The Last House on the Left
is the Originator of Shock Horror.
The Last House on the Left
demands precious space in your DVD collection. Trust me, you will not
forget this one any time soon.
Written by BHM
Contributor Michael Saunier June 11, 2007
Release:
1972 Written and Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring:
Sandra Cassel as Mari Collingwood Lucy Grantham as Phyllis Stone David Hess as Krug Stillo Richard Towers as Dr. John Collingwood
Surprisingly, a large number of horror fans have not seen
this gem of a movie, and I am ashamed to admit that I used to be one of
them. Despite The Last House on the Left being
horror legend Wes Craven’s first release as a writer and a
director, not to mention simply groundbreaking, it has flown under the
radar and not received the attention it deserves. Also, it is worth
noting that Sean S. Cunningham of Friday
the 13th notoriety produced The Last
House on the Left which should be added incentive to watch it.
Mari (Sandra Cassel) and Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) travel to the city to
see a concert in celebration of Mari’s 17th birthday. The two
naïve teenage girls go on a reckless mission to find pot
before the concert, but what they find is much more dangerous for their
health and safety.
The
girls encounter Krug (David Hess) and his band of criminals fresh from
a daring prison escape and become two more victims without a chance in
hell of survival. The sadistic gang inflicts some of the most gruesome
and disturbing acts upon Mari and Phyllis ever caught on film. What
makes the scenes even more unsettling, if that’s even
possible, is the realism. When I watched The Last House on
the Left I felt like a bystander hiding in the woods and the
only thing I could do was watch dumbfounded. Rape, humiliation and
torture are on the menu, but if you’re the squeamish type
please don’t tune out yet. The Last House on the
Left has numerous redeeming qualities.
After
the murder of the two helpless girls the group seeks shelter in a house
very, very close to where the girls met their demise. Unbeknownst to
Krug & Co. (the films alternate title) the house is the home of
the recent victim Mari. It is only a matter of time before
Mari’s father John (Richard Towers) finds out who his
houseguests really are and what they just did to his little girl. What
ensues is an act of revenge that will guarantee to be burned into your
brain until the day you die.
The
pace of The Last House on the Left is sporadic in a
way that keeps you glued to the screen to see what develops next. Krug
and his gang change between charming, funny, merciless and psychotic
all in matter of minutes so you never really know what to expect. The
Last House on the Left does a fantastic job of showing what a
psychopathic group is capable of and what the worst of human nature
really looks like up close.
In
order to fully appreciate The Last House on the Left
I think it helps to have a bit of context. In 1972, when this film was
made, there had not been other movies with this sort of ultra-violence,
so what Craven created was off the beaten path of what was acceptable
and expected in horror. In fact, even after several cuts The
Last House on the Left was still rated X, so the makers
spliced in an R rating themselves and released it. Wes Craven was
daring both on film and behind the scenes.
The Last House on the Left is the originator, not
the imitator, of shock movie classics and demands precious space in
your DVD collection. Trust me, love it or hate it, you won’t
forget The Last House on the Left any time soon.
Questions
or comments about The Last House on the Left?
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