The Last House on the Left (1972)

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Wes Craven (writer)

Release Date:

30 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

To avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie...It's only a movie..."

Plot:

A pair of teenage girls are headed to a rock concert for one's birthday. While trying to score marijuana in the city, the girls are kidnapped by a gang of psychotic convicts.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Marijuana | Concert | Parent | Birthday

Cast

Sandra Peabody	...	Mari Collingwood (as Sandra Cassel)
Lucy Grantham	...	Phyllis Stone
David Hess	...	Krug Stillo (as David A. Hess)
Fred J. Lincoln	...	Fred 'Weasel' Podowski (as Fred Lincoln)
Jeramie Rain	...	Sadie
Marc Sheffler	...	Junior Stillo
Richard Towers	...	Dr. John Collingwood (as Gaylord St. James)
Cynthia Carr	...	Estelle Collingwood
Ada Washington	...	Ada, chicken coop truck driver
Marshall Anker	...	Sheriff
Martin Kove	...	Deputy
Ray Edwards	...	Postman

Also Known As:

Grim Company (USA) (16mm release title)
Krug & Company (USA) (working title)
Krug and Company (Australia) (video title)
Last House on the Left (USA) (alternative title)
Night of Vengeance (USA) (working title)
Sex Crime of the Century (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

84 min | Germany:64 min (heavily cut) | USA:91 min (original cut) | USA:82 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (DVD rating) (2005) (self applied) | UK:18 (re-rating: 2002) (cut) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2002) | Australia:R (re-rating: 2004) | UK:R (original rating: 1974) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating: 2004) | Australia:Refused Classification (original rating: 1987) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Germany:18 | Sweden:15 (uncut) | West Germany:18 (cut) | UK:18 (re-rating: 2008) (uncut) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Singapore:(Banned) | Canada:R | France:-16 | Iceland:(Banned) | Ireland:18 (cut UK version) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | Norway:(Banned) | USA:R (heavily cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | Italy:VM18 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 (heavily cut)

Filming Locations:

21 Street and 2nd Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Lobster Enterprises

Trivia:

According to various cast and crew members (especially David Hess and Fred J. Lincoln), actress Sandra Peabody was genuinely terrified throughout most of the shoot, at one point walking off-set.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the killers first pull out Phyllis's severed arm to show Mari, the fingers are moving.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Postman: [to dog] Hello, Cassie! Hiya, girl! Hello there! Now, let's see.
[looks through mail]
Postman: Ah, it looks like Mari's getting cards from half the civilized world. Mari Collingwood. Mari Collingwood. Mari Collingwood. You'd think she's the only kid to reach the age of 17. Of course she is probably the prettiest piece I've ever seen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Being from Another Planet (#5.5)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Now You're All Alone

Without a doubt, the most disturbing film I have ever seen

I have seen some films literally dozens of times. They will remain nameless, but they are there. Some of those films are pure entertainment and have left an obvious mark on me. I have seen Last House on the Left four times. And there is no film that has left more of an impression on me than this film. It is a visceral experience and one that will never leave your subconscious, and that goes for anyone who has seen the film. There are images here that are about as primal as you can go without feeling like you are in a Neanderthal like state. Wes Craven has tapped into something that few if any have ever been able to duplicate. There have been imitations as recently as the summer of 2005 when Chaos tried to usurp LAST HOUSE as the most disturbing film ever made, but make no mistake about it. This is the one and only. This film still has an adverse affect on me. The only reason I rented this film back in 1992 was because I was convinced that ( along with Jaws and Halloween ) Nightmare on Elm Street was the one of the scariest movies I had ever seen. And when I found out that Wes Craven had an earlier film to his credit, I had to see it. What happened in the next 90 minutes can only be described as an assault on my senses. Everything that was good in life no longer existed and the fun and happy horror films like Friday the 13th were exposed as the charlatans that they were. It's not to say that they weren't fun films but they were not true horror films, the way a Steven Seagal film about war is a quack compared to something ominous like Apocalypse Now. I felt a plethora of emotions ranging from feeling sick, to shame, fear and trauma. I was so unabashedly disturbed after the film that a three hour, head clearing drive in the country was needed to calm my nerves. That is no exaggeration.

The story centers around two carefree you women who are going to a concert in the city. They are looking to score some weed and they meet Junior, who promises them some and he takes them to meet the rest of the gang. What ensues over the next 45 minutes is nothing short of the dehumanization of the two girls. They are forced to beat each other, touch each other and then they are raped and murdered horrifically. There is not much more to say if you do not want to ruin it for those that haven't seen it yet.

Was this a good film? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely not. It left me exhausted depressed and it drained me to the point that I thought I would break down and cry. For a horror movie to do that to me is quite astonishing. I have seen most of Fulci's gorefests but every time you see some guy with a drill through his head, you can dismiss is a schlock. You know it's fake. But not with this film. It imbues a realism to it that just makes you feel like you are watching someone's snuff film. It is that macabre and it feels that real. There is nothing else like it.

I remember reading a review of Aliens by Roger Ebert and he said that the film was a work of art and he gave it high marks but the film was so much of a play on his emotions that he did not enjoy it. He was terrified more than he had been before. That is how I feel about this film. It is masterfully made, but it is a tough film to watch. Even after writing this review I am going to have a hard time getting the images out of my head. So my advice to you is if you are going to watch this film, proceed with caution. The subject matter in this film makes 8MM look like Anne of Green Gables.

This is the first time the tagline has read so true. Just keep repeating to yourself that it is only a movie, it is only a movie......