Hills Have Eyes [DVD] [2006] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

There's alot of people who slam remakes of classic films,and when i heard that The Hills Have Eyes was to be redone i dreaded the bad reviews that i thought it would get,how wrong i was. Not only did it get great reviews,its a film that genuinely deserves them, and the fact that it was a remake doesnt matter it feels fresh and new and truth be told id say a re-telling rather than remake as there alot of differences in this version,but ones that make it as good,and in places better that the original. The main difference here is that boundries can be crossed easier now,and the censors dont or very rarely cut alot of the "questionable scenes" from films which meant in places,for me anyway it was difficult to watch what was going on(in particular the rape scene). I saw this in the cinema and im not ashamed to say it,its the first horror in a long time that acutally scared me, its got everything here,black comedy,ultra violence,gore and family values :) another thing thats a definate plus is that the cast arent stunning,they look like a genuine family which is refreshing to say the least. All in all if your looking for a proper horror with genuine scares,look no further.

People,you can make up your own mind on the notion of remaking films,i for one have mixed feelings on the concept,some improve on the original,and some are a disgrace to the original,this my friends is a remake with teeth and what a show it is.

The films plot is plausible because the act of nuclear testing in the 1940s is fact,and people did mutate in the fallout of it all,although to say that they all became savages is slightly suspect.The film leans on alot of the scare tactics that we all know and love and of course we have a family with various generations included,driving their way through america,or at least thats what they had planned to do,for upon disturbing a gas attendant who works for the radiation affected mutants,they are then advised to take a shortcut through a desert where hell awaits to put it plainly.

I dont wish to break each and every aspect of the film down for you as that will take away from the what happens next aspect,but lets say murder,rape,baby kidnapping,heroic dogs and cannibalism follow and you cant help but be captivated by it all,it isnt a film that your granny would like,but hey who wants to watch a film that their gran would like anyway.

The film is better than your standard gorefest for one simple reason,you actually like the good guys in it,let me explain!how often do you see the supposed good guy family with their obnoxious children and stereotyped parents and pray that they all get wiped out in a pool of pain,well in the hills have eyes the characters are likeable and you hope the mutants get ripped to pieces,added to that there is a dog that you hope makes it and the baby has its moment as well when you are hoping she can make it as well.

The films plot is similar to last house on the left,and i believe that the original was in fact a sequel of sorts to wes cravens classic,you hurt us,now we hurt you genre,so all in all this is a rewarding film,and as the tagline says 'the lucky ones died first'.

Are filmmakers and writers running out of ideas? There are a lot of movies being remade, mostly from the 70's. Is it because the 70's was the best decade for movies where loads of milestones were reached in all genres. Director Wes Craven reached a milestone when he made the original. I do vaguely remember watching it in 1980 from behind a cushion three years after its release. It was a launch pad for Mr Craven who obviously went on to bigger and better things. It was also a launch pad for that Italian world cup referee who starred as one as the freaks!!

French director Alexandre Aja's first film Switchblade Romance (aka High Tension, aka Haute Tension) was a brilliant debut. Hollywood can rest assured they have found a major talent. I just hope he is not typecast as a horror director although he might do the genre some good.

Anyway the film. It is a quality remake with many twists and turn. The first third sets up for what is to come where we are introduced to the `normal' people. Although is any family unit `normal'? The answer is no as in the second third the nuclear age family of freaks make themselves known with a bang by shooting, biting, burning, torturing and finally, setting up the final third, kidnapping. The final third is the best with our unlikely hero going in the lions den to do the decent thing and rescue his sibling from the clutches of the most dysfunctional family unit you will ever have the misfortune to witness. Why they haven't got help from social services is beyond me. I won't give away the ending suffice to say, like another 70's cliché, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.

Overall an excellent horror film for the noughties with quality special effects and story line. Pity it's not an original idea.