On H List of Movie Reviews

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The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 3/06, 3/14

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3/06: The Hills Have Eyes starts out boring and will remain this way for the first hour before picking up the pace to finish on a high note.

Yes, it has senseless violence, but the incidents are few and far between. What's interesting is how well-done the spasti-cam technique is. Usually, it's implemented the wrong way, causing motion sickness for me. But this manuever is correctly done in The Hills Have Eyes which comes off as aesthetically pleasing although the shots look cheap and primitive.

On the other hand, the acting is dreadful. So, to enjoy the film will largely rest on how much you can take. The frozen-frame ending is excellent, considering the brutality of the attacks to justify the protagonist's feelings of his murdered wife and kidnapped baby.

All in all, The Hills Have Eyes is a good cult flick.

3/14: Despite the fact that Wes Craven is a hack, The Hills Have Eyes isn't that bad.

Although hampered by pacing issues, it meets most of the qualifications for a cult film. Obviously, the acting is bad, and the dialogue is inane. It's not possible for a band of mental retards to speak this well. Anyway, the movie poster is among the most creative, and the title sets the film apart from many in the horror genre.

All in all, The Hills Have Eyes may look and feel wretched, but it works.