Yes, I know this thread was old, but it's the only one that came up on my search with "Last House on the Left" as the thread subject.
Anyways, I finally saw this movie (twice) over the past week and I agree with everything positive that's been said about it. One person said (before I saw it) that this should be watched with When a Stranger Calls. I disagree. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would be a better fit than that.
This is excellent film making from 1972, right around the time everyone was getting their 2-cents in because of the fairly new time period the R-rating had been allowed, and many filmmakers took advantage of that freedom and took them to the extreme. The Exorcist, TCM, and this one are classic examples.
On a separate note, it was sad to see what happened to those hippie girls...I just wish it had been the girls from Thirteen. Now THAT would have been entertainment!
Also, for those who have seen both films, doesn't Phyllis Chant in LHOTL look alot like Evie from Thirteen?
Would it have impressed you, Cory, if the girls from Thirteen were in it?
Turn the film into a three-hour long epic, with the first hour and a half with Holly Hunter and by the time you get through all that sh*t and the fire to exterminate these wanna-be's has been fueled enough inside the viewer, the posers make a wrong turn in California and end up in the woods. They meet the fugitives and the rest is history and the movie (Thirteen) is saved. Good idea, I think I'm on to something.
This movie is very well made, and a tough watch, I couldnt sit down and watch this movie repededly like I can with other horror movies. The horror is so real, the "Monsters" are very believable. Overall it belongs in the top ten horror movies of all time IMO because as stated it truly shows evil in humans without the movie monster feel.