:
David Hess,
Annie Belle,
John Morghen,
more...
:
Ruggero Deodato
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Media Syndication, Inc.
: Drama, Giallo, Sexploitation
: 88 min.
: English
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Filmed in 1979 but not released in Italy until 1984, this softcore story involves two New York street thugs, Alex (David Hess) and Ricky (John Morghen), who crash an upscale dinner party in a New Jersey mansion, only to have the tables turned on them. A part of the clash between the classes involves domination and submission sex games that reveal the party-goers to be much worse than the two toughs who sought to have some fun at their expense. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
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| 88 minutes of my life wasted
by deviance
November 29, 2005 - 6:46 PM PST
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0 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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| This film makes some blatant attempts to cash in on the success of "Last House on the Left" (right down to using the same actor for the villain AND a very similar name). Unfortunately, it fails miserably. It was too clumsy and heavy-handed to be a psychological thriller, not bloody enough to be a slasher, and lacked the sexual tension to be an S&M flick (despite all the nudity and soft-core scenes). Honestly, I could see what they were going for, but I found it boring, boring, boring. |
| David Hess + Ruggero Deodato = A Match Made in Sicko Heaven
by aardvark
November 2, 2003 - 4:30 PM PST
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6 out of 6 members found this review helpful
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Horror movie fans inevitably hold "Last House on the Left" in high esteem; that is, if they are able to stomach its more unsavory elements, which remain shocking to this day. "House at the Edge of the Park" represents an effort to amplify all of the most shocking elements of Wes Craven's classic.
The director this time around is Ruggero Deodato, infamous for "Cannibal Holocaust", reknowned as being the sickest, most vile piece of work ever committed to celluloid. David Hess, who played lead degenerate "Krug" in "Last House on the Left", here plays Alex, a very similarly creepy sociopath. Together, Deodato and Hess come up with another deeply disturbing fit-to-be-banned sick flick.
This film contains something guaranteed to offend most anyone...perhaps most notable in this category are the "ambiguous" rape scenes ala Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs". Although many of these and other "shocking" elements of the film are simply tiresome, as well as being offensive, overall I was surprised at how well-made the film is, especially considering that it was shot over only three weeks and on a shoestring budget. The film looks fantastic, posessing a sort of "cocaine" slickness of eye candy sheen; for example in the rich depth and contrast of its colors. Deodato may have had some sick ideas in his head; he should probably be strung up by his cojones for including the actual harming of and torture of animals in "Cannibal Holocaust", but it's undeniable that the guy knew how to make a film, and had more than a few aesthetic and technical tricks at his disposal.
The bonus features are excellent; included are several interviews conducted at the time of the dvd's production-- a short one with director Deodato, a lengthy one with David Hess, and another with Hess' co-star. There are also some amusing trailers for other Italian directors' cannibal and zombie films.
If you don't mind films which are calculated to offend, are a fan of David Hess/"Last House on the Left" or Ruggero Deodato, then you will probably enjoy this film. It is surprisingly effective at times as a psychological thriller, and something about the look of the film, as well as its eurodisco and creepy ballad soundtrack, has dated surprisingly well, and oddly enough, is probably better appreciated now more than it was upon its initial release more than two decades ago. |
| Movie on the Edge of being great
by PSun
March 17, 2003 - 3:00 PM PST
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6 out of 7 members found this review helpful
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| This movie will likely take you by surprise. Granted it has all the popular failings of the b-movie genre to some degree: clunky dialogue, moments meant to be suspenseful but end up being slow, gratuitous violence and sex. Yet most of the time, it is so realistic in taking you into a surreal situation like Pulp Fiction or Last House of the Left (which obviously the marketers want to remind you of). Many of the performances are rock solid and the characters are surprisingly sympathetic. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 5.64)
74 Votes
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