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THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) As a film: As a DVD set: Tag-line: None on this release. The famous one is, of course, 'To avoid fainting, keep repeating, it's only a movie... only a movie...' and so on. Death Toll: Six people. Some innocent, others downright evil. Cutting Remarks: Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham's brutal debut feature has ended up back on these shores with 31 seconds of cuts imposed by the BBFC. Even with these omissions, this is a truly repulsive tale. The matter-of-fact documentary style certainly helps unsettle the viewer, as does star David Hess' often completely inappropriate musical score and the incongruous comedy Sheriff and Deputy.          The storyline is simplicity itself, and here comes a spoiler if you're new to Last House... two teenage girls get humiliated and killed, and the younger girls' parents wreak bloody vengeance. That's about it. The real power comes in the first half, with the rest being slightly weakened by the ludicrous plot development of the gang ending up at Mari's parents' house - especially as the girls were originally kidnapped in the nearby big city.          The Last House On The Left is not the kind of movie you watch for fun. If the film succeeds in two things, it's in standing the test of time as a real shocker, and in making violence look truly ugly. Which, ironically, can only be for the good. Most Memorable Demise: Mari, in the lake. Grim. Look Out For: A nasty scene involving two front teeth and a chisel. Killer Quote: "Piss your pants" - Krug (David Hess) lays down the law to Phyllis. DVD Details: This is probably the most incredible DVD package yet assembled for a horror movie. The movie itself has an audio commentary, courtesy of director Wes Craven and producer Sean Cunningham. Then there's Krug & Company, an alternative version of the film, during which you'll notice relatively subtle differences such as Mari's parents finding her alive by the lake. Fans will also be delighted by Celluloid Crime Of The Century, an excellent 40-minute documentary about the movie, in which the actresses playing Mari and Phyllis are conspicuous by their absence. Rather disturbingly, a couple of the actors suggest that the two were genuinely scared during their performances - Hess appearing little too cheerful about that fact! There's also a featurette about Hess' score for the movie, in which he plays a little guitar in front of Christmas tree, presumably at his home. Still more mini-documentaries depict the movie's first legal UK public showing, in the year 2000, and the censorship battles it has faced in this country. Amid a host of TV spots and all the usual bits and pieces, the cheekiest extra of all is a 'Forbidden' photo gallery which shows us the censored scenes... virtually frame by frame. So with careful use of the remote control, we can basically watch the scenes which were removed from the film! As if all that wasn't enough, Street Trash director Roy Frumkes contributes a box of silent film showing outtakes and dailies, along with Craven's never-completed segment of an anthology movie called Tales That Will Tear Your Heart Out. It's hard to imagine a DVD-set much more comprehensive than this. Release Date: May 26, 2003. [Check it out at Amazon UK] [Check it out at Amazon US] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present