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The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Wes Craven (writer)
Release Date:
22 July 1977 (USA)
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Tagline:
The lucky ones died first... more
Plot:
On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Desert
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Cannibal
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Blood
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Dead Animal
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Shot In The Chest
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Awards:
1 win
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NewsDesk:
(16 articles)
Why You Really Should Experience 'The House of the Devil'
(From CinemaSpy. 26 October 2009, 9:20 PM, PDT)
First Look: Trinity Of Terrors Programming Schedule!
(From Fangoria. 24 October 2009, 4:29 PM, PDT)
(From CinemaSpy. 26 October 2009, 9:20 PM, PDT)
First Look: Trinity Of Terrors Programming Schedule!
(From Fangoria. 24 October 2009, 4:29 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Wes Craven's finest movie.
more (171 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Susan Lanier | ... | Brenda Carter | |
| Robert Houston | ... | Bobby Carter | |
| Martin Speer | ... | Doug Wood | |
| Dee Wallace | ... | Lynne Wood | |
| Russ Grieve | ... | Big Bob Carter | |
| John Steadman | ... | Fred | |
| James Whitworth | ... | Jupiter | |
| Virginia Vincent | ... | Ethel Carter | |
| Lance Gordon | ... | Mars | |
| Michael Berryman | ... | Pluto | |
| Janus Blythe | ... | Ruby | |
| Cordy Clark | ... | Mama | |
| Brenda Marinoff | ... | Katy | |
| Peter Locke | ... | Mercury (as Arthur King) | |
| Flora | ... | Beauty, the Carters' Dog |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Blood Relations (USA) (original script title)
Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (USA) (LD title)
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Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (USA) (LD title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
89 min | UK:86 min (cut version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
New Zealand:R18 |
USA:X (original rating) |
USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) |
Finland:(Banned) (1986) |
Finland:K-16 (1996) |
USA:R (MPAA rating) |
Italy:VM14 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 (cut) (1987) |
UK:X (original rating) (cut) |
Germany:18 (uncut) (2008) |
Argentina:X (original rating) |
Netherlands:16 |
Argentina:18 (re-rating) |
Australia:R |
Norway:18 |
UK:18 |
USA:R |
Iceland:16
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
For the scene where the feral family is eating Bob, the actors were actually eating a leg of lamb roast.
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Goofs:
Continuity: As Jupiter and Pluto are heading toward the trailer, the scar on Jupiter's face disappears for several shots.
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Quotes:
Ethel Carter:
[while looking at a road map] We are not lost, we're right here somewhere on this little blue line.
Lynne Wood: This road is not a blue line, it's a dotted line, if it's even on the map at all!
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Lynne Wood: This road is not a blue line, it's a dotted line, if it's even on the map at all!
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Movie Connections:
Edited into Looking Back at 'The Hills Have Eyes' (2003) (V)
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FAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersWho lives and who dies?
Why is Ruby different from the other Hill people?
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more (171 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Hills Have Eyes (1977)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Help with old horror films... | Apolyon |
| The remake of this......in fact about any remake | Stoidy |
| All Time Horror Classic | StruttingRooster |
| Uncut in America? | ferrjdjs |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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| The Hills Have Eyes | Dèmoni 2: L'incubo ritorna | Resident Evil: Extinction | Grindhouse | Dawn of the Dead |
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Horror section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |



The Carter family are travelling through the desert on their way to California. Head of the family Bob (Russ Grieve), a retired police officer, decides to visit an inherited silver-mine on the way, and ignoring the advice of Fred (John Steadman), a local filling station owner, drives off the main road towards the hills. An accident leaves the family stranded and easy pickings for a family of cannibals lead by Jupiter (James Whitworth). Following a savage attack by this family, which leaves a number of the Carter's dead, the survivors realise that to continue surviving they too will have to become savages.
Wes Craven followed his controversial debut The Last House on the Left' (1972) with this far greater arranged and compelling tale of family warfare. The Hills Have Eyes' is a movie with a raw brutality that has been unsurpassed in any of Craven's films to date, and is possibly the finest horror movie to be directed by Wes Craven. Despite not being as graphic as one would expect the movie never ceases to unnerve or alarm. The atmosphere, which bears a slight resemblance to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974), maintains an unsettling air from beginning to end as the viewer is sucked into the nightmare that the Carter family is forced to endure. The desolation and hopelessness is portrayed beautifully by Craven, who utilises intelligent camerawork and a haunting soundtrack to fully create the feelings of terror. For everything that the screenplay lacks, Craven's direction more than makes up for and one wonders why Craven is no longer able to make such raw, gripping and emotional movies such as this. During the movie it becomes easy to identify with some of the characters and then feel fulfilled when they exact their retribution.
The acting, while not up to the standard of Craven's more recent offerings such as Scream' (1996), is of a fairly high standard for a low budget 70's horror flick and certainly helps in aiding The Hills Have Eyes' to accomplish a brutal, psychological edge. James Whitworth offers a fantastic performance as the despicable Jupiter and should probably be thought of higher as a horror film villain. His performance demands respect for its power and authority and is accompanied well by Michael Berryman and Lance Gordon. Producer Peter Locke even had a small role as Mercury, the watchdog for this contemptible family of savages. Interestingly the cannibal family come across as deranged hippies, which explains their planetary names. Virginia Vincent was the only performer that I really could not tolerate, but that could be because of the poor scripting for her religious-nut character Ethel. A very special mention has to go to Stryker the Alsatian, who `played' the part of Beast.
I highly recommend this for horror fans. Those people who think that the Nightmare on Elm Street' series is the be all and end all of horror should certainly check this out. The Hills Have Eyes' is, in my opinon, Wes Craven's most thought out and gripping horror film to date which features some good performances, excellent camerawork, enthralling sequences and some first-rate special effects. The Hills Have Eyes' is an excellent example of classic Wes Craven and is one of his most creative movies. My rating for The Hills Have Eyes' 8/10.