A Rare, Great Remake

Rating: 10/10 (28 March 2006)

I have deleted my old posting to provide a new one, in part because of what feels like a very condescending lecture of moralistic people who seem to think that simply because a movie pushes the boundaries, it is unworthy of consideration. For the sake of would be viewers, I will return to this point at the end.
The Hills Have Eyes is a faithful remake of the 1977 horror classic of the same name that was made on a shoe string by a young director who had found his voice but still wanted to test his boundaries. The original movie, like MANY films of the 1970's, explored and played upon the fears that were common to people: a family traveling through the Southwestern USA to their silver mine is stranded and ultimately played upon by a brutal clan of humans who, through exposure to nuclear fallout and isolation in a desolate region, have developed an unrelenting and terrifying habit of killing and eating those who happen along their path.
The 1977 film was characterized by an original storyline, colorful and flamboyant family of villains, a God fearing and conservative family of vacationers, and an atmosphere of beauty and desolation that is both inspiring and terrifying. The remake incorporates many of these same qualities.
In this remake, a family trip to San Diego to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of the Big Bob Carter and Ethel Carter are stranded when the short cut they are directed to is booby trapped by the mutant clan of cannibals who time has forgotten and society has abandoned.
Along for the trip are the Carter's three children, Lynn, Brenda and Bobby, Lynn's husband Doug, and their baby Catherine. Ironically for the first time in a LONG TIME, I find that I've had no problems remembering the names of the characters- usually that tells me that I've seen a movie that has touched me in a certain way.
And ladies and gentlemen, there is no avoiding the issue: the Hills Have Eyes is NOT a pleasant horror movie. The scene inside the trailer, in which Brenda is sexually assaulted, Lynn is sexually assaulted and murdered, and Ethel is murdered is brutal, no question about that! But really, what did people expect they were going to see? As the story line continues, once stranded, the family is subjected to a brutal and gruesome assault that robs three of them of their lives, leaves a fourth cripplingly traumatized, and sees the baby kidnapped. You see, Alexandre Aja has sent a very strong message here: in the dark places and remote stretches of the USA, not everyone follows the same rules that we, living in a civilized society, might think of as being paramount in the conduct of all.
Of course for me, what I admire most about Aja's remake is the way the truth of the peril descends upon each member of the family in a different way, and how these truths, when weaved together, would have given the family plenty of warning. Big Bob finds the bag and the newspaper clippings; Lynn sees the mirror signals in the hills; Ethel hears the breathing on the radio; Bobby finds the dog Beauty dead; Doug finds the crater with discarded vehicles and possessions. Individually, these things are meaningless, however when they are interwoven together, the paint a very clear message of doom that, although Bobby comes to understand before the assault on the trailer, comes too late to prevent the carnage.
There are subtle differences in the tone of the two movies, but for the most part, you are watching a very faithful remake of the original 1977 film- this is something that horror fans respect very much. Of course, the idea that horror fans should be held to a different standard because they don't delude themselves in the notion that the brutality should be a deterrent is ridiculous: simply note the differing reactions between a movie like this, or like "Hostel," and movies like the "When a Stranger Calls" remake.
Having said that however, the truth is that this film DOES improve upon the original in many ways. While I missed the spirit of family that was incorporated in the original through Papa Jup's position as Patriarch, this remake featured better acting, more interaction with Big Bob & Ethel's family, and a wider storyline. I did feel for the characters to a great deal.
To come back to the scene in the trailer, I found it very difficult to watch; I also found it difficult to watch the scene outside the trailer, when Big Bob burns to death to distract the others from what is about to transpire inside the trailer. If it makes you feel better, leave the theater while it happens. It does surprise that those who would profess to being disgusted by the scene inside the trailer wouldn't find the scene outside the trailer as disturbing- as Big Bob burns to death.
But to summarize, the film is unrelenting in its depiction of the savagery of people that can be effected by the circumstances in which they live or those in which they grow. The only question you have to ask yourself is: can you handle watching a movie like that or not? If you can't, then I'd suggest you consider the remake of "When a Stranger Calls." If you can, this movie is for you.
In spite of all the cries that this film is sick and pointless, I still maintain quite pointedly that it is nowhere near as cold as the putrid film "Wolf Creek."