When Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses” slashed its way into theaters 20 years ago, 1970s-style horror – and camp – returned with bone-snapping, scream-inducing vengeance. Zombie’s directorial debut, this first film of a trilogy introduces the Firefly family, backwoods sadists who plunge two young couples into a nightmare world of torture, satanic ritual, and cannibalism. With a killer cast including horror legends Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, and Karen Black, “House of 1000 Corpses” is both a homage to a golden era and a scary good time from an innovative, unrivaled shock-master.
For thoughts on House of 1000 Corpses, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/_8_-3VPsJtU?t=885]
Video Quality
House of 1000 Corpses returns to Blu-Ray with the same VC-1 encoded 1080p presentation in 1.78:1 that was first released over 15 years ago. At this point in the game, it seems fairly ridiculous to not use this anniversary release as an opportunity to give the film a proper 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade. The film is a virtual minefield in terms of quality due to all of the random video sources and stylistic choices woven into the feature, but even these uneven elements could be handled better with a proper remaster. This film is not intended to be visual perfection, but this transfer does not quite capture it in all of its grimy, stylistically-enhanced glory.
The black levels are decently deep and detailed, but there are clear moments of crush where the footage gets messy. Brighter scenes boost the clarity, but they also provide highlights that fall victim to blooming (even if some of this is intentional). Skin tones look fairly even throughout and show a great amount of facial detail such as dried blood and makeup. Colors are one of the more favorable aspects of this presentation with some of the production design rendering quite beautifully. The film has a digital sheen that makes it seem a bit unnatural, which can lessen the grindhouse feel of the story. This Blu-Ray release is not terrible, but this is a film that deserves an upgrade after all of these years.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with an effective DTS-HD 7.1 High Resolution audio presentation that fully transports you into this nightmare. There are elements in this track that are truly unnerving, such as the sounds of the gunshots and sick experimentation in the Firefly household. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to the handful of dialogue-driven scenes filled with subtle elements. The score and soundtrack brings to life a truly chilling and raucous soundscape that amps up the tension.
Dialogue is presented clearly with only a few lines overshadowed by the boisterous thrills. The low end is engaged well at multiple points throughout the film including the rocking soundtrack pulsating through the room. The sound design of this film is quite varied, and the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film. There are English and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
Lionsgate has provided House of 1000 Corpses with a Premium Box Set for its 20th Anniversary that is truly lovely in person. The sturdy slipbox case comes with new artwork from artist Graham Humphreys. The Premium Box Set comes with an exclusive poster, a photo book and six illustrated art cards. Video of the Premium Box Set as well as the Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook can be found in the video above.
Disc One
- Audio Commentary: Director Rob Zombie provides a very informative and engaging commentary track in which he discusses how each scene was constructed, the decision to begin the film with commercials, the different shooting locations, the production design and more. He has an obvious passion for this material and these characters and it is a lot of fun hearing him go in-depth into the process.
- HOTC – Zombietron: An interactive lo-fi game is provided for your amusement.
- Making Of Featurette: A quick four-minute archival piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the film, the twisted vision of Rob Zombie and more.
- Behind The Scenes: A two-and-a-half archival piece which functions as a bit of a fly-on-the-wall look at the production.
- Tiny Fucked A Stump: A three-minute series of crude knock knock jokes with Spalding, Baby and Otis.
- Casting: A two-minute look at the audition of Dennis Fimple as Grandpa Hugo.
- Rehearsals: A series of rehearsals with some of the main cast members.
- Bill Moseley & Jennifer Jostyn (3:44)
- Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick & Erin Daniels (2:15)
- Chris Hardwick & Erin Daniels (0:56)
- Interviews: A series of interesting interviews in which the subjects discuss their characters, experiences during production, working with Rob Zombie, the makeup effects, fan reaction to the film, their favorite horror movies and more.
- Bill Moseley (4:30)
- Sid Haig (5:43)
- Sheri Moon (1:33)
- Wayne Toth (3:33)
Disc Two (New to this release)
- Cast & Director Interviews: This disc provides 116 minutes worth of unreleased archival interviews with the cast and creative team in which they discuss their experiences on set, developing their characters, the direction of Rob Zombie and more.
- Rob Zombie (4:27)
- Sid Haig (9:20)
- Bill Moseley (10:33)
- Sheri Moon (11:53)
- Karen Black (11:10)
- Robert Mukes (13:51)
- Rainn Wilson (8:49)
- Chris Hardwick (8:53)
- Erin Daniels (13:02)
- Irwin Keyes (7:04)
- Jennifer Jostyn (6:17)
- Wayne Toth (10:19)
- Behind The Scenes: Another 100 minutes worth of previously unseen footage is provided here showcasing the production of the film.
- BTS 1 (17:02)
- BTS 2 (20:14)
- BTS 3 (8:22)
- BTS 4 (21:44)
- BTS 5 (22:37)
- Dr. Satan Test (1:31)
- Professor Test (2:24)
- Electronic Press Kit (4:21)
- Teaser Trailer (1:09)
Final Thoughts
House of 1000 Corpses makes complete sense as the feature directorial debut for Rob Zombie. The film has a twisted aesthetic and general lunacy that makes you feel as if you are in the midst of a nightmare. What it doesn’t have is enough plot to effectively make this a feature-length effort, as there are many moments that feel a bit aimless or weird for the sake of weirdness. Yet, it is still a pretty fun time thanks to an instantly iconic turn from Sid Haig and a sadistic performance from Bill Moseley, along with a pretty strong supporting ensemble. Zombie would get the balance right for the far superior The Devil’s Rejects, but it is understandable why some would argue this is the best of the trilogy, as it offers something more classically horrific.
Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a new Premium Box Set of the 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray that is truly gorgeous in person. The Blu-Ray disc itself has a passable A/V presentation, but it is time for a 4K UHD upgrade. The new release adds some unreleased archival special features that fans will appreciate, but some brand new extras would have been even better. If you have not purchased the film yet or count yourself as a super fan, this is the best edition on the market. Recommended
House of 1000 Corpses is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray in both a 20th Anniversary Premium Box Set and Best Buy Exclusive Limited Edition SteelBook Packaging.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
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