Tuesday, December 19, 2023

The Last House on the Left - 1972

 Wes Craven, I always say, defined horror in three different decades.  You would count either this or The Hills Have Eyes, Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 , and Scream in 1996.

Such an influencer, and while I had heard of this movie and I've seen almost every single Craven movie, this one I actually had not seen!  So, well, here we go.  Also, this is of course continuing my watching marathon of the Video Nasty flicks from the 70s and 80s.  

Here's a thought:  there was a time in film wherein original films, sci fi, drama, horror, what-be-it, were orginated as porn and for some reason they became something more.  This is the type of thing that is lost to the ages.  People set out with a budget and a bunch of producers, and either way porn doesnt sell these days so that avenue is limited.  Last House began as a porn film and Craven et al decided to make it not, basically and the rest as they say is hostory, hence, my conclusion being, in the modern day this film does not happen?

Porn influences include a scene of lesbian rape which still has dialogue about it in the movie but it is not seen, multiple rape scenes, and an obviously tinged idea for including more.  The plot of the beast is your basic rape revenge, a group meets some psychopaths, they torture and eventually kill them.  Then the pychos stay with the parents of the main girl they killed, parents catch on, and now its revenge.

I mean, it's odd to look back on this moment of film.  This whole series is all but forgotten; I ask you, what is the best known rape revenge movie?  Kill Bill attempted to resurrect the idea but it omitted the rape, so I ask you, what is it?  It might be this, and this is mostly known because like I said Craven redefined horror many times.  

This is above standard for this fare, and I'll give it 4 stars.

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