Last House on the Left (1972)

[Monkeyface]

In 1972, Wes Craven wrote and directed the controversial movie The Last House on the Left. The film follows Mari on her 17 year old birthday, as she and her friend Phyllis make their way into the big city to see a concert. On their way to the city, a radio announcement broadcasts that a convicted child molester, and a murderer have escaped from prison, assisted by the murder's son, and a "Wild Woman", and that everyone should be on the lookout, as these convicts are to be considered dangerous. Once the girls get to the city, they try to score some weed before they go to their concert. There, they run into Junior, who tells them that he has some weed to sell them, but they'll have to come upstairs for him to get it. At the apartment, Junior, Weasel, Krug and Sadie (who happen to be the 4 mentioned on the radio) lock them in the apartment, and they rape Phyllis. The next morning, the group takes the girls out to the country where the two girls eventually are raped, tortured and brutally murdered.

Continue reading the review at Internal Bleeding

[Mr_Vindictive]

My mother in law actually made my wife watch this as a child (around the age of 5 or 6) so that she would learn not to talk to strangers.....  My daughter is that age now and I cannot even begin to imagine showing her such a film.

It's not a great movie but must be applauded for the balls it had, and for being innovative at the time.  It's still well worth a watch, if only as a note of cinematic history.

[Allhallowsday]

In 1972, Wes Craven wrote and directed the controversial movie The Last House on the Left. ... Continue reading the review at Internal Bleeding

What crap that movie is.  Yet, I can't fault WES CRAVEN for making what needed to be made, what was going to be made.  Oh well, a powerful experience nonetheless.  Certainly an important film.  Damn, I hate that movie. 

[Menard]

What crap that movie is.  Yet, I can't fault WES CRAVEN for making what needed to be made, what was going to be made.  Oh well, a powerful experience nonetheless.  Certainly an important film.  Damn, I hate that movie. 

We're in agreement on the crap part.

I had seen this after seeing that, of all people, Roger Ebert (Mr. Anti-Slasher himself) apparently liked this film. I'm still wondering how and why.

Somewhere along the way I was waiting for, well, something in this movie, and it just went downhill all the way. There will be those who enjoy this and some parts, few, are at least entertaining, but the whole as an experience was a letdown.

[Bloodsoaked Phantasm]

I don't know what's wrong with me.
Occasionally when I'm bored, I'll put my DVD of this in and either let it be background noise while I do other things, or listen to the commentary which I've heard countless times. I'm always entertained. I just can't put my finger on it.
I also have The Virgin Spring, which is a terrific film.
Chaos, however, will be a running joke between a friend of mine and myself forever. THAT movie is a waste of film.

[zombie no.one]

My mother in law actually made my wife watch this as a child (around the age of 5 or 6) so that she would learn not to talk to strangers..... 

!!!

I don't agree with the dissenters... I actually think this is wes craven's best, least cliche'd film. hardly perfect but brutal and totally amoral (which is okay in films of course).

[Dennis]

I remember the tag line for this film was "Tell yourself, it's only a movie, it's only a movie." so naturally we (my wife and brother in law and his wife) had to see it, I kept wondering when the really scary stuff would start. The events depicted in the film were horrific and fairly graphic, at least for that time, but I've always felt, in spite of "The Virgin Spring" connection, that this is just another exploitation/revenge film. I might have to watch it again, my perception may have changed.

[The Burgomaster]

I love this movie . . . one of the best drive-in flicks ever.  Sure, it has a lot of technical problems, but it's a gritty classic.

[RCMerchant]

I like it. Not one for the kids...and not a party film...but it IS a scummy,70's classic. I like the scummy feel to many old 70's  low budget films...many early low budget expliotation movies of the early seventies feel like a hangover brought on by to much love and LSD...and Charlie Manson and Satanism was the catalyst. It's like looking at one of those old pre- movie star tabloids....the kind that had decapitated bodies on the cover and stories about sex crimes and ads for sleazy 'stag' films. Sleazy and scary.

[the ghoul]

"Last House on the Left" and the original "The Hills have Eyes" are by far Craven's best.  It has been all down hill after that.

[xupernaut]

 I watched this for the 1st time about a year ago.I really had no idea what the flick was about before hand.Disturbing and exploitative are accurate to say the least.The scenes with the comic relief cops are just bizarre given the tone of the flick.   

[Ash]

I've never seen lhotl.
Heard mixed opinions about it, though.
Gonna have to check it out one of these days.

[VogNhymn]

Last House is one of my all time favorite explotation films and IMHO Wes Craven's best film.

[Phaedrusz]

I have mixed feelings about this. True, it was an exploitation film. On a low budget.

COMMA

It was a landmark for the genre, and showed things not ever shown before. It was the one that pushed the MPAA to the fringe.

[Allhallowsday]

I have mixed feelings about this. True, it was an exploitation film. On a low budget.
It was a landmark for the genre, and showed things not ever shown before. It was the one that pushed the MPAA to the fringe.

Don't agree quite about things "not ever shown before..." but I will say that I also have mixed feelings.  Nevertheless, I despise this film!!