By that point in my life, I was just gearing up to be entering freshman year of high school. I had seen some horror films, but wasn't necessarily a horror junkie. Well, not like I am today. It was though round that time that I started hoping that one day I could start writing about horror films. But just didn't know how to go about doing it. I think I even had tried reaching out to Bloody-Disgusting for advice. And they were just starting out back then.
I remember asking my Dad if I could rent it on pay-per-view. His response, "Are you sure? If you are, then go ahead and get it.". Looking back at those moments with my Dad, those are some of our best moments. He was really trying to just let me be me and helping figure that out. As much as the woman that birthed me (don't call her Mom and that's a story unto itself) and my sister had a hand in introducing me to horror, it was my Dad that really helped with my love for horror. Thank you, Dad.
I still remember that initial first watch. I had no idea what to expect going in. I had no idea what the film was going for. I just knew that this was a film that was shot in 2000 and then sat on the shelf for three years. So there was a bit of a hype for the film. And at first, I didn't like it. It felt too disjointed. I didn't understand the strong opening with Spaulding and the robbery gone wrong. I didn't understand who these characters were. It felt like random things were happening for the sake of happening. It just wasn't my thing. So I set it aside and didn't give much thought. It sat on a VHS tape to revisit some point. Well, ended up purchasing it on DVD later on.
Now, remember I hadn't seen many 70s horror films nor the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre at that point. This kind of film just was unheard of for me. I knew some point that I'd revisit it. And a few years later I did around the time The Devil's Rejects was coming out.
The difference was that I had seen more horror films. I had a much bigger appreciation for them too. I had seen some films with Bill Moseley and really dug him as an actor. I had seen a film or two pop up with the wonderful Sid Haig. Had heard about Hills Have Eyes so a certain actor - Michael Berryman had me interested. I had also begun hearing that Devil's Rejects was the next chapter and was serving as a different kind of film than House did.
Boy, I am glad that I took the time to revisit it. I had begun to like it. It was still different than anything that I had seen before. It was a different approach and a bit of a love letter to the 70s horror. It had me excited for Devil's Rejects. Later on, I did see Devil's Rejects and that's a whole nother story for another time.
Now, one of the big things that sold me with House of 1000 Corpses is Sid Haig's performance as Captain Spaulding. It is so good. Here is a guy that just doesn't give a flying flamingo what anyone has to say. He just oozed humor along with a darker undertone of menace. He will not hesitate to just spout a slew of jokes in front of you if you were trying to rob him. This actually happens to two robbers that make the mistake of attempting to rob from him. You could tell that Haig enjoyed this role. And that's why it helped become very memorable when Spaulding isn't in the film for very long. Thank you, Sid. We miss you.
Now, group of kids stop at Spaulding's Chicken and Gas. Chris Hardwick and Rainn Wilson were definitely the notables of this group. This was before both of them would become the big names they are today. So, it's kinda cool to see where they started out. Spaulding ends up telling the group bout Doctor Satan. Hardwick wants to find out more about this as they are writing a travel book. Guess it's like notable stops when traveling across the country. (Probably a better way to phrase it, but it's super early (3:30) and can't sleep.)
Then we have Sheri Moon Zombie as Baby. At first, she's our hitchhiker that the group picks up. She lures our group of kids to further go out of their way. First seeing her, she doesn't seem to be very out there and is really friendly. However, it's not long before we see Baby enjoying delightfully killing anyone she can. Her performance is a bit of a fun one. She goes from zero to I'm gonna stab you pretty quickly. It definitely lays the foundation that would be more fleshed out in the next film.
After our group gets to the Firefly house, we are introduced to more of the family. There is Otis played by Bill Moseley. This performance is fantastic. Unlike any of the other members of the Firefly clan, Otis has a sinister dark attitude. He takes so much glee in his savage humor. His actions are a whole nother level in the film as they move towards Manson-like levels. There is definitely a reason that people enjoy this performance so much.
Next up, we are introduced to Mother Firefly (Karen Black), Grampa (Dennis Dimple), Rufus (Robert Miles) and Tiny (Matthew McGrory). This makes up the Firefly clan. It's interesting seeing the interactions between the whole family as there is a solid chemistry between them all. Mama Firefly is interesting because she seems to want to come off a bit youthful. So there's a bit of a weird motherly/sisterly feeling that comes off. Grampa is well Grampa. He fits in perfectly with this group of characters. He is a bit crass while a bit simple. Rufus is a bit of a blank slate. Yeah, he could be considered a huntsman type of the clan. But we don't get to spend a lot of time with him. And then there's Tiny. Tiny is a bit of a small character in the film. However whenever he's on screen, he steals the show. He is such a fantastic character that would have loved to have seen more of him.
Now, the film oozes the Halloween atmosphere. Yeah, it takes place round Halloween time. But there's a difference between a film taking place and a film actually having that fall atmosphere in it. Another few good examples of films that oozes the Halloween atmosphere are Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers and Trick 'R Treat. It definitely makes it easy to recommend these for the spooky season.
While the film moves at a decent pace, there are some moments where it feels like could have been tightened up just a little more. But I get why the film is the way it is. It's a callback to 70s horror. It's very distinct type of horror. And comes across as a nice double feature contender with Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 or even 2.
Ultimately the performances are great. The film is a bit of a fun horror ride. It definitely doesn't take itself seriously. And helped establish what Rob Zombie could do.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment