The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Directed by Wes Craven
There is just something about late 70s low budget skuzzy and disturbing horror movies that entertain the hell out of me. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the crown jewel of this little subset, but The Hills Have Eyes is another outlier. I have reviewed the 2000s remake earlier, and I do like that one better, but the original has it’s charms as well.
The Hills Have Eyes is about a family going on a cross country trip and breaking down in the middle of the Mojave desert. Soon they start getting picked off one by one by a cannibalistic group of mutanoid people. It borrows a fair amount from Texas Chain Saw Massacre, group traveling in the desert, breaking down and running into cannibal lunatics. The low budget quality of this movie is a strength in making it seem more realistic and unnerving.
Some of the kills are rather effective, including burning the father alive. That one makes you squirm. What this movie really does well is make the viewer uncomfortable. Whether it is the odd appearance of Michael Berryman or the death of a dog, this movie makes your skin crawl. The mutant wildmen are so gross and sexually depraved.
"you don't kill the dog, people get upset!"
Joe Bob Briggs
My only real issue with this film is that it is so dark, you can’t see what is happening at times. This was a common issue with older low budget horror movies. While the lighting isn’t as bad as say Humongous or The Final Terror, it does get muddied at times and I can’t fully see what is happening. Maybe that adds to the suspense in theater, but at home, its more frustrating that scary.
This is considered a classic in the horror genre, and for good reason. It is low budget, creepy, and effective. The acting all around is pretty solid, some characters might be more annoying than others, such as the blonde daughter with her shrieky voice, but it isn’t distracting. I do still enjoy Alexander Aja’s remake more than this, but the original is definitely worth a watch. I give this a B, it is great for what it is, but the rewatchability isn’t as high for me as it is for Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
