Sartorially dated certainly, but still powerful, disturbing and raw.
Last House on the Left (1972)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:20
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.6/10
Runtime: 84 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Wes Craven's nightmarish odyssey of revenge helped to usher in a new era of graphic horror filmmaking in the early 1970s. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's THE VIRGIN SPRING (1960), THE LAST HOUSE ON... Wes Craven's nightmarish odyssey of revenge helped to usher in a new era of graphic horror filmmaking in the early 1970s. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's THE VIRGIN SPRING (1960), THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is a parent's worst nightmare come to terrifying life. Beautiful 17-year-olds Mari (Sandra Cassel) and Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) head into the city for a rock concert, but once there, they're kidnapped by three repulsive, sadistic escaped convicts led by Krug Stillo (a menacing David Hess). After the gang drives the girls into the woods, where they rape and murder them, the disheveled crew ends up at the home of none other than Mari's parents, John (Gaylord St. James) and Estelle (Cynthia Carr). When John discovers who has unknowingly walked into his home, he exacts a revenge that makes the convicts' actions seem tame by comparison. Working on a shoestring budget and coaxing naturalistic performances out of his actors (with the exception of two bumbling law enforcement officers), Craven displays the talent that he would later develop on a grand scale with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and SCREAM. Certainly not for the fainthearted, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remains one of the most visceral horror films ever made. [More]
Starring: David Hess, Lucy Grantham, Sandra Cassel
Starring: David Hess, Lucy Grantham, Sandra Cassel
Director: Wes Craven
Director: Wes Craven
Reviews for Last House on the Left
Craven's cold, flat style of filming emphasises the fact that the violence dehumanises not only the victims but the aggressors.
The film, to its credit, details both the initial acts of violation and the revenge that ensues as similarly de-humanising and reprehensible.
The exceedingly low-rent production values subsequently ensure that the more overtly horrific elements within Craven's script often fall completely flat...
An ugly, disturbing, passionately conceived cult favorite, Last House on the Left is much more complex (albeit crudely made) than its controversial reputation would suggest.
It isn't artistically adroit, but if success in this genre is counted by squirms, it's a success.
if one is not disgusted enough to stop watching, one is left wishing that the movie would show more than it does
The party who wrote this sickening tripe and also directed the inept actors is Wes Craven.
A estúpida tentativa de combinar cenas de violência realista com outras de humor pedestre anula o impacto do filme e nos leva a questionar a sanidade do jovem Craven.
A tough, bitter little sleeper of a movie that's about four times as good as you'd expect.
Introduced a sadism that lurks beneath the surface of Craven's work to this day. It's not fun, as horror should be; it's amoral, and you leave it feeling sickened and dirty.
Latest News for Last House on the Left
June 12, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Wes Craven
No director in recent history has made their particular genre as much their own as Wes Craven. The legendary helmer virtually redefined the horror movies with the likes of The... More...
February 23, 2009:
RT on DVD: Final Futurama Flick, Pirates II, and Akira on Blu-ray
This week we recommend the fourth and final Futurama movie (Into the Wild Green Yonder), but only for diehard Planet Express devotees; otherwise, your new release options are... More...
July 30, 2007:
Through Bergman's Past, Brightly
With the passing of Ingmar Bergman Monday, the world of cinema lost one of its most unique and important voices. Thus, we at Rotten Tomatoes decided to pick our favorite Bergman... More...
April 25, 2007:
A Kinder, Gentler "Last House on the Left"?
Even Wes Craven's horror movie fans are shocked when they see his original "Last House on the Left." With plans for a remake underway, don't expect the same sort of... More...
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