This 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set is now available from Arrow Video.
Wes Craven created quite a stir with his first independent feature back in 1972, titled The Last House on the Left. It was a gritty, nasty and at times incredibly unpleasant shocker. The story follows a pair of teens who encounter a group of psychopaths who brutalize, rape and murder them before seeking refuge at a nearby house. As it turns out, the place is home to the parents of one of the victims. When the adults discover what has happened to their daughter, they literally go to any lengths to eliminate the killers. There are plenty of shocking moments, including an implied sexual act between one parent and a gang member that results in a sudden loss of genitals.
It’s an acquired taste to be sure, but the controversy surrounding the film earned the movie a lot of attention (as well as a very positive review from legendary critic Roger Ebert), all of which jumpstarted Craven’s career and allowed him to make classics like The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and, a little further down the road, Scream.
Despite its disturbing subject matter, 37 years later a bigger-budgeted remake got the green light from Rogue Pictures and Universal Studios. Reaction was equally split and, in many respects, even more extreme. There were those who found it effectively chilling and enjoyed the alterations presented, others who were offended by what they witnessed, and an additional group who thought the unsettling original made a stronger impact. Now Arrow Video is giving this redo a 4K Ultra HD upgrade.
The general concept is the same. Teenager Mari Collingwood (Sara Paxton) heads off to meet friend Paige (Martha MacIsaac). They befriend another youngster named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark) who offers them pot. Little do the ladies realize that the boy’s father, Krug (Garret Dillahunt), has just escaped police custody with his gang (played by Aaron Paul and Riki Lindhome). The criminals suddenly appear and take the teens hostage. With the exception of the shy Justin, the kidnappers are merciless. Paige is savagely attacked and Mari is raped and left for dead. When a storm hits, the gang arrive at the home of Mari’s parents, Dr. John Collingwood (Tony Goldwyn) and Emma Collingwood (Monica Potter). They initially welcome the gang to let them wait the storm out. But after discovering their daughter barely alive, the parents must fight the maniacs off in order to get Mari to the hospital.
The contents include the original, theatrical cut in 4K Ultra HD as well as a Blu-ray of the even more violent unrated edition. Frankly, the original wasn’t exactly this reviewer’s cup of tea. It’s hard to watch and even includes a bizarre and comedic subplot involving the local authorities that is in poor taste. However, the 1972 movie did bluntly try to address the brutal and dehumanizing acts that literally anyone may be capable of.
Strangely enough, the remake hedges its bets a bit in dealing with the same themes. While the attacks are equally upsetting, the newer edition isn’t as cold. Considering how things transpire early on, the family unite, survive and endure the terrible ordeal. Even Krug’s son, Justin, is more sympathetic and ends up assisting the Collingwoods as they battle for survival.
As a result of the softer approach, the message is a bit lost. However, the remake is a much slicker-looking movie, features stronger performances and is, admittedly, tense. It’s remarkable to see early performances from Aaron Paul and Riki Lindhome (who was later a member of the comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates). They both effectively play the role of a maniac and are intimidating. Additionally, the final act of vengeance taken on Krug is memorable. For this reviewer, the film is something of a mixed bag, but one can see how horror fans would find the picture memorable.
The disc’s picture quality is an improvement over previous editions, but isn’t perfect. Both discs feature sharp and clear images, as well as some shots that are grainy. Of course, this isn’t the fault of Arrow Video. The second half takes place entirely during the night. As such, there are set-ups that appear to have been too dim or underexposed, and it seems that the brightness was bumped up a stop or two in post-production. This process is likely responsible for the presence of grain and there is nothing that can be done about it. If one can forgive an off-kilter shot here and there, then this is an improved and, honestly, an accurate presentation of the movie.
This release also comes with plenty of bonuses. There’s a brief director introduction and a movie critic commentary track, as well as cast and crew interviews. Those available to talk about their experiences include Paxton, Dillahunt, in addition to co-screenwriter Carl Ellsworth and producer Jonathan Craven, who discusses working on the project with his famous father. The latter two offer plenty of interesting details about the movie and its creation. Apparently, co-producer Wes Craven didn’t have the budget to make the film he had hoped for and was intrigued when a studio offered the opportunity to remake the movie with proper funding. Ellsworth notes being shocked after viewing the original and suggesting changes to make the primary characters more relatable. Everyone relates the difficulties in making a picture with such horrific elements and how they handled it on set. The set also comes with an archived featurette on the production, deleted scenes and publicity materials like a trailer and stills gallery.
For this reviewer, both movies are effectively horrifying but also have their issues. The newer edition wisely takes out some of the original’s ineffective humor that was awful to endure, but also doesn’t go as far to shock audiences and deliver on the premise that anyone is capable of committing shocking acts under trying circumstances. Instead, the parents are almost entirely noble in their attempts to save their daughter and escape the gang. I suppose that the grimy original had its problems and this rewrite managed to solve some of them, but in doing so ended up creating a few new shortcomings of its own.
Regardless, the disc presents a detailed history of the production and plenty of interesting discussion and debate about the end result. This new edition of The Last House on the Left from Arrow is solid and will certainly be of interest to horror movie enthusiasts. It does provide the best presentation possible of the title. Maybe one can even pick up the earlier version on Blu-ray and watch it back-to-back with this 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set to determine which works better for them.