3/15/04
Movie
Last House on the Left - Wes Craven
Last House on the Left is the first movie written and directed by horror master Wes Craven. Two girls go to the city to see a rock concert and along the way try to score some marijuana. They run into the last person that they'd ever want to meet. There's a young guy on the street and after sizing them up he leads them up to an apartment where he says he has the "grass". In the apartment are the guy's jail-escapee father, and his father's accomplice. They and the woman who helped them in their escape are already itching for mayhem even though they only escaped from jail that morning. For the girls the battle to survive the assaults by these depraved villains has begun.
Word of warning to the innocent. This is not a film for everybody. It is explicitly graphic and absolutely disturbing. I am not kidding. Some people may seriously throw up if they watch this movie. I would hate to think of the nightmares that it might cause others as well. For those who can get their hands on the newly released DVD from MGM I would give a further warning for those who are borderline stomach-wise watching the film itself. Part of the "Outtakes and Dailies" of the special features is even more gruesome than the film at its worst (even I intend never to watch that bit again). Viewer beware. Now, that aside back to the review.
This is a sick, twisted, depraved, and hard-core horror movie. It is a difficult film to watch because of the content. If one can look past the content, and many probably cannot, this is what they will find. The story is structured nicely and has the perfect blend of horror and "lighter" scenes. It is a blend that brilliantly heightens the terror and deepens the sense of "wrong" in the horrific scenes. The musical score and lyrical soundtrack work out like that in much the same way. The acting for the most part is nothing short of amazing with everyone filling their role fully and providing great depth beyond that of the script alone. The special effects are great considering the age of the film (it was released in 1972). The whole film feels very 70s, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The locations and the interiors are very nice but fall only a little short of amazing. It is an excellent film if one can stand the extreme perversity of the film's contents.
For those who are unsure if they want to see this I will make the following comparisons. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is like an open casket and Last House on the Left is a very messy car wreck. A Nightmare on Elm Street is like a TV movie and Last House is an X-rated film. The Blair Witch Project can make a person feel like they've been sitting in a refrigerator and Last House can make a person feel like they've been sitting inside the Arctic Circle in mid-winter. Of course it is all a matter of degrees. Some may find these comparison too strong and others may find them too weak. I would rather overstate things than give someone a terrible experience just because I have a strong stomach and high tolerance to perversion.
DVD NOTES: The special features include, Chapter Selection, an Introduction by Wes Craven (no he really is not joking with his warning), Audio Commentary from Wes and producer Sean S. Cunningham (of Friday the 13th fame years later), a Featurette, Outtakes & Dailies, something called Forbidden Footage, and Trailers. The video quality is severely aged but cleaned up pretty amazingly. It makes for a somewhat soft picture now and then but isn't too distracting. This is the most complete version of the film available. The audio is good and clear. There is no real movement around the soundstage since the film wasn't even stereo in the first place. If you want the movie then you want this DVD.
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Thank you for reading my review.
Bob Male)
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