Vote For 1,000 Corpses' Poster

[J.R.]

http://lionsgatefilms.com/Polls/HousePoll/

[Chadzilla]

I voted for the middle one.

[Drezzy]

I liked the 3rd one best. Middle one seemed too "mainstream," and the first one reminded me of the Night Of The Living Dead '90 cover...

[wheresthecarrot]

I liked the first one....it sort of reminded me of an older horror movie poster (big lettering, and all), and I thought the color scheme was more appealing/eye catching.  Also, I liked the fact that the house was in the poster, rather than just a face.  To me, this was more effective.

[J.R.]

I liked the first. It has a very classic feel to it.

[Brother Ragnarok]

It seems I fall in with the majority.  I dug the first one for the same reasons.  It had an old-school drive-in feel to it.  Joe Bob would be proud.

[systemcr4sh]

again, I  liked the first one. I dug the lettering, and I agree the middle one looked to generic. Seems like something all the suits would want to put out. hehe.

[Ash]

I too voted for the first one because it conjured up images in my mind from the good classic horrors (Last House on the Left etc...)

My choice for 2nd runner up would have to be the middle one.

[Chadzilla]

House of 1,000 Corpses is entering into a very important phase now, marketing.  Lion's Gate now has to sell a controversial and troubled movie to as large an audience as possible (you want the movie to make money for Zombie and his distributor, don't you - this is how these slimes - er, artists and businessmen - make their livings).  If the advertising plays up the violence too much then that will eat into the box office take.  As cool as the retro look of the first choise is, a poster like that might drive away the most important opening weekend dollars....the mainstream audience that just goes to movies for fun, not passion or support of an artist's 'vision' or just to see the latest genre movie - and how well the movie is marketed makes all the difference between a measly 3 million opening or a stronger 9 to 13 million opening weekend.  John Carpenter's Vampires currently holds the record for the highest non-holiday weekend/non-sequel horror movie opening with 9 million dollars.  That is the movie to beat, splash wise.  The combined mojo of horror movie fans, metalhead Zombie fans, and curious mainstreamers just might break that, if Lion's Gate sells the movie properly.  This is how I would handle it.

2nd poster as a Teaser
3rd poster for theatrical release in select markets
1st poster as video/DVD box cover.

I could be wrong, but working in video I learned that posters with black or darker hued backgrounds and white lettering rented better than others.

One thing that interests me about House of 1,000 Corpses is its troubled history.  No studio wanted to touch it.  Universal took a look at it and dumped it.  MGM/UA might have released it, but Zombie made a comment or two that upset somebody and the dropped it (or so rumor has it).  Now Lion's Gate has picked it up.  This makes me think the movie is one of two options...it is the sick/twisted gorefest that Zombie SAYS it is or (a theory a friend of mine who worked in Hollywood believes) the movie is simply a chaotic dog of picture that no studio wanted to waste time and money on.  There are no bootlegs out there that I have heard of, and buzz about it has been pretty quiet.  I have a wait and see attitude about it...will this be like TCM or be more like the troubled TCM2 or, even worse, the uneven Leatherface or rancid Next Generation.  Will this be a welcome return of horror that bites or will it be an embarrassing ego trip that makes Irwin Allen's The Swarm look well made in comparison?  Only a viewing of the actual movie will tell.

Mr. Zombie, bring it on!!!

[wheresthecarrot]

I recently went to a rob zombie concert....he showed about 10 minutes of footage....i could see why no studio would want it....its insanely gory...scenes of horrible torture and everything....zombie refused to tone down the violence (hes a HUGE horror movie fan), so people kept dropping it.  As far as making money on it goes...he's said a lot that he doesn't care mucj about it, cause he has so much already, 1000 was just a labor of love.  My guess is that if he had to pick (and i dont know the guy, just from his interviews and what he has said/written, so dont all flame me, please), is that he'd go for the first, and screw the critics.

[Ash]

My friends all went to Ozfest when it was in Wisconsin and they said that Rob himself introduced a couple of scenes that were shown on the giant screen.
They stated that the gore in it is comparable to that of "Dead Aive".

What they saw of it was EXTREMELY sadistic.

I'm only going by what I was told but believe me, these people ALSO know bad movies like you and I do and I respect their opinions.

I don't care if I never ever saw a single trailer for this film.
Just the concept alone and who's behind it has me sold.

I'm there!

[Chadzilla]

What's to flame?  I was simply thinking from a business context, whether or not the movie is good will be a highly subjective viewing experience.  Personally I am glad he stands by his vision and is reluctant to tone it down.  The movie might make less (and let's face it, it is the movie's profitability that funders and distributors are interested in, ART has nothing to do with this business - it is run by money and the desire to make MORE money), but in the long run it might make more as a cult item.

Frankly I think audiences will be polarized by the movie, some thinking it is just a plotless blood and guts snuff movie and others that think it is an intense ride into hell.

Hope for the best, expect the worst - that is my b-movie viewing philosophy.

[wheresthecarrot]

Dude, there's a guy tied to a chair getting tourtured and having seizures...every time he convulses, blood litterally fies off of him.....yeah, it's gory...but not pointlessly....well, unless you think the whole movie is pointless....I guess the right words are psychological and artful.

At least in my opinion, but I've been told I'm pretty twisted.

[JohnL]

If he truly doesn't care about the money and can't get it into theaters, he could always sell it directly on video or DVD.