This is a love letter to 1970s horror. Rob Zombie tells a story of two couples traveling through Texas in search of urban legends. As a result, they encounter a family of psychopaths. The plot is very simple and pays homage to films like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Turn your brain off for this one as it is bizarre in nature and lacks an in-depth narrative.

House of 1000 Corpses stars the late Sid Haig, Karen Black, and Dennis Fimple. In addition, to Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie. They make up the ruthless clan of killers. Some characters range in mental stability as well as personality. Baby Firefly (Moon) is child-like and flirtatious. She bares no deformities, seems relatively harmless, while Otis (Moseley) blatantly appears to be inhuman. The matriarch, Mother (Black) is an attention seeker who enjoys watching the carnage more than participating.

All the characters stand out from each other but are in no way innocent. A family of murderers is not original. However, Rob Zombie presents them as outcasts who exist simply to kidnap and torture. Yet, some retain jobs or function as “normal” members of society. There are moments when the two couples behave in a way that is unconventional, which challenges the trope of likable protagonists. Doesn’t justify the horrible acts that befall them, but one wonders if the exchange triggers certain events.

Rob Zombie’s projects are consistent in tone. They have strong ties to themes of the occult, Satan worshipers, and a collection of terrible humans. Also, can’t forget about the extreme gore or nudity. It’s a pleasure to see the campy, raunchy sub-genre of horror still has a place in cinematic culture. The movie provides gruesome entertainment without a message or reason, and there’s nothing wrong with that. House of 1000 Corpses gets a 6 out of 10.

Subscribe to The Story Monster newsletter to receive updates on new reviews and podcasts.