The Last House on the Left (1972, Wes Craven)

If I had to retrace my sleaze-cinema fanaticism steps, I'd safely say that "The Last House on the Left" was my introduction to the "rougher" side of horror/exploitation. I saw this film when I was in my very early teens and, because it had been built up so much as being the be-all-end-all of 'ultra-violent' motion pictures for me, based on what people had told me and all the reviews I now regret reading at the time, I was a bit let down. I was a dumb kid who was intent on destroying every last trace of my innocence with whacked out films and I take full responsibility for softening the blow for myself with "Last House" with all the research and hype I exposed myself to. Live and learn, bitch.

That being said, I've watched "Last House" every once so often throughout the years and, while I certainly admire what Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham did for 'exploitation' cinema - I still have my problems with the film.

For those unaware of the premise: Two 17 year-old girls are on their way to a concert and decide to hit up a burn-out, street urchin-looking motherfucker for some "good grass". He takes them up to the apartment where his convict father, Krug and his escaped accomplices are holed up. They rough the girls up, throw 'em in the trunk and eventually the car breaks down in the woods where they decide to hang out and degrade, cut up, rape and murder the girls for the sheer hell of it. Krug and the gang then come a'knocking on a nearby residence that just so happens to belong to the parents of one of the teens they JUST brutalized. Ma and Pa find their little girl's peace sign necklace on one of the creeps, put 2 and 2 together and avenge their daughter...

While I recognize it as an important forerunner in the 'rape/revenge' sub-genre, this wouldn't rank among my top favorites, which undoubtedly annoys a lot of people. Every time I pop this flick in, I'm always exasperated by the deluding and all-to frequent shift in tone throughout the 'harder' scenes. Some may say it was just the "style" Craven was going for with his debut flick, but I feel that breaking up the harsh depictions of humiliation and violence as much as he did - with sweet music-montages of Mari's folks prepping for her birthday party and the two cops trying to bum a ride out in the middle of nowhere - it hurt the impact of some of the "horror". We go from "Piss your pants!" to silly music as Mari's dad keeps tasting the frosting while Mom's decorating the cake. Daaaad! Two stripped girls cowering before a menacing psychopath abruptly switches over to the sheriff throwing down his hat comically while getting flipped off by a carload of hicks driving by. Dammit, Wes Craven! All this pointless disruption has detracted from the amazingly uncomfortable 'effect' these "heavy" scenes COULD have had.

Aside from that, I don't really have much to complain about. I like the look of the film. Very gritty and amateur looking, which really just makes everything all the more realistic and sorrowful at times. The violence is visceral and ugly, namely the disemboweling of Phyllis and Mari's very uncinematic, face-full of drool-rape scene, as well as her tragic demise.

David A. Hess kicked off his iconic acting career, playing Krug and performing the majority of the soundtrack for the film, which is ALL good, though, as I said before, doesn't always jibe so well with the on-screen 'action'. Still, "The Road Leads to Nowhere" is perfect and even the "Baddies Theme" is fine on it's own accord.

I guess, in closing, "The Last House on the Left" holds undeniable significance in the progression of the 'exploitation' genre and got Wes Craven's film-making career off the ground, as well as paving the way for some of my all-time favorite 'rape/revenge' works, such as "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Ms .45". Still, the 'harsher' scenes being interrupted by comedic musical interludes and flagrant slap-stick bothers me every time.