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Steve-Calvert.co.uk
A Passion For Horror
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House of 1000 Corpses Movie Poster Print - Style A - 27" x 40" (approx.)
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House of 1000 Corpses (2003)Written and Directed by Rob Zombie
House of 1000 Corpses is a very bloody and extremelyy gory film. In the 1980's it would probably have been labelled as a video nasty. Some very nasty stuff happens in the film and so I suppose that hat would have fitted. It is a very disturbing film, yet it is, in places, rather funny as well, and it is always entertaining. It is also, in my opinion, a horror masterpiece and a work of genius on the part of its creator Rob Zombie. At the beginning of the film two young couples stop at an out of the way petrol station to fill up with fuel. Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Madness is attached to the station and the boys are eager to go inside and check it out. They are especially keen to go on the murder ride and so, whether they want to or not, the girls have to go to, and it is one strange and freaky ride. Mention is made of Dr Satan and the boys are very interested in hearing more about him and in visiting the place where he was hung for his crimes (his body was gone the next day and never turned up). The boys pick up a gorgeous young girl from the side of the road and their girlfriends are less than impressed. But that's okay the guys are impressed enough for all of them. They don't get far though, before a tire blows out. Probably because of the man that has just shot a bullet through it, but they don't know about him and so are more annoyed than afraid. Their passenger, however, knows exactly what has happened to the tire, but is keeping her pretty, little lips firmly closed. The gang end up going home with the girl whose name turns out to be Baby Firefly, and meeting her family who are nothing like the Brady Bunch, I can tell you. They are a bunch of psychopathic killers who are seriously off their trolleys and seriously loving every moment of it. From that point on the gang from the car are all well and truly screwed. They just don't know it, and by the time they do it is much too late and the house of horrors that they have entered makes Spaulding's Murder Ride seem like a ride in the park. Sheri Moon does a great job of appearing to be off her trolley as Baby Firefly and Karen Black, who plays Mother Firefly, manages to be both alluring and repulsive at the same time, which is no mean feat. Staying on the subject of feet, the head of the head cases, Rufus, is a guy who will walk his two, mean feet over anyone that gets in his way. He is also a talented sculptor, in his way. In his strange and sadistic and very sick way. The sculptures that Rufus creates are constructed from body parts! But that's all right, because Rufus never seems to have any shortage of material to work with and one gets to wondering how many of his creations might have found a home amongst Spaulding's exhibits. I will be honest here and say that I don't like excessively gory films. They are just not my thing. Usually. There is a lot more to House of 1000 Corpses, though than just gore. One scene in particular will always stick to my mind. The scene shows a policeman, on his knees and with a gun pointed at his head. The song I remember you plays in the background and the camera focuses first on the barrel of the gun and the madman who holds it (Rufus). The camera then rises slowly into the air for an aerial shot and the policeman seems to have to wait forever before he is put out of his misery. The viewer is kept waiting too... and waiting... and waiting and even the song sees its end before he goes out with a bang and topples over into the dust. It is an agony of anticipation. The use of coloured filters helps to give House of 1000 Corpses a manic and disjointed feel. As does humour and as a viewer you never know what will happen next. And it could be anything! Heads are scalped; faces are made into masks and then worn. Flesh and bone is mutilated, occult ceremonies take place and Baby Firefly even dons a tight shiny dress and mimes out an extremely visually stimulating rendition of I want to be loved by you. Grandpa Firefly tells a few jokes -- he is one strange old dude -- and Baby visits a Liquor store called The Red Hot Pussy Liquors, where they seem to have an interesting sideline to the business. House of 1000 Corpses is a great film but it isn't
a film to send the kiddies to bed on with their mug of cocoa. Even a lot
of adults might be shocked by some of its many scenes of gore. If you can
stomach the gore though and are not offended by the occasional sight of a
naked body-or body parts, you might like this film. It's a little
uncomfortable to watch at times, but you get that you just need to
know what will happen next. CAST Sid Haig ... Captain
Spaulding
DVD Information:
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