Search - The Last House on the Left on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Rape & Sexual Abuse, Not For Children, Gore Movie Release: 1972 DVD Release: 08/27/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 24 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Horror, Sadistic Horror See Also: The Last House on the Left [Collector's Edition]

Wes Craven's first film was a crude but shocking horror opus that, like George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), became a grind house hit largely because it went much further than terror films before it had been willing to go. Often compared to Ingmar Bergman's stark medieval rape drama The Virgin Spring (1960) (though one wonders whether this was influence or just coincidence), Last House on the Left follows a group of teenage girls heading into the city when they hook up with a gang of drug-addled ne'er-do-wells and are brutally murdered. The killers find their way to the home of one of their victim's parents, where both father and mother exact a horrible revenge. Like Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre two years later, Last House on the Left was an unrelievedly dark vision of contemporary horror that inspired many future films which copied its effects without achieving its visceral impact. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Wes Craven wrote and directed the gritty, horrific The Last House on the Left. Presented in an uncut form in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, this transfer looks gritty, unclean, and very rough. Due in part to the film's low budget, this was originally shot on 16 mm and it certainly shows. While some of the colors and black levels appear even and solid, overall this is an only mediocre showing of this classic horror movie. Also available on side B is a 1.33:1 full-frame version of the film. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono and sounds lifeless and flat. However, due to the film's graphic, realistic nature, this mono mix supports the film's documentary feel well. Also included on this disc are English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Fans of the film will scream when they find out about the extra features available on this disc. Starting off the DVD is a commentary by director Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham. This is a very articulate, satisfying commentary that features a lot of insightful information on the making of the film. The 28-minute featurette "It's Only a Movie: The Making of Last House on the Left" features all new interviews with Craven, Cunningham, and various cast and crew members. Finally there is a ten-minute montage of deleted footage from the film (which is interesting, if subpar), a theatrical trailer, a new introduction by Craven, and an eight-minute "Forbidden Footage" featurette that repeats much of what's already been covered by the other extra features. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide