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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Differences between 2002 DVD and this one, March 31, 2009
I too was curious about this release. What was different in this release vs. the 2-sided DVD released by MGM in 2002 and now out of print? I have both and they are different. The 2002 release was a 2-sided DVD, one side was standard, the other side was widescreen with some extras on both side. The 2002 version has about a 15 minute version of outtakes and dailies with no sound. In here we see lots of outtakes from the horrible murder of Phyllis. Lots of fake looking footage of Sadie caressing Phyllis' innards, something only glimpsed for a second or two in the movie. Nasty stuff for sure. Also on the 2002 release is a featurette "Forbidden Footage". Its about 10 minutes long and consists mostly of Wes and Sean discussing how prints of the movie came back all chopped up from irate theater owners and religious folk who were horrified by some of the footage.
This new 1-sided 2009 release has a much better documentary titled "Celluloid Crime of the Century" that was produced in 2002 in the UK and runs about 40 minutes. Jeramie Rain (Sadie) looks fabulous in her fifties and it contains interviews with Wes, Sean, David Hess, Fred Lincoln and Marc Sheffler (you'd never recognize him) but the poor girls are not included. The outtakes and dailies from the 2002 version are not on this DVD and neither is "Forbidden Footage". But there is new footage never seen before that also has no sound. There is a lot of nudity in this footage from the scenes where Mari and Phyllis are forced to make it with each other in the woods and it also contains (soft-core) scenes of Sadie performing oral sex on Mari. (Are they selling this at Wal Mart??) There is also an extra scene of the parents finding Mari alive by the lake, kind of like what they did in the remake. There are a couple of other extras too: some short film made by Wes which I haven't yet watched and another chat with Wes that must have been made recently because he discusses the new remake and how he came to produce it. He really liked the new remake, more than I could say. IMHO, the new one isn't nearly as sick and disgusting as the original.
So the difference is in the extras. The movie appears to be the exact same version on both.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
You probably won't forget this one anytime soon, December 16, 2002
It's not so much the scenes of horrific violence in themselves that make one wince here (after all, presumably one has signed on for a hardcore violent thriller when ponying up to rent or buy this infamous title), but it's the frequent juxtaposition of disturbing violence with slapstick comedy that is the really unsettling thing. It's really strange, for example, to see a violent rape & assault immediately followed by a scene of two cops having to hitch a ride on a chicken truck, and (as if that weren't enough) a few seconds later watch the cops fall off the truck when it stops too fast. Very weird. Also, the curious among you should be aware that this film isn't nearly as polished or professional looking as the slick box art might lead you to believe. In other words, if you have no tolerance or appreciation for on-the-fly, low-budget guerilla film-making, avoid this at all costs. I DO have a certain affection for this type of film-making, and even I said "whoa, what were they thinking??" and "Wow, that's really cheap looking (or sounding)" several times during the course of this. Ultimately, however, I have to say that the movie is worth a look, but it's probably worth a look more because it's an interesting bit of movie history than because it's actually a good movie.
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43 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wes Craven's Disturbing, Ultra-Violent Debut is Classic!, August 4, 2000
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is Wes Craven's startling debut as a no holds barred horror director. Unflinching in its depiction of torture, rape, and humiliation it can still make audiences gasp almost thirty years after its initial release. This tale of two young girls on their way to a concert and their misfortunate run in with four dangerous fugitives is essential viewing for any fan of the Horror genre. What really disturbed me in this film is the way the four villains had so much fun in demeaning and then killing the two girls. And how very close help was... Little Craven-esque quirks tended to pop up (such as a sudden shift from extreme violence to a scene of almost slapstick humor) that will remind viewers of the Elm Street and Scream series. As well as one of the killers names being "Krug" add an "er" and well, you figure it out. Keep a look out for the mother's scene of revenge down by the lake, that alone is worth the price of admission. Truly deserving of "cult" status!
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