Review of The House by the Lake (1976) by Andrzej B — 29 Jun 2008

Bad bad bad canadian rip-off of Last House on the Left. What triple bill I had that day with this, Rituals, and The Silent Partner.

Honestly the only thing I liked is the cool car chase at the begining with the gear-head girl outriding the idiots redneck soon-to-be-rapists. That's fun and exciting. As soon as they get to the house where the gang later finds them, it's the gang being loud, obnoxious and smashing things. They bother people, threaten to rape and attack and kill. It's not scary, it's just kind of disturbing without any thought provking or anything. This movie is really mean-spirited and expect you to enjoy idiotic loud people just do anything. Even the characters your supposed to root for just sort of stand there. No shocks, nothing exciting, produced by Ivan Reitman who would later do Ghostbusters and Kindergarden Cop. Big yuck.

Only gets one star for the idea that the film's first 10 minutes with the car chase is fond 70's nostalgia. Otherwise avoid at all costs. Even if your a gordhound there's little real gore in this, you get more gore in a Tarantino flick that's more fun and if you need your quota of "CANADIAN NUDITY" for the month watch Silent Partner which has it and doesn't make you feel sorry for who ever has to get nude for the most part.