Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:32 am
Another Craven flick made a few years after "Last House on the Left." While some fuckwit remade this, the original still kicks much ass.
A family goes driving thru the Western part of the U.S. & gets off the beaten path. They also happen to run right into the middle of a parcel of land inhabited by a Sawney Bean-esque clan of cannibals. Hilarity ensues as the two groups beat the shit out of each other.
This would follow the typical Craven formula of the '70s. The acting is average. The character development is more than what you'd expect for a '70s horror film. The set design, scenery, location, & cinematography are anywhere from average to good. The special makeup effects are damn good. The direction slows in a few places, but everywhere else the pace maintains a decent clip.
This film simply must be where Rob Zombie got part of his premise for "House of 1000 Corpses." But yet again, proving that Wes Craven in '72 can direct better than Rob a few years ago, Wes doesn't shoot the cannibals for sympathy. He depicts them as a cohesive unit, he depicts them getting stabbed, bitten, shot, etc., but those scenes are done in such a way that it doesn't seem like he wants to you to pass judgement on those who inflict the harm. The violence is just there. It isn't karma or divine mandate. It's fucking reality.
Verdict : 3.5 stars. This could've easily gotten into the 4 star range except for a couple retarded ideas the audience is made to swallow during a few scenes.
A family goes driving thru the Western part of the U.S. & gets off the beaten path. They also happen to run right into the middle of a parcel of land inhabited by a Sawney Bean-esque clan of cannibals. Hilarity ensues as the two groups beat the shit out of each other.
This would follow the typical Craven formula of the '70s. The acting is average. The character development is more than what you'd expect for a '70s horror film. The set design, scenery, location, & cinematography are anywhere from average to good. The special makeup effects are damn good. The direction slows in a few places, but everywhere else the pace maintains a decent clip.
This film simply must be where Rob Zombie got part of his premise for "House of 1000 Corpses." But yet again, proving that Wes Craven in '72 can direct better than Rob a few years ago, Wes doesn't shoot the cannibals for sympathy. He depicts them as a cohesive unit, he depicts them getting stabbed, bitten, shot, etc., but those scenes are done in such a way that it doesn't seem like he wants to you to pass judgement on those who inflict the harm. The violence is just there. It isn't karma or divine mandate. It's fucking reality.
Verdict : 3.5 stars. This could've easily gotten into the 4 star range except for a couple retarded ideas the audience is made to swallow during a few scenes.