Last House on the Left (2009)

Critical opinions notwithstanding, Wes Craven’s 1972 original film is the most despicable piece of trash I’ve even seen.  It’s crude, brutal and disgusting in ways other films only hint at and I felt dirty recalling the experience for days afterward.  That being said, I respect the hell out of any filmmaker that can generate that kind of response.  And Last House is probably the premiere example of the heights (or depths) of which ‘70s horror was capable of achieving.  

Director Dennis Iliadis’ 2009 remake is not even half as disturbing as the original. It’s a beautiful film, full of gorgeously photographed scenery, polished actors and high-production values.  Of all the horror remakes out of the gate in the early aughts (Halloween, Hills Have Eyes, etc.), Last House is by far the prettiest and most effective.  And that contrast between Iliadis’ artful compositions and the ugliness taking place on screen almost elevates the material above the fray.  However, after our heroine is raped, beaten, shot and left for dead by a trio of ex-cons (Aaron Paul among them), the film parks itself in the same predictable spot where so many torture-porns have burned rubber before it, providing cringeworthy close-ups of dismemberments, blood-spatter and Scanners-style exploding heads.

 

The updated script does a terrific job of adding new ingredients, giving Krug a teenage son whose forced participation in the assault makes it even more uncomfortable and making sure victims Mari and Paige are anything but disposal slasher types. But as the parents out for revenge, Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter’s bloody showdown becomes somewhat of a letdown rather than the cathartic release it was intended to be.  Iliadis comes so close to redeeming the original Last House’s reputation that it’s all the more disappointing to see him forced to compromise with exploitation for exploitation’s sake.  His film is a far more artful experience than Craven’s ’72 film will ever be…but all the less impactful for it.  

 

Arrow’s new 4K release provides the theatrical version on UHD, while the unrated cut is shuffled over to Blu-ray.  They both look good, but the HDR gives an added boost to the colors and shadows on the 4K version by a considerable margin.  Extras include a new intro by Illiadis (who addresses some of his creative choices) commentary track, new interviews with stars Sara Paxton and Garret Dillahunt, additional sitdowns with screenwriter Carl Ellsworth and producer Jonathan Craven, and archival featurettes, deleted scenes and trailers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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