The Last House on Dead End Street (1977)

After being released from prison, a young gangster with a chip on his shoulder decides to punish society by making snuff films.

Director:

Roger Watkins (as Victor Janos)

Writer:

Roger Watkins (as Brian Laurence)

Stars:

Roger Watkins, Ken Fisher, Bill Schlageter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roger Watkins	...	Terry Hawkins (as Steven Morrison)
Ken Fisher	...	Ken Hardy (as Dennis Crawford)
Bill Schlageter	...	Bill Drexel (as Lawrence Bornman)
Kathy Curtin	...	Kathy Hughes (as Janet Sorley)
Pat Canestro	...	Patricia Kuhn (as Elaine Norcross)
Steve Sweet	...	Steve Randall (as Alex Kregar)
Edward E. Pixley	...	Jim Palmer (as Franklin Statz)
Nancy Vrooman	...	Nancy Palmer (as Barbara Amunsen)
Suzie Neumeyer	...	Suzie Knowles (as Geraldine Saunders)
Paul M. Jensen	...	Blind Man (as Paul Phillips)
Ken Rouse	...	The Whipper (as Ronald Cooper)
Alan Cooper	...	Young Boy
Howard Neilsen	...	Man on Couch
Doreen Ellis	...	Woman on Couch
Helene Roberts	...	Laughing girl #1

Storyline

After serving 1 year in jail a guy decides to repay the society by making some snuff-films. Four people are captured, tied up and held as material for his project. One by one they are killed in scenes for the camera. A woman has her limbs sawn of while he keep her concious. Another victim is killed by a power drill.

---

Plot Keywords:

drill in the eye | intestines | snuff film | drill | power drill | 

---

Taglines:

It's back! The evil that had you screaming... it's only a movie!

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

At the Hour of Our Death

Filming Locations:

Oneonta, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Production Concepts Ltd., Today Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min 76 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the dialogue for this film was ad-libbed.

---

Goofs

At 4.15, the cameraman's shadow is clearly visible on the dead girl's body.

---

Quotes

Ken Hardy: He don't wanna make movies... He wants to be in 'em.

---

Alternate Versions

The version released under the title 'The Fun House' includes additional voice-over directly before the ending credits. The voice-over states not only that the various characters were apprehended, but goes on to clarify that they are serving a 999-year prison sentence.

---

Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: Porno Midnight Heat (2011)

User Reviews

In its original form, this film is unspeakably scary

While I applaud Barrel Entertainment's supreme efforts to create the definitive video version of Roger Watkins' The Last House On Dead End Street, I suspect that the greater availability of this title, especially in this package, is unlikely to draw the film any new fans.

Available now in a wonderful 2-disc DVD full of extras, The Last House On Dead End Street has been completely demystified. While for many years this title existed only as a rare find, an urban legend of sorts--more talked about than actually seen, it now exists for everyone to see, warts and all, and sadly, it's unlikely to impress the more jaded viewers who've seen all the more technically accomplished films that have come along in its wake. For its time, this film was like nothing else...uncompromising and unspeakably scary.

As someone who first saw this film (or had it forced upon him) as a Venezuelan bootleg (with Spanish subtitles, no less!), it worked its spell on me like something that was forbidden, evil and not meant to be seen. You see, there was a time when NO ONE knew who made this film, what its purpose was or if it was real--kind of like a real life "Ringu", if you will. The act of viewing it made you feel uneasy, scared and not a little unclean. The fact that the version I saw was a copy of a copy of a dozen others only added a layer of mystery to it. The imagery was dark, the sound dull, making it all seem much more real. For years I've wanted to know more about this movie, and now I do, thanks to Barrel Entertainment. It's nice to know that Roger Watkins is actually a rather pleasant and intelligent filmmaker with a good sense of humor and not the dark gangster type I imagined "Victor Janos" to be. It's also great to know just what went into the making of this film, and I appreciate it as a genuine work of art and labor of love more than ever before. This DVD is a genuine treasure for all those fans of the film who were as affected and haunted by it as I was.