House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

I must've been 12 or 13 years old when I first saw Rob Zombie's debut ''House of 1000 Corpses''. Not particulary aware of what the film had to offer, I still enjoyed it a lot. But is there really more to it then I could've seen back then, or should it have stayed a heart warming memory?

It was amazing to see Capt. Spaulding and to hear Moseley yell again. It also felt great to see and hear Sheri Moon Zombie giggle and dance again. I should name all the actors, though. All the way to the tiniest roles... they delivered what was necessary. I was suprised to see Rainn Wilson though, I'm a huge 'The Office' fan so it was fun to see him in such a traditional teenage victim part. Let's spill it out: HO1C is a truly horrific yet insanely funny flick, probably one of the best of the last 20 years. Yes, one of the best.

There's a no-bullshit approach which still stands tall. It's a fast paced freakshow with plenty of fucked up stuff, reminding you of TCM more than once. A big inspiration, there's no doubt. It's a familiar story with likewise parts to be played, and the entire mood is almost as dirty as Hooper did back in the seventies. It has a similar way of keeping things tense, but there's still plenty of room for some typical Zombie-stuff.

One of the coolest things I noticed this time around is how the stage-artist experience he had really shows on screen. The house is like a giant stage for all the crazy and fun stuff to come, it's like a horror performance. Zombie's music fits the picture perfectly, it's a huge addition on the already sublime vibe he created with the dark yet comedic setting. Full of memorable characters and quotes to die for.

The standard teenagers on a roadtrip set up works perfectly. The introduction has been kept fairly short and thereby still works like a charm. It's extremely well written, making it a feast to sit through. Introducing new freaks and providing the laughter when they are needed. There's no doubt... Rob's timing is excelent. He definitely earned the respect of the true horrorhound with this one.

Many of these aspects were kept as he worked on the 'second' film ''Devil's Reject'', which is probably known as the better film. I'll disagree firmly. I love DR, don't get me wrong, but there's really nothing quite like HO1C even though it borrows a lot from other (mainly classic) films. It offers the ultimate experience, with Moseley playing his best role since TCMII and various monstrous appearances which blew my mind. It's a must, a true modern gem.. it's Zombie's masterpiece.

Score: 97/100