Remaking a classic film is a tricky business – especially a
cult classic like “The Last House on the Left”.
The 1972 original still holds up really well as the ultimate revenge
fantasy – especially if you can find an uncut version.
The 2009 remake isn’t a bad movie, and it follows the basic
plot.
Mari (Sara Paxton) and her parents (Monica Potter and Tony
Goldwyn) are visiting their lake house.
Mari goes into town to visit her friend Paige (Martha MacIsaac) Mari and Paige meet up with a young man named
Justin (Spencer Treat Clark) and go back to his hotel room to smoke pot. Justin’s dad Krug (Garret Dillahunt) has just
been broken out of prison by his brother (Aaron Paul) and his girlfriend (Riki
Lindhome). They kidnap the girls and
take them out to the country, where they kill Paige and rape Mari and leave her
for dead. With nowhere else to go, they
seek shelter out a nearby lake house…which just happens to be Mari’s
house. How far would you go to protect
your family?
The movie has a solid cast.
It’s a little disconcerting to see goofy Burt Chance (Dillahunt’s
character on Raising Hope) act so vile, or to see Mrs. Braverman (Potter’s character
on Parenthood) acting out a mom’s revenge fantasy.
Wes Craven, who wrote and directed the original film, serves
as producer here for director Dennis Illiadis.
He does an adequate job, but the screenwriters have let him down. The primary problem with this remake is that
the movie just doesn’t ever shock you – which the first did repeatedly. It’s simply too tame, and never pushes the
boundaries as the original did.
“The Last House on the Left” is worth checking out for
horror fans, but if you truly want to be shocked, skip it and grab the original
version.
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