Rating: 
Summary: Horrifying BECAUSE it is so possible
Review: I saw this movie initially at a drive in when it was initially released. I have rarely been so profoundly disturbed by a film as by this one. The bottom line is that the "bad guys" are utterly pedestrian. The setting is as mundane as setings get. The crime is set-up by the film and carried out in such a way that it is very clearly possible. There are no heroes in the end. The girls don't get away, and the end is hopeless as ends so often are. The least believeable part of the film is the retribution exacted by the parents.
See the film, but expect to be bothered by it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Scary
Review: This isn't scary, disturbing, or disgusting, so what is the big deal about this film? There is nothing likable about this lousy excuse of a movie. Critics say that Friday the 13th is bad? Did they ever see this film? Friday the 13th is like a masterpiece compared to this filth! Don't see it, it is not worth your life or time!
Rating: 
Summary: Craven's First Horror Masterpiece.
Review: When a teenager that just turns 17 years old-Mari Collingwood (Sandra Cassel), a easy going girl on the Verge of being a young woman. Mari and her friend-Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) are on thier way to a Concert but when Three escaped convicts (David Hess, Fred Lincoln & Jeramie Rain) and a young drug-addicted man (Marc Sheffler) kidnap and torture them. But the two girls are fighters and although they are been beaten, raped and stab-the two girls are driven into the Woods for even more brutality, how can they go of being alive thoughout thier nightmare.Written and Directed by Wes Craven (Deadly Blessing, Deadly Friend, The Hills Have Eyes) made a strong brutal horror film. Filmed in a Documentary style-filmmaking. Produced by Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13th), He and Craven made this bold, powerful and starkly realistic. This is well written and well directed. The film is still shocking but it seems less shocking by today standards. The film did recieve some strong reviews (Film-Critic:Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times loves this film). DVD has an good anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an fine Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound. DVD has an entertaining commentary track by the Director and the Producer. There's a terrific DVD extras are:Introduction by the Director, Behind the Scenes documentary, Outtakes & Dailies, Forbidden Footage and the Original Theatrical Tralier. This is an excellent film, see it. Craven also edited the movie and Hess did the music for the film. Grade:A.
Rating:
Summary: One of the worst movies ever made
Review: Regardless of the time it was made, I'm shocked Wes Craven made this film, and even more shocked he was allowed(by any company) to get a chance to make another filmangain. One positive thing that has nothing to do with the film is he (Wes Craven) did make more films and most of them were fantastic. The worst thing was the fact that there wasn't any plot, the music was a mix between country, wacky hillbilly moonshine banjo music, and blugrass. Scariest movie of all time? I think not. No matter what the retrospect was at this time or what was considered "scary" this does not fall under that category by any means what so ever. I wouldn't even watch this movie if i were paid to again (as i could barely stand to watch it to the end). I'll be suprised if i get more than 50 cents from anyone for it off of ebay unless they are like me and unsuspecting, just assuming because most people say it was so great and wes craven made it just decide to buy it. It also drags on for the first 20 minutes with nothing happening at all, REALLY making you think something good just HAS to happen,Which never does. PLEASE stay away from this film if you don't want your portrayal of Wes Craven or horror movies of the early 70's in general to be greatly diminished.
Rating:
Summary: No One Should Waste Their Money......
Review: This was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life...I could barely sit through it...and I watch alot of horror movies and I love Wes Craven....what happened to Wes with this movie? I'm surprised they let him make another movie after this one!
It is NOT scarey at all...The dialogue is horrible, the acting is the worst, and the music!! It reminds me of the music they would play in a comedy/hillbilly type movie...
Where is the house on the DVD cover? Not to be found...And it happens at night in the dark? Not really...most of the movie happens in daylight....
I would not take this money if they gave it to me for free...The worst movie of all time!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Horror
Review: In 1972, Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham wanted to make a horror film that would go further and be more horrific than any movie made to that day. They succeeded. Two girls go out to a concert and on the way, bump into a group of escape convicts while trying to buy drugs. The group drive the girls to a nearby forest, rape, torture and kill the girls. The group then find a house and stay the night, without realising that their hosts are the parents of one of the deceased. The parents take their revenge in extreme ways. That is basically the summary of the film - but the power in this film is in the viewing and for the 92 minutes, you are very much alive, on the edge of your seat and cannot tear yourself from the screen. This film is vicious, intense and every bit as extreme as you've heard (probably more so). The real power of the film is the way in which its made - handheld cameras and excellent performances make you feel like you're actually there, watching it all for real, a helpless bystander to the gruesome tortures inflicted on two young girls. Ultimately, for me, this is a 'perfect horror film' - it delivers all that it promises and stays with you long after you've watched it. This DVD edition has a stack of extras as well as a fully uncut remastered print, so if you want to see this film, then definately buy this DVD - it's the best available. Be warned though - it's no easy ride and probably will give you nightmares.. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Hess-A-Mania
Review: here we go again. another fine performance by the facially challenged David Hess. and THIS time he actually did the musical soundtrack. during the interviews David Hess said that people in NY were afraid of him after seeing the movie and his likeness on the poster. Hmmmm, couldnt be that they were afraid of his ugly face, now could it?NO WAY! not an actor of David Hess's caliber. while this movie doesnt contain enough close ups of his leering looks (such as the screaming at the end of HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, or the roaring screaming face on the HITCH HIKE cover) he does play a likeable psychopath. and thats always a good thing. Whatchoo gonna do, when Hess-A-Mania comes staring right at you?!?
Rating:
Summary: To avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie..."
Review: Perhaps one of the most unfortunate things about Wes Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is that the film has gained such notoriety over the years, that it's likely to disappoint countless viewers who go to it expecting the most disturbing film ever made. In terms of onscreen brutality, Craven's debut doesn't quite scale the heights of the similarly themed I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, but it's mean-spirited and sadistic enough to shock the unsuspecting viewer. To appreciate a film like this, you have to take into account the time in which it was made. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT was released in 1972 at a time when movie-going audiences hadn't yet been subjected to this sort of thing. The closest equivalent to this that people had seen up until then was probably exaggerated violence in the Herschell Gordon Lewis vein, and it would be another decade before mindless slasher films would overrun the horror genre. That's not to say that the film isn't shocking, even by today's standards. Watching two teenage girls get mercilessly tortured and humiliated by four psychopaths is hardly something that has become "acceptable" in terms of cinematic tolerance. In fact, the more disturbing elements of these scenes are not the violence or the blood, but rather the psychological torment that these two youths endure. The protagonists of this film are particularly vile characters, especially the character of Krug (played wonderfully by cult icon David Hess). You can almost feel the sense of hatred that these characters have, both for themselves and for others. In one scene where Krug is trying to have sex with his girlfriend, he says, "Why don't you lay back and enjoy being inferior?" The scenes where the two teenage girls undergo sadistic violence are almost unbearable due to Wes Craven's unflinching camerawork. Don't expect any last minute cutaways or convenient editing... Craven isn't afraid to let his camera linger on in the more disturbing scenes. To say that LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is a well-made film technically would be silly. This was Wes Craven's directorial debut, and he was essentially still learning how to make a film. The movie also has some problems in the actual plot structure... There are some rather unnecessary scenes with a sheriff that are played for comic relief. The direction is pretty standard, and the film feels as if it was thrown together rather haphazardly, but these are all minor quibbles. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is, first and foremost, and exploitation film, and in that regard, it delivers the goods. Its main purpose is to shock the viewer, and to provoke an emotional response, and in that regard, it succeeded. If you take a look at the overwhelming majority of the responses for this film, you'll find that people either loved it or they hated it. There's something to be said about a film that causes such extreme opinions, and I would argue that a negative response to this film is much better than no response at all. It's a testament to the effectiveness of Craven to get a response out of the viewer. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the movie, the new DVD release from MGM is truly a thing of beauty. First and foremost, the audio and video are more than acceptable... this is the best that this film has ever looked. The good news for fans of the film is that this new release is packed with some fantastic extras. There's an optional introduction by Wes Craven and a trailer for the film (which highlights the now-famous tagline of "It's only a movie, it's only a movie!"). There's also a fantastic thirty-minute documentary called "The Making of Last House on the Left" which includes some really informative interviews with the cast and crew. We're also treated with a good audio commentary from Craven and producer Sean Cunningham (FRIDAY THE 13TH), a "Forbidden Footage" featurette that discusses the film's most violent scenes, and an outtakes and dailies section (somewhere buried in these scenes is the infamous never-before-seen "disembowelment scene," which is a rather nice touch). It's a shame that LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT has been labeled as being just another horror movie, which really doesn't do the film any justice. Hopefully, with this fantastic new release from MGM, this infamous revenge flick will finally find itself the wider audience that it deserves. Recommended for fans of cult cinema...
Rating: 
Summary: Overated Horror film Cant shock a SocioPath like me
Review: Based on the reviews that I read here I was eagerly awaiting this dvd in the mail. I was told that it was shocking as well as original, but I found none of those elements in the movie. How can one be shocked by a movie that cuts from a rape/kidnap scene to the victim's parents making cake with god-awful happy synth music, 70's retro style? That and there was the theme music for the killer Krug and company which described their evil plot of rape and torture with a "honky dory" sort of folk song. How revolting. The gore was quite minimal. There was a short stab scene and one part that had extensive gore but that was the extent of the gore. I mean the idea of being raped, and being forced to do awful things in order to save your friend from being cut is intense but the only horror generated in this film is all in the viewer's head. I think it is a valuable look into Wes Craven's early career, but this movie is a poor example of his talent. The documentary is interesting, but I can't imagine anyone vomiting in the theatre as a result of the content of this movie. Basically, don't acquire this with hopes of be shocked, or entertained.
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Disturbing Film
Review: My first reaction to this film was that is was absolutely terrible. I rented the VHS version because I'd heard it was a classic horror film. I was hardly impressed upon first viewing it and simply dismissed it as a piece of garbage.
The story centers around the kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of two young girls by a group of sadistic sociopaths and the subsequent revenge by one of the girl's parents. The film is obviously very "low budget" and the acting is really quite atrocious at times. In a scene in which one of the girls looks on as her friend is beaten and raped in the apartment of the killers, her reaction to what she is seeing looks as if she's simply having trouble deciding on what outfit she should wear!! The film has a documentary-like feel to it and it is primarily this aspect of the film which creates such a brutal realism and makes these violent scenes uncomfortable to watch. The humiliation the girls are forced to endure is horrifying because it feels so real.
What surprised me was how this movie stayed with me for days afterwards. It was so disturbing that I couldn't get it out of my head. I noticed that the DVD version had an "unedited" cut of the film along with commentary by Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham, the makers of the film. Upon a second viewing of the movie, I gained a somewhat sheepish respect for the film. The goal of a movie is to make an impact on it's audience, good or bad, and that's exactly what this film does. This is not a "feel good" movie and it's not one that I would even recommend to friends and say "You have to see this movie!" It's fascinating in the same way that car accidents are fascinating. The viewer is horrified at what they're looking at but unable to stop looking. No other movie I have seen has ever captured the level of realism that this one does. You can actually see this happening in real life, just as it plays out on the screen and it is a devastatingly depressing thought. (There is a foreword at the beginning of the film that claims this was based on a true story, but Wes Craven admits in the commentary track that it, in fact, is not true at all.) The last third of the film, which deals with the parent's revenge is no less violent or disturbing.
There are some lighter comedic scenes (however lame they may be) involving two police officers which does provide a break in the tension created by the film.
The DVD "unedited" version differs from the VHS version in only a couple of the scenes in which a few seconds of the more graphic violence was trimmed out of the VHS version. The commentary track is interesting to listen to primarily because Wes and Sean make fun of their own movie throughout the entire commentary, cracking jokes and laughing at the movie the entire time. The DVD also contains current interviews from some of the actors in the film who reflect on the movie and it's impact today.
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