House of 1000 Corpses - More of a Music Video

House of 1000 Corpses was Rob Zombie's first movie, and it shows that his talent is probably in songwriting, not directing.

House of 1000 Corpses follows two couples broken down at a roadside attraction, and the house that takes them in gives them more than they bargained for. Like many horror films, this is a well-trodden path, but one we don't mind taking. Cliches, after all, are cliches because we enjoy them.

But maybe not in this case. There's a fine line between amusing and annoying, and these couples land on the wrong side. This is a black comedy, and it doesn't take itself very seriously, but that doesn't mean its funny, either. The humour comes from campy, over-the-top performances that become more grating the more these characters are onscreen. Each shtick gets old fast and the scenes outstay their welcome.

Really, its an excuse to play with lighting, music and evoking a mood, which, to its credit, it does well. The sets are thought-out and atmospheric, the characters well-costumed, all in the style of an art house feature. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the depth of such a flick. The artistry isn't artistry to elevate the film to new meaning, but just because it all looks cool. It's substance over style, which, given the film retreads so much ground, makes it feel hollow. (Not to mention stealing early scares simply from well-known serial killers. Albert Fish isn't new news. This is another disappointment, we don't get enough of (!!), the character who seems the most fun.)

It's a film that feels it is being much more shocking than it is with little plot direction, and I have to admit to just leaving it be halfway through. That's why this review is somewhat shorter than what I usually aim to write.

Overall, House of 1000 Corpses is better suited as a very long music video of spectacle, rather than a film with a tight, well-written plot. (And as a music video, we'd be spared those annoying voices.)