The Hills Have Eyes

Today's horror movie was a glaring omission from my horror watchin', The Hills Have Eyes (or Reasons to Not Go Camping). One of Wes Craven's early flicks, somehow I've never watched this one. Go figure. This one directly followed The Last House on the Left, Craven's first movie, and the similar tone and intent can be felt.

So, plot... family goes to find a silver mine in the middle of nowhere (because reasons), get stuck, camp out, and are beset upon by a family of inbred desert dwelling weirdos. There ya go.

I'll learn you!

Being released in 1977, this is one of the horror OGs and thus needs to be judged as such. Is it kinda ridiculous? Sure. Are the characters morons? Yeah, but hey, it's horror. The Hills Have Eyes needs to be judged more on what it created in horror. Much like The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes is a story about normal every day people who like silver mines being forced into great violence. It definitely has something to say about the violence people are capable of when they're forced to be.

And about camping. Inbred desert weirdos will kill you if you go camping.

While not every part of The Hills Have Eyes holds up, it's an important stepping stone not only for horror but also for Wes Craven's development into one of the masters of horror. 

8/10