Even the casual fan of horror films is familiar with writer/director/producer Wes Craven's body of work. His debut feature in 1972 ushered in a new era of horror that cashed in on a more lax view (by censors) of what had been taboo in widely released films for a number of years. That movie was the relatively low-budget, made-for-the-drive-in exploitation movie, "The Last House on the Left." Through the 1970s, that film was regularly double-billed with Tobe Hooper's 1974 grisly gore fest, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and later the nights of terror would expand to include Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes."
Even though "Last House" achieved wide release, it did raise eyebrows and ire from those who felt the rape scene was too disturbing, too real. In this day and age, with new standards for gore films, when the "Saw" and "Hostel" franchises constantly push the envelope, Craven's "Last House" seems like a morality tale as seen through the lens of the post-1960s popular culture revolution.
And indeed, the film has a rather prestigious pedigree. Craven based his movie on esteemed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's 1961 Oscar-winning (best foreign film) "Jungfrukallan." The English title is "The Virgin Spring."
Even that film has deeper roots. It's based on a 13th century folk story/ballad that tells the tale of two goatherds who brutally rape and murder a young maiden. The girl's father, a decent, God-fearing man, exacts his revenge, even killing a young shepherd who was merely a witness to the heinous ravishing. At the end of "The Virgin Spring," the father begs for forgiveness and promises God he will build a church on the ground where his daughter was killed. And, indeed, there is a church still standing in Karna, Switzerland, that was erected in the 1300s to commemorate the young maiden.
So, far from being just a knock-off of a 37-year-old drive-in horror classic, director Dennis Iliadis' current remake, also entitled "The Last House on the Left," has 700-plus years of legend and lore behind it. Truth be told, though, the 2009 version has more in common with Craven's (who serves as a producer here) low-budget film than Bergman's controversial classic or the folk legend that inspired it. But that isn't to say Iliadis doesn't bring a lot to the blood-spattered table. Working with a script by Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth, and utilizing the considerable talents of cinematographer Sharone Meir ("Mean Creek"), Iliadis fashions something less visually magical than Bergman's film but in a different realm than Craven's decidedly B-movie approach.
The basic premise is this: Mara (Sara Paxton) heads to the family lake house with her mom and dad. The first night there, she wants to go into town and hook up with her friend, Paige. The two girls end up going to the motel room of a rather shy young man to smoke some pot. Only we - the audience who has seen the previous scenes in the film - understand why this is a REALLY bad idea.
The boy's crazy dad, crazier uncle and dad's sadistic gal pal return unexpectedly and (again because we've seen what the girls have not), we know that at least two people aren't getting out alive.
The trio (the young pot dude is relatively innocent in the goings on) kills Paige and dad savagely rapes Mara. These scenes are upsetting, maybe because unlike the horrors of "Hostel" and the like that are simply impossible to imagine, these scenes have an air of realism.
Leaving Mara for dead and with a storm on the horizon, the crazy folks take off, only to have a car wreck. Seeking solace, they end up at the house of the film's title, which, you probably have guessed, is Mara's family's place. Mara's dad is a doctor and does some emergency stitching, and mom invites the strangers to stay in the guesthouse.
Through a series of events (Mara is not dead), Mara's parents learn the identity of their guests and set about fighting their personal battle for justice.
The second act of the film works best and is comparable to Alfred Hitchcock's style. Act 3 goes wild with garbage disposals, claw hammers, guns, a fireplace poker and a common household appliance (I don't want to give that one away).
It's an age-old morality tale, done up with cinematic style and graphic violence, and while not for everyone, this new "Last House on the Left" is a well-crafted film, based on the simple notion of right, wrong and retribution that permeates our collective conscious.
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
