Zombos started walking, then stopped again.
“That scene with the children was more horrific than anything else in the film,” he said.
“Yes,” I replied, “in the midst of all that carnage and insanity, to have a hideously deformed child innocently ask you to play with her and her equally disturbing playmate… that was a masterful, almost poetic touch. I dread to think what snacks she's been having. No Fig Newtons or chips in that place.”
“Definitely not,” agreed Zombos. “I do wonder how much longer we can watch such films, however.”
“Why is that,” I asked.
“It seems every snuff horror film relies on the same basic characterizations and script antics to sustain, essentially, an often repeated story, and of course, let's not forget the gore factor: that needs to keep escalating to provide shock value to those ever more jaded gore-hounds out there. Most of the elements in this film, given that the direction and scripting is above average, still used the same old hash, so to speak. Can redundancy sustain art?”
“I would say that most horror-heads just want to be scared, or shocked, and don't really worry about the artistic side of things. Just look at that sequelization antic at the end. What was an emotional and joyous reunion and survival against almost insurmountable odds turned quickly into a cheap cliché that destroyed the film's denouement.”
We finally made it to the minivan, but our discussion continued long into the night. At least I got Zombos to commit to never buying an 88 Airbus and taking life-altering directions from people of questionable repute. The both of us have seen far too many horror films to do something as stupid as that.
I hope.
"Say didn't the uncut version of it just come out on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment?" asked Steve Brown, jarring me back to the present. He was looking at his signing gadget. "It reads mental waves, too." he said. He saw the expression on my face. "Well, how do you think we stay ahead of Fedex all the time?"
I nodded. "Yes, I was writing my review about it before Glenor came to fetch me."
"Don't forget to mention the wonderful extras on the disc," he said. "That Surviving the Hills: Making of The Hills Have Eyes behind the scenes look at the filming of key scenes and makeup effects is very informative. I'm amazed at how many one-takes they had to do, such as the car crash scene, and the Airbus explosion toward the end of the film. Budgets can be a real killer."
Article comments
1 - Steve C.
"It is Rochester." HA!
For what it's worth, I thought the political dimension was the film's most fascinating aspect -- it turned another stock-issue meat movie into a weird semi-comedy. The 'flag' scene is my favorite of any movie thus far this year.
Any idea what the difference between the theatrical and unrated cuts are?
2 - Iloz Zoc
Viewing the unrated version, I couldn't really see anything that stood out as "oh my god, that wasn't in the rated version." One review I read said about three minutes are added, but aside from perhaps more intensity and insanity in the trailer attack scene, I didn't see any notable difference between rated and unrated versions. The extras are killer though. I wish every notable horror film came with extras like these.
And yes, the political overtone was pretty funny and well integrated into the storyline.
3 - Aaron Fleming
Excellent! This is my favourite review on yours so far on Blogcritics, very good! Keep it up!
As for the film, oh yeah, brilliant, probably my favourite film released this year. Atmosphere, gore, relentless intensity, it has everything! Far better than the shoddy original (for once).
4 - gonzo marx
fucking hilarious!!!
/golfclap
one of the finest Reviews i've ever read
i have not seen this remake yet, since i was such a devotee of the original film, and consider it as possibly the Birth of the modern "slasher" flick
but with such Insight as has been typed here, i guess i'll be buying a DVD soon...
well, as soon as i finish clearing these zombies out from between the Round House and my car...
now, where did i leave the katana?
Excelsior?
5 - Iloz Zoc
Thanks Aaron and Gonzo, coming from you guys, that's an ego booster for sure. The only thing I didn't like about the film was that 'not done yet' ending. After all those people went through, I wanted them to have their moment of victory last, not ruined by a common sequelization-antic.
After seeing this film, I definitely am not taking any scenic routes in the desert, that's for sure. No way.
6 - Duke De Mondo
i must add my voice to the chorus of well-deserved praise for this screed, good sir. marvellous stuff.
i love the original, and am altogether suspisious of any tinkerings with such marvels for no reason other than we can make it look all shiny and have scarier make up an such, but there's no doubt this new fangled variant is an exceptional flick, regardless of the wonders of Craven's grot-fest.
As i suspected, Aja shines like an arsefulla crystal when wrappin that demented mind o' his round something like this, stark and raw and economical. the highly embaressing Haute Tension, whilst a trial to sit through following the wonderful opening twenty minutes, hinted at the kinda wonders he'd be capable of, when he'd gotten that terribly adolescent desire to twist and "suprise" and unsettle via a series of spectacularly stupid plot gyrations out his system. i look forward to his next sickeningly glorious exploits with much breath a-baited. and to your next screed, also, good sir.
7 - RJ Elliott
Hey, I used to live in Rochester! :)
8 - RJ Elliott
So, in the unrated version, does it actually show the teenage girl getting raped (and possibly impregnated) by the mutant?
9 - Iloz Zoc
Hey Duke, thanks for the kind words!
10 - Iloz Zoc
RJ,
First, about living in Rochester: are you bragging or complaining?
Second, the scene appeared to me to be the same in both versions. My memory is hazy on this point, though, when Lizard attacks the older girl as she runs into the trailer. I don't remember him sticking his ugly mouth on her bosom and going to town in the rated version. Anyone remember if he did this in the rated version?
11 - Chindi
Excellent review! I actually snorted tea out of my snout. The Flick Filosopher has some competition now. I had just seen the film shortly before reading your review. I had the same thoughts you did regarding the political overtones and the tired use of gore. Nice character development with the son-in-law, though, but I had hoped, given that the film is a remake and with good use of poetic (ha!) license, that the mother would last longer. I was looking forward to seeing her shed the "turn the other cheek" aspect her faith for "an eye for an eye", blow 'em all to hell attitude. It's always more amusing when it's a woman going that route.
There were a few moments in the film where my adrenaline kicked, but those were few and far between. Those were the scenes where the shadowy form would flit by the camera when you would least expect it. I prefer those moments to a splat-fest (remember the chilling voice on the tape recorder in "The Changeling"?"I shed fur nervously for two days after that). The father firing wildly into the darkness was a great commentary on the fact that no matter how "cocksure" anyone is, we're all scared of voices in the dark (unless you are one of those voices). To be fair, this film was less drippy than others I could name.
As you say, with a DVD, it's all about the extras and I suspect that I will be ordering my copy from Amazon today. Well done. Well done, indeed.
12 - Iloz Zoc
Thanks Chindi! I love the Flick Chick! And I definitely like a female character delivering a truckload of whoopass on an evil doer. Yes, definitely. Makes for great mommadrama, as I like to call it.
13 - RJ Elliott
"First, about living in Rochester: are you bragging or complaining?"
Bragging, I suppose... :-/ It's not a bad place...or at least it wasn't in the 1980s...
14 - MCH
"So, in the unrated version, does it actually show the teenage girl getting raped (and possibly impregnated) by the mutant?"
- RJ Elliott
I figured you'd want to watch that...
15 - RJ Elliott
That's actually a scene that was left somewhat ambiguous in the theatrical release, and has been a point of much discussion among fans of this film...that's why I asked...
16 - COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED
WITHOUT A DOUBT THE ABSOLUTE WORST MOST DISAPPOINTING PIECE OF SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN!
THE DIRECTOR SHOULD BE SHOT! WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT!