Blu-Ray Review: Last House on the Left (1972)

Until very recently when the likes of It Follows, Get Out and A Quiet Place have attracted wide and varied audiences, horror movies were often sniffed at by mainstream audiences (and critics). If you’ve ever been to a horror film festival you’ll know that genre fans are a dedicated (and friendly) bunch. However, there are undoubtedly some ‘classic’ films which can be more than a little questionable. The original Last House on the Left sits firmly in this category. Describing it as turgid, would be too good for it.

Despite her parents’ reservations, Mari Collingwood (Sandra Peabody) and her friend Phyllis Stone (Lucy Grantham) head into the city to attend a concert to celebrate her seventeenth birthday. On there way there they bump into Junior (Marc Sheffler), who along with his sadistic rapist father Krug Stillo (David Hess), a psychopath (Jeramie Rain) and a child molester (Fred J. Lincoln) have just escaped from prison. It’s not going to be a night to remember.

The most surprising thing about Last House on the Left is that it’s directed by Wes Craven. Interviewed on the (admittedly) impressive extras, he’s still really proud of it. Which is surprising. It’s a horrible and repugnant film which has little or nothing to recommend it. One excellent tracking shot aside, it looks clunky and amateurish, the mix of porn star and unknown actors are appalling and the soundtrack is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Any build-up of tension or terror is completely punctured by it. Last House on the Left is a sick, disgusting and unrelenting dirge of a horror film. If you enjoy watching women being raped and tortured to the most inappropriate music imaginable, this is for you.

3-Disc Limited Edition Contents:

Three cuts of the film newly restored in 2K from original film elements
Original uncompressed mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
6 x collector’s postcards
Double-sided fold-out poster
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
Limited edition 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by author Stephen Thrower
Soundtrack CD

DISC ONE [BLU-RAY] – THE UNRATED CUT

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Unrated Version
Isolated score newly remastered from the original 17.5″ magnetic tracks
Brand new audio commentary with Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes
Archival audio commentary with writer/director Wes Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham
Archival audio commentary with stars David Hess, Marc Sheffler and Fred Lincoln
Archival introduction to the film by Wes Craven
Still Standing: The Legacy of The Last House on the Left – archival interview with Wes Craven
Celluloid Crime of the Century – Archival documentary featuring interviews with Wes Craven, Sean S. Cunningham, actors David Hess, Fred Lincoln, Jeramie Rain, Marc Sheffler and Martin Kove
Scoring Last House – archival interview with actor/composer David Hess
It’s Only a Movie: The Making of Last House in the Left – archival featurette
Forbidden Footage – the cast and crew discuss the film’s most controversial sequences
Junior’s Story – a brand new interview with actor Marc Sheffler
Blood and Guts- a brand new interview with makeup artist Anne Paul
The Road Leads to Terror – a brand new featurette revisiting the film’s original shooting locations<
Deleted Scene: “Mari Dying at the Lake
Extended Outtakes and Dailies, newly transferred in HD
Trailers, TV Spot and Radio Spots
Image Galleries

DISC TWO [BLU-RAY] – THE ‘KRUG & COMPANY’ AND R-RATED CUTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Krug & Company and R-Rated cuts of the film
The Craven Touch – a brand new featurette bringing together interviews with a number of Wes Craven’s collaborators including Sean S. Cunningham, composer Charles Bernstein, producer Peter Locke, cinematographer Mark Irwin and actress Amanda Wyss
Early Days and “Night of Vengeance” – filmmaker Roy Frumkes remembers Wes Craven and Last House on the Left
Tales That’ll Tear Your Heart Out – unfinished short film by Wes Craven
Q&A with Marc Sheffler from a 2017 screening of the film at The American Cinematheque
Krug Conquers England – archival featurette charting the theatrical tour of the first ever uncut screening of the film in the UK

DISC THREE [CD] – ‘THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT’ ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK