It stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, Karen Black, Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick, Tom Towles, Erin Daniels, Jennifer Jostyn, Walton Goggins, and Dennis Fimple in his final role.

The plot centers on a group of teenagers who are kidnapped and tortured by a psychopathic family during Halloween after traveling across the country to write a book.

Since its release, the film has achieved a cult following, was developed into a haunted-house attraction by Zombie for Universal Studios, and was followed by two sequels: The Devil's Rejects (2005) and 3 from Hell (2019).

On October 30, 1977, amateur criminals Killer Karl and Richard Wick attempt an armed robbery at a gas station/horror museum, but are killed by the owner, Captain Spaulding, and his assistant, Ravelli.

Later that night, Jerry Goldsmith, Bill Hudley, Mary Knowles, and Denise Willis are on the road in hopes of writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions.

As they take off in search of the tree from which Dr. Satan was hanged, they pick up a young free-spirited hitchhiker named Baby, who claims to live only a few miles away.

There, they meet Baby's family: her adopted brother Otis Driftwood, her deformed giant half-brother Tiny, Mother Firefly, and Grandpa Hugo.

[8] Zombie's debut album, Hellbilly Deluxe (1998), was influenced by classic horror films, as were its music videos for "Dragula" and "Living Dead Girl" (1999).

[14] Zombie later stated, "I was in the office of the head of production or something and he asked me if I had any movie ideas and I pitched him Corpses, which was very rough at the time, because I wasn't ready and I made it up on the spot.

[17] Zombie claimed the film was not initially meant to feature elements of black humor, saying it "turned out a little wackier and campier than I originally intended.

[7] The scene involving Bill being transformed into "Fishboy" was initially much longer, featuring gory details of the creation of the monster.

[20] Jake McKinnon could not see well when dressed as The Professor, and almost hit actress Erin Daniels with a real ax during the film's climax.

In the early stages of the film, Grandpa Hugo was to have been revealed as the murderous Dr. Satan, who at the time was simply referred to as the mad doctor.

[21] The film's main cast consisted of the murderous Firefly family, the four teenagers and various police officers attempting to find the group, among others.

[22] Sid Haig was cast as Captain Spaulding, a man who dresses as a clown and owns a gas station and museum of curiosities.

[24] Matthew McGrory portrayed Tiny Firefly, a tall man who was left deformed after a house fire started by his father.

[26] Zombie acknowledged that viewers were meant to "root for" the Firefly family as opposed to the group of teens, though claims it wasn't intentional: "Yeah, I wanted the audience to cheer 'em.

Tom Towles and Walton Goggins portrayed Lieutenant George Wydell and Deputy Steve Naish, respectively; the pair work with Don to find the missing group.

[29] Chad Bannon and David Reynolds played Killer Karl and Richard "Little Dick" Wick, two men who try to rob Captain Spaulding's shop and are murdered.

[30] Joe Dobbs III played Gerry Ober, a man who works at the liquor store; he is later given the nickname "Goober" by Baby.

[33] Actress and pin-up model Jeanne Carmen had been cast in House of 1000 Corpses as Miss Bunny, a dead animal puppeteer.

[36][37] The film's score featured similar musical themes to Zombie's releases, consisting of heavy metal influences.

[54] Slant Magazine gave the film two out of four stars, stating, "If not for the blink-and-miss sideshow attractions and stockpile of memorable quotes, [House of] 1000 Corpses would have been easier to shrug off.

"[56] The review also criticized the cutaway scenes and home footage used throughout the film, adding, "Mr. Zombie is both too much of a stylist, always cutting away to oddball inserts, black-and-white flashbacks, negative images and much else, and too little: he is not in enough control of his means to let a mood grow and fester.

"[56] JoBlo.com had a more positive view of the film, claiming it "slaps together just the right amount of creepy atmosphere, nervous laughter, cheap scares, fun rides and blood and guts to satisfy any major fan of the macabre".

"[59] Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide gave the film two out of four stars, stating, "It is ugly—in the distinctively washed out, grainy, slightly burned manner of low-budget '70s films—gory and single-mindedly mean, none of which is a criticism since that's exactly what it wants to be.

Zombie, who displays a natural flair for the cinematic, has a real appreciation and knowledge of horror pictures and a Diane Arbus-like affinity for sleazy, bizarre Americana and schlock culture.

Throughout his fast-moving movie he inserts vintage clips in a witty, telling manner, and as to be expected, Zombie, with Scott Humphries, has come through with a rip-roaring score for his picture.

[64][65][66][67] In his 2007 review of the Blu-ray release, Christopher Monfette of IGN called the film "fun as hell", writing, "House of 1000 Corpses is a messy film—veering this way and that across the genre map with no discernible destination.

"[71] The success of the film led to two sequels, released in 2005 and 2019 respectively, and later a seasonal haunted house attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.