The Last House on the Left (1972)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

'House' of Axes

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

A remake of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring, Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left was one of the most notorious films ever made, offending nearly everyone who saw it. Two teenage girls head to the city to see their favorite band, but are waylaid by "Krug" (David Hess) and his vicious gang, who proceed to rape and murder the girls. The twist comes with the criminals try to find refuge, not knowing the house they've chosen belongs to one girl's family! It's disgusting and gripping at the same time, but deceptively well-made. This was the movie that used the famous tagline: To avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie...It's only a movie..." MGM's DVD contains a good commentary track by Craven. (See also the The Last House on the Left remake.)