A vacationing family is attacked in the desert
by a group of psychotic cannibalistic savages. HORROR
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The Hills Have Eyes (1977)Written and Directed by Wes Craven
Starring Suze Lanier-Bramlett, Robert Houston, Martin Speer, Dee Wallace, Russ Grieve, John Steadman, James Whitworth, Virginia Vincent, Lance Gordon, Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Cordy Clarke |
Wes Craven exploded onto the horror scene with two films about violence, rape, and human monsters. While The Last House on the Left is far more realistic and vicious, The Hills Have Eyes is a nightmare come to life, something else that would define Craven's career. Holy shit, is this movie freaky. Its concept alone is so aggressively monstrous, and based on a true story about a family of Scottish cannibals in the Middle Ages who killed and ate transients. It's no wonder the film was controversial from the start and faced backlash from critics and producers alike. But Craven clearly had the last laugh, as this film has gone on to become a cult classic, a revered horror film, and one of Craven's best works.
We follow a family on a road trip to California as they veer onto a back road looking for a silver mine. What they find is a family of cannibal savages who attack them in the dead of night. The camper attack is still as brutal is it was back in '77. You've got nightmarish desert nomads burning a man alive, raping a teenager, killing a grandmother, and stealing a baby with plans to eat it. And that's just one scene. Thankfully, the survivors gear up and go after the cannibals, killing them all and saving the baby. But Craven nearly killed that baby. Good thing the crew talked him out of it or his career might've ended right there. There's only so much people could take back then. The Hills Have Eyes is a visceral, unapologetic horror feast that will linger in your mind long after you finish it. There are triumphant moments, like the dog fucking up Michael Berryman, and the buildup to the film's climax is a brilliant lesson in slow burn anticipation. It's no wonder Craven became one of the most revered names in horror after a two-hit debut like this. |
Shortly after the release of The Last House on the Left, Wes Craven faced a considerable amount of backlash. Due to this he, understandably, tried to distance himself from the horror genre. But, as luck would have it, studios weren’t interested in anything else he wanted to do. So, with a need to make money and no other options, Craven decided to go back to horror. But, this time, he didn’t want to push the envelope to the point where he, himself, was uncomfortable. Flash forward to 1977. Enter The Hills Have Eyes, a movie that would prove to be another influential film in the genre and become synonymous with his name. For me, all I can think is thank God Craven stayed in the horror genre.
Much like his debut feature, Hills is filled with social commentary hiding beneath the brutal savagery that is inflicted on the Carter family. Again, not as brutal as Craven’s previous feature, but he still doesn’t hold back. The infamous RV scene where all hell breaks loose on our unfortunate protagonists is still extremely hard to watch. There is rape, a man being burned alive, and brutal violence inflicted on the family by the clan of cannibals. And that’s just the halfway point. It’s not all in your face gore, though. There is also quite a bit of suspense throughout. There are several shots where the Carter family is being watched by the clan intent on killing them. Now, I’ve mentioned a lot about both families in this film and haven’t mentioned something you may have noticed in the cast list. Yes, horror fiends, legendary actors Dee Wallace and Michael Berryman are cast members. Much like how this was Craven’s second feature, this is also both actors' first roles in horror. The Hills Have Eyes is a solid second feature from Wes Craven that shows a lot of maturation on his part. Still incredibly violent at times, there is also a good amount of suspense throughout. The social commentary is also refined. Hills is an amazing look at class divide in America and how even civilized people can be pushed to violence given the circumstances. The success of this film would spawn a sequel, remake (which I also love to death), and sequel to the remake. It also helped solidify Craven as a name in horror. Usually, I find a way to segue into the famous tagline. Instead, I’m just going to say it: The lucky ones died first. |