The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

THE FLICK: Low-budget horror hit a peak in the 70’s with films like Tobe Hooper’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and Wes Craven’s “The Hills Have Eyes” breaking the barriers of good taste and the heretofore predictable rules of scary movies audiences came to expect. These were the pioneers of the “anti-Hollywood” horror movie. “Hills” is a jury-rigged minor masterpiece, held together by sheer brute force and an overwhelming sense of dread. Despite an obvious script full of over-the-top melodrama (a weakness Craven carried throughout his career), the film feeds off the momentum of its stripped down story about a family of whitebread vacationers fighting for survival in the desert against an family of cannibalistic madmen (and women). The set-piece scene (and the one that likely earned the film its reputation) is a disturbingly violent attack at the family RV which includes one rape, two deaths and a kidnapped baby saved for dinner. Almost 30 years later, it still has the power to shock. And “Hills” success is a testament to the power Craven tapped into exploring the animal instincts of savage and civilized man. THE FEATURES: Despite its rabid cult following, “Hills” isn’t the most accomplished film of Wes Craven’s career. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at Anchor Bay’s “superfancydeluxe” 2-DVD set. First up is an hour long documentary, “Looking Back on the Hills Have Eyes,” that collects new interviews with the cast and crew. There are some good stories here and it’s obvious that Craven’s mellow on-set demeanor was the glue that held everything together. “The Directors – The Films of Wes Craven” is a fantastic hour-long cable special that explores Craven’s career film by film through video clips and interviews with collaborators. This extra really puts the DVD over the top, putting the director’s subsequent career in perspective and following his thematic obsessions in detail. And still there’s more: an alternate ending (culled from video and saddled with an out-of-place sappy ending), trailers, tv spots, photos and advertising, storyboards, and the original screenplay on DVD-ROM. The film itself looks as good as one could ever expect considering it was shot on 16mm (there’s even a restoration demo to prove it) and comes with an impressive 6.1 EX remixed soundtrack. FINAL SCORE: Craven fans should know what to expect going in. Those new to the fold are in for a particularly intense experience. And both are bound to be pleased with this swanky DVD treatment!