hillshaveeyes

In 1978, Wes Craven ( Last house on the left) made this classic entry into the modern horror genre. Inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it was either an intentional, or unintentional allegory on the growing division between the haves, and the have-nots of society, and I think that this is a major factor in this movies lasting popularity.

The Hills Have Eyes begins with the Carter family travelling through the desert on their way to L.A. Big Bob Carter has just retired from the police force, and is dragging his wife Ellen, his daughters Brenda and Lynne, his son Bobby ( who could probably win second prize in a Luke Skywalker Lookalike contest), and Lynnes' husband Doug , along with their dogs, and a huge caravan hitched to the back of their stationwagon, all the way to California. They stop at a deserted gas station run solely by Old Fred ( John Steadman- Cheech and Chongs next movie). Old Fred tells them that they're lucky to have caught him, because he's closing up and retiring to some place more hospitable himself...his old pick-up is all loaded up, and ready to go. When Big Bob tells Fred that the reason they're going to L.A. this way is an abandoned silver mine given to he and his wife for their anniversary ( an implausibly generous present), the old guy tells them not to fool around in these hills, and to " Stay on the damn road!". Steadman, a regular in Cheech and Chong films , reprises his old timer role, and even repeats this line in Things are Tough all over. What he doesn't tell him is that his evil son Jupiter lives in the desert with a pack of mutant cannibals. Of course there's little to eat in the desert, so the pack lives by stealing from an abandoned air force dump, trading animal skins,etc. to Fred for food, and I almost forgot to mention.....ambushing and eating innocent families like the Carters. The Carters stationwagon hits a sandtrap the pack have dug, and experience a night of murder and mayhem that few will survive.

Despite its desert setting, The Hills Have Eyes has a decidedly claustrophobic feel. After the car gets bogged down, a lot of scenes take place inside the confined caravan. Craven was obviously greatly inspired by the similarly themed Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the films soundtrack shows this with clanging, radio static, and many other unnerving sounds that add great atmosphere. The cannibals are very convincing, with great costume design complete with animal skins, spent cartridge necklaces etc. Micheal Berryman steals the show as the towering mutant, Pluto. He was featured heavily in the films promotion. My only real gripe is that the Carters are armed with two pistols in this nightmare siege. It took away a lot of the feeling of helplessness and paranoia, because the pack were only armed with knives and shears. The interesting thing about this film is that realisticaly there is no good or evil, only survival. The Carters are forced to kill to save themselves. And though the pack do evil things like killing and stealing, in the context of their situation, they simply must do these things to ensure survival in the inhospitable desert. The Hills Have Eyes is Darwinism at its most basic, and is truly a triumph of cinematic terror.