US rock star Rob Zombie is well known for his love of old horror films, so it's no surprise that his directorial debut takes a warped trip into the heart of B-movie-style terror. A homage to the so-called "grindhouse" schlockers of the 1970s (most infamously The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Zombie's self-penned story of two young couples falling victim to a sadistic family of inbred sickos is a low-budget nightmare with a big-budget feel. Derivative, yet darkly entertaining, the oddball feature makes up for an unfortunate lack of gore with inspired imagery, innovative cinematography and some fabulously freaky performances. Standing out in particular is Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2's Bill Moseley, who, as psychopathic albino Otis, adds a real note of dread to proceedings. Viewed solely as exploitation cinema, the film is effective, while Zombie marks himself out as a name to watch. Sadly though, no matter how visually pleasing, the tale as a whole really is too quirky and incoherent to appeal much beyond its core horror audience.

Two teenage couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of serial killers end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.