Craven's 1972, Last House on the Left is a deplorable act of low budget film-making that should be seen by all cineastes. The audacity of its nihilism hasn't lost its edge. The appeal of its cheapness is how it brings out the brutality of what happens on screen. It's close to watching a snuff film during the first half. The haunting ballads by David Hess, who also plays the leader of the rapists/killers really add an emotional heft to the rape and murder of virgin Lucy. I'll never forget how she walks away with that song echoing, "And now you're all alone...". The final half isn't as powerful, but still packs quite a catharsis for the audience wanting to see these sadist gets tortured by everyday suburban Americans.
I saw Iliadis' version and was stunned out how effective it was. The story itself remains pretty much unchanged. Style wise it's as far away from the grimy Craven version as you can get. Which for in 2009 works for the young audience I saw it with. I can tell you that many of them didn't know what they were getting into. Unlike some other remakes like Halloween, Last House On the Left isn't a know commodity. Clearly the audience wasn't expecting to see acts of rape and silent brutality without the help of blaring music. When the knives penetrate you feel them. In that way it works like Craven's film. Iliadis doesn't tone things down though the wonderful cinematography makes things a little prettier, which doesn't mean less pretty.
Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn play the parents with conviction to elevate the material. They become the focal point during the last half of the film, which loses some of the nail biting tension of the first half. Still it seemed extremely cathartic for the audience to see the parents carry out their brutal revenge. This is an audience film by all means, unlike I believe the original, which still has the power to haunt you in your home and in your dreams. If anything that's the major difference. The new version, while better than most remakes, is a visceral experience with an audience. Afterwards it kind of fades from memory. It lacks the complicated sociopathic performance by the handsome David Hess of the original. Still I'm glad this remake was made, it really gets under your skin and almost brings you back to the Wes Craven I used to love.
Special note should be given to Sara Paxton, a teen Reese Witherspoon, she really earns the sympathy of the audience. It's rare in a Times Square audience that a nice rich white girl isn't called a "stupid bitch". Paxton manages to pull off the right amount of vulnerability and smarts to let the audience root for her. Spencer Treat Clark, who plays the sons of the lead psychopath, is also very good and gets the audience to care about him as well. Come to think about this horror film works more than most due to the audience actually caring about what happens to these young victims on the screen.
I saw Iliadis' version and was stunned out how effective it was. The story itself remains pretty much unchanged. Style wise it's as far away from the grimy Craven version as you can get. Which for in 2009 works for the young audience I saw it with. I can tell you that many of them didn't know what they were getting into. Unlike some other remakes like Halloween, Last House On the Left isn't a know commodity. Clearly the audience wasn't expecting to see acts of rape and silent brutality without the help of blaring music. When the knives penetrate you feel them. In that way it works like Craven's film. Iliadis doesn't tone things down though the wonderful cinematography makes things a little prettier, which doesn't mean less pretty.
Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn play the parents with conviction to elevate the material. They become the focal point during the last half of the film, which loses some of the nail biting tension of the first half. Still it seemed extremely cathartic for the audience to see the parents carry out their brutal revenge. This is an audience film by all means, unlike I believe the original, which still has the power to haunt you in your home and in your dreams. If anything that's the major difference. The new version, while better than most remakes, is a visceral experience with an audience. Afterwards it kind of fades from memory. It lacks the complicated sociopathic performance by the handsome David Hess of the original. Still I'm glad this remake was made, it really gets under your skin and almost brings you back to the Wes Craven I used to love.
Special note should be given to Sara Paxton, a teen Reese Witherspoon, she really earns the sympathy of the audience. It's rare in a Times Square audience that a nice rich white girl isn't called a "stupid bitch". Paxton manages to pull off the right amount of vulnerability and smarts to let the audience root for her. Spencer Treat Clark, who plays the sons of the lead psychopath, is also very good and gets the audience to care about him as well. Come to think about this horror film works more than most due to the audience actually caring about what happens to these young victims on the screen.
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