The always beguiling Karen Black, who starred in one of the all-time great horror classics, BURNT OFFERINGS, turns in another terrifically offbeat performance as Mother Firefly, the marvelous matriarch of a murderous family. Other fabulously gruesome characters include the crazy clown Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) and the oddball "lady killer" Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley); Marx Brothers fans should note that many of Zombie's characters are named after roles played by Groucho. One of the advertising lines for the movie calls it "positively the most horrifying film ever made!" Zombie does his best to try to live up to that demanding tag, upping the gore quotient with numerous inventive killings that involve lots of blood and innards.