The Last House on the Left (1972)

[Scott]

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) - This is a very disturbing film directed by Wes Craven. The scenes are really horrific. Had to see it again as I saw it about 20 years ago at an art theater and I was with a large group of co-workers which was somewhat distracting and I could hardly remember the film, but now that I have seen it without interruption this film will be hard to forget. All the characters and dialogue are well done. The whole film really works. At the beginning of the film they give you a warning that ask you to repeat "It's only a movie". This movie is real terror.





Post Edited (01-02-05 20:48)

[Menard]

'The Last House on the Left': The Keystone Cops meet a corpse that can't stay in one place. The attempt at levity in this movie seriously mars continuity and tension. Craven should have given a second thought about the inclusion of the police officers. The cut aways to their comic antics disrupts the flow of the movie. The performances of David Hess and Sandra Cassel are what holds this movie together. Stronger performances from the actors playing Krug's companions and Mari's father would have helped. Of course Craven does not let us down without an Ed Wood moment. Mari was shot in a pond and sank into the water (actually a well done scene). When Mari's parent's find her body, she is miraculously laying on the ground, not in the water, and Sandra Cassel actually moved during the scene, even though she is supposed to be dead. 'The Last House on the Left' is a simple story about three criminals who kidnap, torment, rape, and kill two teenage girls; they end up staying in the home of the parents of one of the girls; when the parents discover what they have done, they exact revenge. Add to that some keystone cops antics (a serious waste of Martin Kove in this film) and some cheap gimmicks in place of a script. At least the direction and cinematography are good and we would come to see much better from Wes Craven.

[George]

I, quite honestly, found the movie a bit boring.

[Scott]

While the cops don't really add to the film it was easy to forget them and the scene with the dead girl by the pond moving was odd as we thought she was dead, but you kinda hoped she was alive also, but that scene is also let go for the moment when the parents exact revenge back at the house. The father with the chainsaw and  the mother biting ! I thought it was a very well made film, but I recognize your point of view, but I didn't analyze in that manner as I thought the general effectiveness of the film was very high. A really insane disturbing film.

[Menard]

Although the cops did throw off my enjoyment of the film, I was also put off by the scene of them finding her body. Not because she was moving, but because I felt it took away from what was a well done scene of her murder. When krug kills her with indifference and her body disappears into the water, it's not just an actress laying on the ground playing dead. The disappearance of her body and the resignation to fate punctuate the scene. Finding her body laying on the ground for me deflated the horror of what they did to her.

Even though the father had the chainsaw; he is kind of wimpy with it.

[Scott]

True what you said about the father with the chainsaw, he could have given us more.  : )

[Jack Corbett]

I've read a couple of reviews. Sounds disturbing.

[jeremiah stone]

awesome movie!!!!