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Stars:
Susan Lanier, Robert Houston, Martin Speer, Dee Wallace, Russ Grieve, John
Steadman, Michael Berryman, Virginia Vincent, and James Whitworth
Writer:
Wes Craven
Director:
Wes Craven
Feature
length: 89 minutes
Extras:
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Wes Craven and Producer Peter Locke,
Looking Back At The Hills Have Eyes Documentary, The Directors: The Films Of Wes
Craven Documentary, Alternate Ending, Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots,
Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Poster & Advertising Art, Original Storyboard Art,
Wes Craven Bio, Restoration Demonstration, DVD ROM Screenplay and Screensavers
Languages:
English DTS Digital 6.1-ES Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1-EX
Surround Sound, Dolby Surround Sound and Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 21
Sound:
DTS Digital 6.1-ES Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1-EX Surround
Sound, Dolby Surround Sound and Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1977/DVD Release: 2003
Home
Video Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Wes
Craven’s follow-up to “The Last House On The Left” thematically is quite
similar. Both deal with the line between humanity and inhumanity where seemingly
domestic people encounter frightening outsiders and must become as ruthless as
the marauders in order to avenge the deaths of others and survive. A Midwestern
family traveling through the desert on their way to California ignore the
warnings regarding staying off side roads and go to investigate an abandoned
silver mine the family inherited. Midway down the road their camper breaks down
and some family members stay behind while others go up opposite ends of the road
to get help. What none of them realize is that this land, which has been
frequently used by the air force military exercises, is also the home of a
deranged family of cannibals that knock over anyone who trespasses. It is not so
much personal matter that they attack, as it is a matter of survival for these
brutes. However once the body count starts, the battle between the two families
for survival turns ugly as our civilized family resorts to violence and booby
traps in turn.
This
was the first time I saw “The Hills Have Eyes” and I must admit I really
enjoyed it. I see lots of horror films so my fear and disgust threshold is a bit
higher than normal when it comes to movies like this though I imagine if I saw
this on a big screen back in 1977 or maybe when I was a teenager, I’d feel
very different. The film is quite suspenseful and over the top with memorable
performances by Michael Berryman and James Whitmore as “Poppa Jupiter.” Dee
Wallace does a great job at looking as if she’s about to have a nervous
breakdown and by the end of the film I can honestly say if there was anything
that disturbed me it was not so much the actions of the marauders as it was how
the family goes through the various stages of coping from denial, to fear, to
anger, and with some a strange kind of acceptance and death. Virginia Vincent is
almost haunting as the tragic mother who can’t believe what is happening
around her and who could? This is a movie that combines elements of macabre
humor with genuine thrills and has a cathartic influence on the viewer. Everyone
is capable to just about anything I suppose given the situation and motivation
so perhaps that is what is truly scary about “The Hills Have Eyes.”
Anchor
Bay Entertainment has released a remarkable two-disc set complete with a
restored anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio from the original 16mm film
source complete with a before and after restoration comparison (4:24) to greater
appreciate the work achieved to bring this DVD to fruition. “The Hills Have
Eyes” will never look as sharp as some modern motion pictures, but all things
considered, I think the gritty muted look was appropriate since this is a film
about desolation as much as it is about survival and the thin line between being
a human being and being an animal. In fact one could argue the cannibals come
through as being more human than the family the prey upon at times. What it all
comes down to is our own view of what is civilized behavior and what is not. Can
one fight uncivilized behavior without becoming uncivilized themselves?
Personally I still root for the family going to California because it is the
marauders who prey upon them first, but I also think much of the circumstances
behind the events ultimately lead me to believe that no one is blameless or
innocent by the film’s finale. One can argue that once the action starts and
one family preys upon the other, than there was no choice, just instinct.
The
English DTS Digital 6.1 ES Theatrical Surround Soundtrack may not be as discrete
as one might expect, but it is an amiable effort and quite robust too. An
English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Soundtrack as well as an English Dolby
Surround Soundtrack and Monaural Soundtrack are all encoded onto the first DVD
along with English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as options.
Writer/Director Wes Craven and Producer Peter Locke give an articulate feature
length audio commentary that reveals story inspirations, on set details, and
anecdotes about the actors.
This
is supported by the new documentary “Looking Back On The Hills Have Eyes”
(54:40), which features new interviews with Wes Craven and Peter Locke as well
as Actors Michael Berryman, Robert Houston, Dee Wallace Stone, Susan Lanier,
Janus Blythe, and Director of Photography Eric Saarinen. This perhaps is one of
the best new documentaries I’ve seen produced for an Anchor Bay DVD release
this year behind the one on their “Day Of The Dead: Divimax Series” DVD
release. A retrospective documentary from a series entitled “The Directors”
(58:33) focuses on Wes Craven’s career from “The Last House On The Left”
through to “Scream 3” with interviews with Craven and Actors David Arquette,
Courtney Cox Arquette, Adrienne Barbeau, Neve Campbell, Robert Englund, Mitch
Pileggi, Bill Pullman, Meryl Streep, Kristy Swanson, and Ray Wise. I have to
admit after viewing many of Craven’s films over the years and catching up now
on his older work as well as these documentaries included on the DVD, my respect
and admiration for the man has increased greatly.
The
American theatrical trailer (2:41) and German theatrical trailer (2:45) as well
as two American 32-second TV spots, a 32-second UK TV spot and a 17-second UK TV
spot are also included on the DVD along with three still galleries containing
black and white behind-the-scenes stills, poster and advertising art, and early
storyboards respectively. The film’s alternate ending (10:18), which shows the
original order for the climactic events in the film as well as more general
resolution to the story is presented in a (1.33:1) aspect ratio taken from an
old video source. Comparing the two ending, the alternate ending is far less
effective if not ridiculous compared to the ending used for the feature.
Biographical notes and film credits for Wes Craven are also included and
there is also an eight page insert with one-sheet art and an essay by Jon
Putnam, who reviews DVD-Videos for www.dvdmaniacs.net
enclosed within the single sized two-disc keep case.
Windows
based PC and Macintosh users with a DVD-ROM drive will also have access to the
film’s original screenplay as a PDF file and two screensavers. The interactive
menus on both discs are well rendered and easy to navigate. “The Hills Have
Eyes” is a great flick and a great DVD set worth viewing this Halloween and is
available now at retailers on and offline from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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