Last House on the Left
(aka. Krug and Co., Sex Crime of the Century)
Anchor Bay U.K. Region 2 Edition
(1972)
review by Blackgloves

Wes Craven's seminal, low budget shocker "The Last House On The Left" has travelled a long, strange road since it was initially conceived by Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham as a gory hard-core porn exploitation flick! What started out as a shameless money making exercise has transmuted over thirty years into the definitive horror cult classic. The film's story is simple: two teenage girls are kidnapped on their way to a rock concert by a gang of violent criminals, who then proceed to humiliate, rape and finally kill them. The gang wind up at the home of the parents of one of the girls after their car breaks down; but upon discovering the identity of their guests, the polite middle-class couple indulge in a violent orgy of revenge which results in castration, throat slicing and a chain saw attack unleashed upon the hapless gang!

The decision to promote the movie as a horror rather than a porn film turned out to be an inspired one, and it's salubrious reputation has continued to increase over the years, especially in the UK where it is only now being released after over thirty years of being banned; all be it, still with thirty-one seconds of BBFC imposed cuts. There is a palpable air of sleaze that continues to hang around the film like a thick black cloud; although its semi-documentary style suggests a seriousness of intent by Craven and Co, it's exploitation origins never seem that far from the surface, and in many instances, are clearly visible. Ironically, it is probably this equivocation and unevenness of tone that helps make the film continue to be a disturbing view all these years later; while other, much better films (which may once have seemed beyond the pale) have now become acknowledged classics and achieved some measure of "respectability". LHOTL will never be respectable but, if truth be told, it is not terribly good either. Ultimately, it is the work of a group of ambitious amateurs who fortuitously happened to come together at just the time when the socio-political climate was particularly conducive to the taboo busting nature of exploitation fare such as this.

Several high profile careers have been built on its success though, and it is probably fair to say that it changed the face of horror forever. Anchor Bay UK have honoured the film's cult status with this extras loaded double disc set. Previously, the BBFC had refused to allow any of the central rape scene to be included on video releases of the film, thereby rendering it incomprehensible (a rape/revenge flick with no rape!). Now, with a slightly more "liberal" regime ensconced at the BBFC (if you can ever legitimately use the word liberal in the context of censorship), Anchor Bay have managed to get the film certified with only a few minor cuts. These all relate to a twenty minute segment in the film's central section, where the two females are driven to a wood by their kidnappers and subjected to their horrendous ordeal. Although a few moments (31 seconds) from the most disturbing scenes are gone, the power of this segment is undiminished. With it's crushingly neo-realist nihilism counterpointed perfectly by David Hess' almost impossibly delicate little folk ballads, this is the part of the film that is primarily responsible for the film's reputation, and is by far the most successful section artistically. Craven's main experience of film making up to that point had been strongly influenced by watching the documentary filmmakers who worked in the building where he had an editing job. Craven, probably almost instinctively, utilised these methods here; the sequence was mainly shot in long takes with three cameras shooting the whole scene simultaneously from three different angles. This, plus the use of handheld cameras, helps simulate a documentary style and the stunning performances of the two actresses who play the teenage victims Mari and Phyllis are disturbingly realistic, giving the proceedings a sleazy snuff-movie feel which can't help but make the viewer feel uncomfortable - even after all these years (according to both Craven and Hess, Sandra Cassel, who played Mari Collingwood, was genuinely terrified at some points in the shooting)! Even the actors playing the criminal gang, Krug and Co., give performances touched with genius here (though elsewhere in the film they are, at times, quite atrocious), ranging from menacing wickedness to dazed confusion at their own actions after their animalistic sadism has been sated. Where the film begins to unravel though, is in the surrounding material Craven has chosen to pad out the rest of the film with; in particular, the notoriously inappropriate slapstick comedy that sporadically appears throughout.

This is where the film's origins in exploitation are most apparent and where one really begins to doubt that Craven ever really had any clear idea of what he was trying to do with the film other than make a controversial money-spinner. Of course, there is nothing wrong with exploitation flicks, some of my favourite films are exploitation flicks! But If Craven really were trying to create an unflinching portrait of the dark side of the human condition, is it plausible that he would have felt the need to include the completely incongruous and totally unfunny subplot involving the bumbling pair of cops? It is usually said that these scenes are an attempt to lighten the bleak mood, and to be fair, Craven admits that they're not always entirely successful. But it just seems absurd that anyone could have ever thought that they would have been a good idea in the first place! It's as crazy as editing Benny Hill skits into Scindler's List to "lighten the mood" -- the end effect leaves the film looking totally facetious. Some of David Hess' comedy songs don't help matters here either!

The comedy cops are not the only problem with the film though. Some of the acting is truly terrible and the script is very poor throughout (a lot is apparently improvised - just very badly). For the most part Krug and his gang come across like the kind of "hoods" that were apt to appear in the average episode of "Starsky and Hutch"! There is an incredibly silly little scene where we are meant to be alerted to the fact that Krug is a real mean bastard by the fact that he bursts a small boy's balloon in the street!? The parents of the two murdered girls are also a weak link. The second half of the film completely fails to ignite, chiefly because these two never convince us that they are real human beings. There are far two many scenes involving them that come over like a very bad and unfunny seventies sitcom, and this ruins any chance of us taking their revenge antics seriously.

Thirty years later, the film's many faults are more apparent than ever. But it is also clear that this doesn't diminish it's importance in history. Anchor Bay have gone all out to make this new double disc set a treasure trove for horror fans. Since an uncut version is available on region 1 DVD, is it worth adding this release to your collection? Let's have a detailed look at it and find out.

First of all the transfer of the film seems mainly on a par with last years MGM release. The film is never going to be up to normal standards since it was shot on 16 mm and blown up to 35 mm but after taking this into account it does look pretty good! A hair does appear in the bottom right hand corner of the screen very briefly in the middle of the film, but is not there for long and is not too much of a distraction.

The film comes with a choice of three audio options: you can view it with it a Dolby 2.0 stereo soundtrack, a 5.1 surround track; or a DTS track if you have a DTS decoder. The rather primitive audio on the film is probably not best suited to the full surround sound treatment, but AB have made sure the option is available for those who want it.

Now lets examine the extras.

DISC 1.

There are two audio commentary tracks on the disc which offer us an interesting contrast in views. The first is provided by writer-director Wes Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham; they both seem rather embarrassed by many aspects of the film but also kind of proud of it's reputation. Craven in particular seems to have thought a lot about his intentions and motives in making it, but I can't help feeling that there is a certain amount of revisionism going on in some of his comments. As I've said, the history of the film's production and the dodgy comedy elements included in the final cut suggest that the motives weren't quite as noble as Craven sometimes tries to make out. The second commentary is provided by David Hess, Marc Sheffler and Fred Lincoln and here the tensions between different perspectives on the film are graphically vocalised. Hess is clearly proud of his involvement and the end result, while Lincoln has consistently maintained the position that the film is, in his own words, "a pile of shit!" Sheffler is forced to try and referee between the two - who sometimes seem on the verge of coming to blows in the early part of the commentary! It's an entertaining listen and the trio's views on some of their co-stars are sometimes less than complementary but always extremely funny!

"Celluliod Crime Of The Century": A forty minute Blue Underground produced documentary featuring contributions from Wes Craven, Sean S. Cunningham, David Hess, Jeramie Rain, Fred Lincoln, Martin Kove and Mark Sheffler. This "making of" documentary covers much the same ground as the one on the MGM disc but in a bit more detail, winding up with each of the participants' feelings, thirty years later, on the movie. Craven and Hess are the most vocal and articulate advocates for the film, while the rest of the interviewees' reactions range from the outright hostility of Fred Lincoln ( who has always maintained that LHOTL is the one movie he has always been ashamed of haven taken part in — quite something when you learn that most of his output since has consisted of hard-core porn movies!) to the nervous acceptance (after many years of embarrassment) of Jeramie Rain, who now looks more like a presidential candidate's wife than the sadistic wildcat we see in the film. Sadly, Lucy Grantham and Sandra Cassel do not take part in the documentary. Grantham can be seen on the MGM disc's feature, but Cassel seems not to want to have anything to do with the film these days. If half the claims about her apparently real fear in many of the most powerful scenes are true, that's not altogether surprising!

Next up is a ten minute featurette entitled "Scoring Last House": This is an interview with David Hess in which he talks about his background in music and how he came to write the score for LHOTL. He also talks about what he was hoping his music would bring to the movie and how the record contract he had for the release of the soundtrack fell through when the record company actually saw the film!

Disc one is rounded off with a selection of trailers; TV & radio spots; Cast and Crew biographies and several picture galleries of behind the scenes photos, stills from the movie and publicity materials. The publicity materials include several newspaper reviews that appeared at the time of the film's release.

Finally, disc 1 includes an easter egg which provides you with a website address and password which will enable you to log on and see all the scenes that have been cut by the BBFC. Interestingly one of the scenes — the disembowelling — is also featured in the previously mentioned documentary!

DISC 2.

Krug Conquers England: A twenty-five minute film featuring interviews with David Hess and Gunnar Hansen, over in England to promote the first ever legal screening of the film in a double-bill with "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre". The subject soon turns to the BBFC and their elitist and outmoded attitudes, interspersed with more reminiscences from Hess on shooting the film.

Forbidden Gallery: How odd! This is a compilation of stills from all the scenes cut from this release of the film by the BBFC. All that AB have had to do though, is slow the scenes down and then advance through them frame by frame! If you simply press the advance button on your remote quickly enough to speed it up to real time, you get to see the "piss your pants" scene in it's entirety, part of the disembowelling of Phyllis, and Krug carving his name on Mari's throat - but with no sound! The first thought that strikes me is why are we allowed to see these scenes separately — out of context, cut together but with no sound — but not as part of the main feature? If the BBFC's argument with the film is that these scenes are harmful to certain people then it's hard to see how they will stop being harmful if you see them all cut together one after the other in slow motion! This just goes to show how ridiculous and nonsensical the BBFC really is -- but full marks to Anchor Bay for apparently finding a way around their silly and unnecessary censorship! I'm glad that people who buy this disc and don't have a multi-region player can get to see at least some of what's missing from the film, but really ... the perverse ludicrousness of this situation is really frustrating!

Out-takes and Dailies: a compilation of scenes cut from the final edit of the chase scene in the middle of the film. They are presented with no sound and aren't in perfect condition but they make a neat extra nonetheless.

Tales That Will Tear Your Heart Out: An interesting extra — exclusive to this disc — this is an unfinished short film directed by Wes Craven and starring David Hess (in a very small role it has to be said). Like the out-takes, this has no sound and is in a very rough condition but will be of interest to Craven fans.

"Krug And Company": A rare alternative cut of "Last House On The Left". Actually there is very little difference between this and the standard version. Besides the different titles, the only main difference comes when Mari's parents find her body by the lakeside. This scene goes on slightly longer and Mari shares some dialogue with her parents, confirming that Krug and his gang are the culprits and that Phyllis is dead, before she, herself dies in their arms. The scene doesn't really work but the film's many fans will be curious to see this rare cut of the film. Just don't expect any major differences between this and the standard version!

All in all, a nice little package from Anchor Bay which makes a fine supplement to the uncut region 1 MGM disc if you already have that version. I'm not the biggest fan of LHOTL, but even I cannot deny the film's importance in terms of the impact and influence it has had on the development of the horror genre. AB's 2 disc set documents that fact superbly and is sure to be a required purchase for the films legion of fans.