To not mince words about it, I used to be a very avid collector of movie-related art (within reason) and had a substantial collection of posters, steelbooks, one sheets, and so forth. It was something that I prided myself on, and even when I was younger in my home theatre in my parents’ basement, we had some standees that were donated from the local Best Buy to house our physical media and some Star Trek ships that hung from our ceiling. It has always been a passion of mine to collect cool editions and steelbooks, et. al., of projects I was passionate about. With all that being said, it is a very expensive hobby to keep up with and it has mostly fallen to the wayside unless it was an absolute must-have item because of the economy and some financial turmoil. Continuing on that train of thought though, releasing a movie for an “anniversary” edition without an upgrade in quality but with an upgrade in features is certainly a choice, and one that should satisfy the very distinct audience the new release of Rob Zombie’s directorial debut House of 1000 Corpses aims to please.

Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding in HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

While audiences are certainly divisive on Rob Zombie himself, House of 1000 Corpses is 100% without a doubt his signature style, the groundwork of which is clearly on display. The film itself focuses on two different sets of couples travelling around Texas together who end up being taken prisoners by some truly psychotic people. The substory going on throughout the film is about some missing cheerleaders who are presumably also being held hostage by these twisted individuals. The film itself is incredibly shlocky and silly in a twisted way. If you’re buying the anniversary addition, it is safe to assume you know what you’re getting yourself into.

HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Premium Box Set.

While there are two new releases for the 20^th anniversary of this Rob Zombie launching point, a Blu-Ray premium Box set and a Best Buy exclusive polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET) cover steelbook with art by Vance Kelly. The version that we’re reviewing today is from a continuing line of stunning Lionsgate PET steelbooks that is simply sublime. The art is creepy; it is rich in its darkened colors and, without the PET sleeve, evokes true horrors. It is a stunning release, and when you partner this up with an entire disk of special features (simply unheard of almost now), this release is a no brainer for any Zombie fans out there. Whether you decide on the PET steelbook or the premium set is a different question, though. While the disks are the same, it is the art itself that is different. While the PET steelbook is gorgeous, if you generally don’t like steelbooks for whatever reason, the premium box set boasts stunning artwork on the outerbox by Graham Humphreys and an illustrated poster by David Hartman, as well as six illustrated art cards by Hartman. Additionally, there is a photo page book curated by Rob Zombie himself with illustrations done by Humphreys. There truly is a bounty of new art made for this 20^th anniversary that is all delightfully horrifying.

HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES Best Buy Blu-ray Exclusive Steelbook.

Atop the two new gorgeous options for this home release, the legacy features of a directors commentary, a making-of featurette, casting footage, rehearsal footage, cast and crew interviews, and a theatrical trailer, the second disk, which is solely special features, is all new and seems to have been curated by Rob Zombie himself. It includes cast and director interviews with Rob Zombie, Sid Hai, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, Karen Black, Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick, Erin Daniels, Irwin Keyes, Jennifer Jostyn, and Wayne Toth; a new behind-the-scenes featurette that includes five on-set segments; a Dr. Satan test; a Professor test; an electronic press kit; and the teaser trailer. While the main feature disk with the legacy features seems to be the same Blu-Ray pressing from its first release, the entire second disk with all new features is more than enough reason to pony up the dollars to buy this influential Zombie flick again for the collectors.

House of 1000 Corpses Blu-ray Special Features:

Disc 1

• Director Commentary
• Making-of Featurette
• Casting Footage
• Rehearsal Footage
• Cast and Crew Interviews
• Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2

• Cast & Director Interviews
  • Rob Zombie
  • Sid Hai
  • Bill Moseley
  • Sheri Moon
  • Karen Black
  • Rainn Wilson
  • Chris Hardwick
  • Erin Daniels
  • Irwin Keyes
  • Jennifer Jostyn
  • Wayne Toth
• Behind The Scenes
  • Includes 5 On-Set BTS Segments
  • Dr. Satan Test
  • Professor Test
  • Electronic Press Kit
• Teaser Trailer

House of 1000 Corpses digital Special Features:

• New Director’s Commentary

Available on Blu-Ray Steelbook and Premium Box Set April 11^th, 2023.

For more information, head to the official Lionsgate Home Entertainment House of 1000 Corpses webpage.

Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews

Tags: Bill Moseley, Chris Hardwick, home release, home video, horror, House of 1000 Corpses, Karen Black, Lionsgate, Rainn Wilson, Rob Zombie, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sid Haig, steelbook, Walton Goggins