The lucky ones died first...
1977-07-22
$0.3M
90 min
Taking an ill-advised detour en-route to California, the Carter family soon run into trouble when their RV breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, they find themselves at the mercy of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills.
You folks. Stay on the main road now you hear!
After having announced himself to the horror hordes with The Last House on the Left, Craven's next horror pick would be this, The Hills Have Eyes, another slab of grit and grime.
A nuclear family head across the desert in their giant trailer only to break down and find there's beasties in the hills hungry for their blood.
It has become very much a popular cult pic with Craven fans, which is understandable given the brisk pacing, moments of intensity and suspense, while the allegories and messages are smartly inserted. But the low budget does affect the product, it looks cheap and renders much of the violence and sexual aspects (implied or otherwise) as being not very frightening or stomach churning. While some of the acting is very poor, further adding a cartoonish feel to what should have been a nerve shredding experience.
Above average for sure, but not the masterpiece some would have you believe. 6/10
Though the case of The Hills Have Eyes is a rare one wherein I feel that the remake is in its entirety a better film than the original, Wes Craven's 1977 exploitation horror is still a solid movie, just one that doesn't succeed in its totality. Gimme a Beast spin-off anyday though.
Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.
This is one I could've sworn I had seen before and while I think I remembered a few scenes, the rest was a blank. In any case, I thought it was okay for a independent horror film with characters that at least weren't obnoxious. It's nothing special but I suppose entertaining enough. 3.5/5
Despite being warned by a cranky old garage owner to stay on the highway, know-it-all "Big Bob Carter" (Russ Grieve) decides to take his family on a dirt track so they can try to find an old silver mine. The road is barely designed for a donkey, much less a car towing a caravan and so into a ditch they go and their troubles begin. Initially, that is just the inconvenience but when one of their dogs heads off, chased by his son "Bobby" (Robert Houston - clad in the tiniest pair of shorts that still appeared perfectly adequate for modesty, though), we start to realise that there is danger all around them. Yep, they have strayed into the territory of a family of interbred hillbillies who are quite happy to terrorise the family. Should they stay in their van or try to escape? What about the baby they have with them? At least they still have one more dog! Can they survive? To be honest, a combination of hysterical screaming and some terrible acting (except from the dog) made this nigh-on unwatchable for me. The production - single camera with terrible editing and continuity - seemed to lurch from one badly framed shot to another and the fact that this family of urban drips developed some ruthless desert-ninja skills in a matter of moments - especially the hapless "Bobby" who at least put some jeans on - just contributed to a scare free story that left me bored. Nope, just not for me...
An Ohio family vs a clan of cannibals in the Southwest desert
Wes Craven developed this after the deserved success of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” with further inspiration stemming from the 16th century ‘Sawney’ Bean legend of Galloway, Scotland. “Deliverance” was also no doubt an influence, not to mention a little “Straw Dogs” seeing as how the theme involves civilized people turning to utter savagery to survive, which was also the moral of “Witchfinder General,” aka “The Conqueror Worm.”
The milieu and general vibe is similar to “Gargoyles” from four years earlier, but this is easily the least of all these movies due to a lack of artistry, dull storytelling, and comic booky antagonists. It would’ve worked better IMHO if the cannibal family was depicted in a more mysterious manner. Instead, they’re depicted in broad daylight pretty much from the get-go.
If you can roll with the cheesiness, however, the proceedings pick up in the last act with an interesting turn-the-tables element.
Janus Blythe stands out in the feminine department as Ruby, who thankfully comes to the fore in the final half hour. More should’ve been done with her. Janus happened to be one of the few good things about Tobe Hooper’s “Eaten Alive” from the year before. Dee Wallace (Lynne) is a slightly lesser highlight while conventional blonde Susan Lanier (Brenda) is a’right.
A sequel came out in 1984 (which I have yet to view; and probably won’t after seeing this), followed by a remake in 2006, which isn’t exactly great but it’s superior to this, plus a mediocre sequel in 2007. The Asylum’s “Hillside Cannibals” came out shortly after the remake and it effectively kept the proceedings raw, grim and horrifying. S. Craig Zahler was inspired by these films (and the “Wrong Turn” franchise) for his superior "Bone Tomahawk,” which is distinguished by being a Western.
It runs 1h 30m and was shot in Victorville in the Mojave Desert, which is located 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
GRADE: C
