We all need a dog like The Beast!
The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Directed By: Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
The Prologue
While I’ve never been the world biggest Wes Craven fan, I do like a lot of his films and I think I’ve reviewed more of his stuff on this site than I have any other director. Hot off the heels (or a few year later actually) of the infamous The Last House on the Left, Wes made the film we’ll talk about today, The Hills Have Eyes in 1977. Now here is one of the few times I come across a movie where I had actually watched the remake before seeing the original. And lets just say, I’m a BIG fan of the remake. So how did the original live up to those expectations? Well, I’ll say with pure joy that I actually didn’t hate it. I’d go as far as to say I enjoyed, but probably for none of the reason’s you’d think.
The Movie
So the Charter family, Big Bob, Ethel, Brenda, (Little?) Bobby, Lynn, her husband Doug and two dogs Beauty and Beast (haha wink wink, get the name?) are on their way to California. Along the way they stop at a gas station that seems to be out in the middle of nowhere and along with the gas, they get told to make sure they stay on the main road. Now you pretty much figure this is a clear sign that won’t happen and the family becomes mixed up due to Big Bob’s bad sense of direction and due to the fact they apparently get spooked easy by jets and end up with a broken down car, hauling a camper on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. This leads them to be the prey of a group of weirdos that aren’t playing around and are pretty good at what they do due to the fact they aren’t accustomed to the modern era and get by due to them being some sick and bloody thirsty bastards.
The Hills Have Eyes is one of those movies that just seems to have an uneasy feel and look to it. While nowhere near the level of gore the remake would have, there are things here that can send a bit of a chill down your spine. While I’m sure Michael Berryman is probably a nice guy, and the poor guy can’t help how he looks, he’s made a career off being spooky and this being back in 1977 the spooky is at it’s height. He’s here in the role of Pluto of course, and if he’s not enough for you the whole group he runs with, sporting names as Papa Jupiter, Mercury, and so on and so forth, are all creepy as well. While they almost come across as more backwoods hick-ish than animal-like being that live in middle of nowhere, they still keep some creepy credit, however I’d be more than willing to bet it was way more so back in the day than it is now.
The movie also can at times, for whatever reason, come across somewhat comedic when I’m pretty sure that was soo not what they were going for. The performance of the character Bobby (the little Bob, not the big one) is something to see, and not necessarily in a good way. Bob (not that there is anything wrong with it if he was) comes across kinda feminine like? I’m not so sure that was as much acting as that was just the actor shining from the characters, but in this setting he comes across as a major wuss, even when he’s trying to play the brave card. I also don’t get why early in the film when something happens (won’t spoil it) the character didn’t just tell someone?? I mean I guess I could see why they’d want to build that up, but it’s not like they could leave anyway so why not kick the fear factor into the plot sooner? I guess I’m just saying, while I don’t hate the guy at all, Bobby just doesn’t do much for me in this film, but he doesn’t really bring it down or anything.
Also if you are looking for a strong character, and no Doug doesn’t get my vote in that department, you have to pick out the family dog, Beast. Beast is not only a bad ass in this film, he’s also smart. I dare say he’s smarter than the rest of the characters and that includes our crazy desert living villains. He sticks and moves, he sneaks up on people, he goes for the areas that hurt the most, and he’s smart enough to pick up communication devices and take them to the proper people. Basically, he’s a smart dog and as noted before in this little rant of mine, smarter than the Carters, smarter than Doug, and smarter than our bad guys. I guess this alone would justify why Beast has a flashback in the sequel right? So if you want someone to root for and get behind while watching these tragic events unfold, root for The Beast!
Also while brutal and hard to watch at times for 1977, the story of The Hills Have Eyes doesn’t pack as much of a punch to a person watching for the first time in 2011. It takes some time for things to get set up and since the movie isn’t no more than normal in running time by the time the bomb goes off (literally) and the action kicks in there’s not much time left. While it’s still interesting and unlike most horror films you can’t pinpoint who you think will live or who will die, it’s just kind of on autopilot from some scenes to the next. I’d have liked a little more blood and a little more emotion from people without the emotion coming across a little humorous. Brenda’s freaking out is a little much, Bobby’s is a bit of a laugh, and the rest are just kind of there besides Doug and Lynn. But what more could you expect from the lady who would later go on to be in E.T.?? Summing things up, it’s worth a watch but near as exciting or brutal as you might think.
The Conclusion
Oddly enough, I think the biggest thrill you’ll get from this now days is on a comedic level. Old men trying to hang themselves, Bobby going all “Prince-like” in his performance, and a Dog that’s better than everyone else on a smart and survival level leaves a movie that has some blood but more laughs. Still, it IS a classic for a reason and well worth watching.
The Rating (6.5/10)
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