Review of The Last House on the Left (1972) by Luis V — 03 Jul 2012

Considered one of the most controversial movies ever made, The Last House on The Left is not for everyone, but still is bad horror movie. Mari and Phyllis plan to go to a concert and on their way they stop by the place of a gang in order to get marijuana. Sadly the gang is actually a group of 4 sadistic individuals whom like to rape and kill innocent people whom the police have been hunting them for a while. The girls now become victims of the gangs sadistic pleasure.

Why this movie is not everyone? Is that its graphic, I don't know what version I saw, but I'm 99% sure it was the cut version, because is not disturbing as I thought it was. There is a lot of nudity in this movie especially at the beginning of the movie. The acting of the protagonists, was terrible just playing out horrible because is that acting of the 1970's that makes the characters so wooden. Like the acting of the original Straw Dogs movie, just see the movie and you will know what I'm talking about. The protagonists I feel no empathy for because they are perverted, they go to a wild concert, buy marijuana and break free and go to a stranger's house (even do I don't believe they deserve what they deserve) but it just shows you shouldn't go to a strangers house. I think some scenes have been cut, like when one of the girls tries to escape, 2 of the bad guys follow her, she goes through a river, and they get stuck, then the scene changes of the same bad guys sitting down in a log, and I'm like...did I miss something here? Other characters I didn't like were the cops, they were the usual cops with stereotype qualities, really dumb and at their last appearance I laughed because I know that wouldn't happen in real life. The problem with the movie is that it lacks entertainment, it was like watching a documentary which happens with most art movies, and the movie it isn't scary that it shouldn't call itself a horror movie, but don't get me wrong the movie does have its moments.

Does this movie have a message? Yes, and that is you shouldn't trust strangers, you shouldn't go out crazy because you don't know whom you should meet because it might kill you. The villains' performances are freaking memorable and amazing, they definitively steal the show in this movie, especially the gang's leader. One of the best scenes of this movie is when the gang's leader tells his own son to commit suicide because it shows how we see our parents as gods and how its easy for them to control us and makes things that we don't want to do. You should know what's the difference between what is right and wrong and do what your heart tells you to do not was your parents tells you to do, because you will always live in fear. Another scene that I like was after the man rapes her, that all the gang show a sign of consciousness, showing that they are not all bad. This is sort of like a rape/revenge that type of movie because they get what they deserve at the end of this film. Another scene that I like was the dream scene, in which one of the bad guys is having this nightmare which really scared the hell out of me. The parents are playing doctors with him, and they put like this giant screw above his front teeth, and then the father takes hammer, and when hes about to hit it, he wakes up. This scene is really good because it plays with you imagination and explores our fears what could have happened in real life. I really liked the second half of this movie because it is smart and really builds up tension.

Why is this movie controversial? The scenes of the girls in the forest, in which they portray really sadistic things, not as sadistic that I've seen like Salo and A Serbian Film but its still strong for the public to see. Of course this is from the cut version I presume. A really horrible forced lesbian scene, a lot of blood in the climax of the movie.

The film was directed by Wes Craven whom is famous for making really great horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, but this is not his best work.

If you are a Wes Craven fan you shouldn't miss this movie, go and watch it. If you're an horror fan then I recommend this movie to you, for the rest of the earth's population skip this movie because you'll be either bored or disturbed by it.