn is an American actress.Jostyn attended Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. She has appeared in many movies since the early 1990s, including House of 1000 Corpses, The Brothers McMullen, Milo, Omega Cop, Focus, Dr. Benny, A Perfect Little Man, Rancid and The Life Coach, a...
as Mary Knowles - Rainn WilsonRainn WilsonRainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
as Bill Hudley - Walton GogginsWalton GogginsWalton Sanders Goggins, Jr. is an American actor best known for his roles on the FX Networks series The Shield and Justified, portraying Detective Shane Vendrell and Boyd Crowder, respectively. He is also known for his character roles in the films Miracle at St. Anna and Predators...
as Deputy Steve Naish - Tom TowlesTom TowlesTom Towles is an American actor.Towles was born and raised in Chicago. He became an actor after a stint in the U.S. Marines, beginning with an uncredited performance in Dog Day Afternoon . He has appeared in film and television extensively since the 1980s...
as Lieutenant George Wydell - Matthew McGroryMatthew McGroryMatthew McGrory was an American actor, known for his great height.-Early life:McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. McGrory studied pre-law at Widener University, where he resided in campus housing on the first floor of Howell Hall. Studied Criminal Justice at West Chester University....
as Tiny Firefly - Robert Allen MukesRobert Allen MukesRobert Allen Mukes is an American actor living in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Sometimes credited as Robert "Bonecrusher" Mukes, got his start later in life after a failed shot at pro-wrestling .The 6' 10" actor is best known for his role as Rufus "R.J." Firefly, Jr...
as Rufus "RJ" Firefly Jr. - Dennis FimpleDennis FimpleDennis Clarke Fimple was an American character actor. Throughout his career, he made guest appearances in a variety of TV shows, including Here Come the Brides, Petticoat Junction, M*A*S*H, Simon & Simon, Sledge Hammer!, Knight Rider, Quantum Leap and ER...
as Grandpa Hugo Firefly - Walter Phelan as S. Quentin Quale/Dr. Satan
- Jake McKinnonJake McKinnonJake Thomas McKinnon was a fictional character on NBC's now-cancelled daytime drama Another World, and on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns. He was portrayed by Tom Eplin.-Tom Eplin's History as Jake McKinnon:...
as Rufus "Earl" Firefly Sr. - Harrison YoungHarrison YoungHarrison Richard Young was an American film and television actor. He is perhaps most recognized for his role as the elderly Private James Ryan in Steven Spielberg's 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan...
as Don Willis - William H. Basset as Sheriff Frank Huston
- Irwin KeyesIrwin KeyesIrwin Keyes is an American actor who has appeared in over 50 films and television shows. Irwin was considered for the role of Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street.- Filmography:*Black Dynamite...
as Ravelli - Michael J. PollardMichael J. Pollard- Early life :Born Michael John Pollack, Jr. in Passaic, New Jersey, he is the son of Sonia and Michael John Pollack. He attended the Montclair Academy and the Actors Studio.- Career :...
as Stucky - Chad BannonChad BannonChad Bannon , also credited as Chad Ullery, is an American television and movie actor. He stands 6'4" and weighs 280 pounds. He is best known for his role as Killer Karl in House of 1000 Corpses and playing D.O.A...
as Killer Karl - David Reynolds as Richard "Little Dick" Wick
- Joe Dobbs III as Gerry "Goober" Ober
- Gregg Gibbs as Dr. Wolfenstein
The names of the villains were taken from the names of Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
characters (Animal Crackers
Animal Crackers (film)
Animal Crackers is a 1930 American comedy film, in which mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding. The film was both a critical and commercial success upon initial release, and remains one of the Marx...
"Captain Spaulding", A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (film)
A Night at the Opera is a 1935 American comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx, and featuring Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, Sig Ruman, and Walter Woolf King. It was the first film the Marx Brothers made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from...
s "Otis B. Driftwood", Duck Soups "Rufus T. Firefly", and A Day at the Races
A Day at the Races (film)
Further reading* Elisabeth Buxbaum: Veronika, der Lenz ist da. Walter Jurmann – Ein Musiker zwischen den Welten und Zeiten. Mit einem Werkverzeichnis von Alexander Sieghardt. Edition Steinbauer, Wien 2006, ISBN 3-902494-18-2-External links:*...
"Hugo Z. Hackenbush", among others). While this was left as a subtle allusion in the first movie, the sequel The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run...
brought it out into the open, with the names becoming integral to the plot. Dr. Satan was inspired by a 1950s billboard-sized poster advertising a "live spook show starring a magician called Dr. Satan" that Zombie has in his house.
Pre-production
Rob ZombieRob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
had a very small list of credits in film at that point. He had done animation for the 1996 film, Beavis and Butt-head Do America
Beavis and Butt-head Do America
Beavis and Butt-head Do America is a 1996 animated feature film, based on the TV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. It was produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Geffen Pictures and MTV Films, and co-written and directed by creator Mike Judge. The film grossed $20.11 million in its opening...
, tried to write a script for The Crow: Salvation
The Crow: Salvation
The Crow: Salvation is a 2000 film directed by Bharat Nalluri. The film is the third in a series based on The Crow comic book by James O'Barr...
, and directed some of his own music videos but little else. He had little directing experience but he wanted to get involved with film. Zombie designed a haunted maze attraction for Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
which lead to a friendship with them. Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
presented Zombie an award for his design in 1999. Moseley would later star in Zombie's film. Back in the late 90's and in 2000, Rob Zombie was instrumental in reviving Universal Studios annual "Halloween Horror Night". The musician used his knack for the gruesome and macabre, to lure fans to the California, and Florida theme park venues, to witness and experience this man's vision of horror. Due the popularity this garnered Zombie, Universal was extremely interested to see what he could do with a camera, and was all too eager to greenlight his vision of terror.
Writing
Zombie had discussed his idea for a film with his friends and they all seemed to like the idea. Zombie starting working on his idea after White ZombieWhite Zombie
White Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
disbanded and after his debut solo album. Zombie took his script for House of 1000 Corpses to Universal with his manager Andy Gould to pitch the project.
Production
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
loved Zombie's script and greenlighted the project. Zombie would serve as writer and director. The film was shot on a 25 day shooting schedule in 2000. The starting budget was $3–4 million, but finished at $7 million.
Release
The film was completed in 2000; Stacey Snider, who was head of Universal at the time called Zombie up for a meeting. Zombie feared Snider would give him money and say "go re-shoot everything". Snider feared the film would receive an NC-17 rating. Snider told Zombie that they were not releasing the film. In a way Zombie was relieved. He would rather have them dump the film than having him going back and re-shooting his vision. After several years in limbo, Zombie was able to purchase the film rights back from Universal, and sell them to Lions Gate EntertainmentLions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
.
Box office
The film pulled in $3,460,666 on its limited opening weekendLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
and $2,522,026 on its official opening weekend. The film grossed $12,634,962 domestically and $4,194,583 in foreign totals. Altogether the film made a worldwide gross of $16,829,545; a success based on its $7 million budget.
Critical reception
The film opened on April 11, 2003 without being pre-screened for critics. Those who viewed it gave it generally negative reviews. Frank Schrek of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
wrote that the film "lives up to the spirit but not the quality of its inspirations" and is ultimately a "cheesy and ultragory exploitation horror flick" and "strangely devoid of thrills, shocks or horror."
Clint Morris of Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
slammed the film as "an hour and a half of undecipherable plot" and found the film to be "sickening" overall. James Brundage of Filmcritic.com wrote that the film was simply "hick after hick, cheap scary image after cheap scary image, lots of southern accents and psychotic
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
murders," and was "too highbrow to be a good cheap horror movie, too lowbrow to be satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, and too boring to bear the value of the ticket."
Though not popular by critics, the film has developed a rather large cult following. It was followed by a sequel, The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run...
.
Sequel
Zombie produced a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
in 2005, The Devil's Rejects. Many cast members returned from Corpses, except Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
. When Black demanded a higher salary — which Zombie could not afford — to reprise her role in Corpses, Leslie Easterbrook
Leslie Easterbrook
-Early life:Easterbrook was born in Los Angeles and adopted by a family in rural Nebraska, where she was raised. Her father later earned a Ph.D and became a voice/trumpet professor at University of Nebraska at Kearney...
was approached and later cast as her replacement. The film received mixed reviews, but the critical reception was generally better than its predecessor.
The three Corpses leads (Sid Haig
Sid Haig
Sid Haig is a American actor. His roles have included acting in Jack Hill's blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's horror films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects...
, Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
, and Sheri Moon Zombie) also appear as voices in Zombie's animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is a 2009 animated comedy exploitation film that also combines elements of horror and thriller films. It is based upon the comic book series created by Rob Zombie that follows the character of El Superbeasto and his sidekick sister, Suzi-X, voiced by Sheri...
. Haig and Moseley made cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s as their characters from both films, Captain Spaulding and Otis B. Driftwood, respectively, while Sheri voiced one of the lead characters, Suzie X.
Soundtrack
Zombie composed the film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
with Scott Humphrey
Scott Humphrey
Scott Humphrey is a Canadian record producer and mix engineer. He began his music career as a keyboard player and programmer. He is best known for his work with multiplatinum recording artist Rob Zombie and has co-written, co-produced and mixed all of his records up until 2007's Zombie Live...
. It is isolated on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
as a separate audio track.