The Last House on the Left

Another Friday the 13th is almost upon us and I'm really excited to get the opportunity to see a remake of the classic "The Last House on the Left" originally released August 30, 1972. The film launched Wes Craven's directing career and despite having a pretty major flaw, remains one of my favorite horror flicks. For those of you who watched the original, you might recall the annoying subplot (the scene is the woods, with the two stupid cops trying to make their way back to the escapee’s car) which negatively impacted the most powerful scene in the movie. However, what makes this movie a classic, and incited some controversy was the graphic realism the film presented. The monsters were not zombies, vampires, or any other assortment of creatures brought forth from the imagination, they were human. Real life people, the kind you watch on the news or read about in the paper and the victims could very well be any one of us. The story (screenplay written by Wes Craven) follows two girls who are kidnapped, brutally raped and tortured in sadistic ways by an escaped con and his crew. Unknowingly the criminals seek refuge with the family of one of the victims, the family finds out and through various means of torture exact revenge. What frightened me most and haunted my dreams for many years, was that what the family did seemed right, it felt good. If it was me, my daughter, or someone I loved, I would quite possibly do the same thing. It’s a good film, although not for everyone. Whether the upcoming release will be as good or better has yet to be seen, but with the masters of horror, Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham together again my hopes are high.