The Hills Have Eyes (1977) | 100 Movies Bucket List

 

Next up is some early Wes Craven!

I saw the remake years ago and really liked it, but I'd never got around to seeing the original so I'm really glad it was on the list - it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to watch it otherwise.

I liked this movie.

I really enjoy the concept, so it wasn't a shock that I liked the original as much as the remake.

I loved how classic this feels. When I think of old horror, this is the kind of thing that comes to mind - simple basic stories, obvious villains, actual scares. I love the way the genre has evolved over the years, and I can't wait to get into classic movies that are less obvious horror too, but I will always love things like this.

Tension was created really well. Keeping the faces of the 'monsters' a secret until the last possible moment was a really great idea. It keeps the audience in suspense, and the longer it takes to see them, the scarier it gets.

But even the amount of time it takes for the main plot to kick in helps to create that suspense. 

That being said, as the main scares take a while to get going, it probably would have been good to get to know the characters a bit more. As it is, you don't get to know anything important beyond their names, and even then there are names you never learn.

It might feel a bit slow, particularly as it's only 90 minutes, but I really enjoyed the build-up. 

The last 20 minutes were the best and the most exciting, but this only made it more obvious that the first hour is a bit slow with not much happening.

There were also some aspects of the film that felt unnecessary, particularly to a more modern audience. But taking into account the time this was made it's easier to look past.

I couldn't remember much about the remake, but from watching the trailer it seems to be pretty much the same thing. I've heard the remake is better so it would be interesting to rewatch that after seeing the original.

But as it is, I enjoyed this movie a lot and I'm really glad it was on the list!