6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
Starring: Suze Lanier-Bramlett, Robert Houston (I), Martin Speer, Dee Wallace, Russ GrieveHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 17% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Whether or not Sawney Bean ever actually existed is still a matter of some contention, but there’s no denying that the stories about this supposed 16th century Scottish cannibal have taken on a life of their own. According to legend (and there are historians who insist that the Bean saga is only legend), Bean realized early on he was not cut out for manual labor, his father’s stock in trade, and set off with a woman who became his wife. The two set up “home” in a cave on the Scottish coast where they quickly became parents to a huge brood. Without a source of income and with a growing number of little mouths to feed, Bean ostensibly decided that accosting anyone they could find in the general vicinity was a rational solution. Not only did the clan rob and kill their victims, they brought the bodies back to their cave where they served the corpses up as food. It’s a horrifying story, of course, and one that has the spooky elements of a Halloween folklore ghost story, which may be one reason why it’s inspired a number of creative types in various media to use it, at least as a foundational element. There’s a rather surprisingly long list of musicians who have attended the tale of Sawney Bean (or something like that), and there’s even a tangential reference to the story in Attack on Titan Part 1 Limited Edition . While Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes may be the most iconic cinematic version of at least some elements of the Bean yarn, as commentator Mikel J. Koven mentions on this new Blu-ray release, it’s possible to see Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as another iteration, even if many analysts have compared the proclivities of that film’s arch villain to real life wacko Ed Gein (reportedly also the inspiration behind one Norman Bates in Psycho). The Hills Have Eyes is a lot more like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre than it is a version of a narrative involving long ago feral Scotsmen (as again Koven mentions in his commentary). The film may not have the high sheen gloss of contemporary horror films, but somehow that only increases its gritty depiction of a supposedly All American family defending themselves against a marauding band of desert mutants.
The Hills Have Eyes is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 (the blurb from the booklet reproduced below lists an incorrect aspect ratio). Arrow's typically informative booklet contains the following information on the provenance of the transfer as well as the general look of the film:
The Hills Have Eyes is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with its original mono soundtrack. The film's grainy appearance is due to the fact that the film was originally shot in 16mm. This textured look is correct and in keeping with the film's original theatrical release.The two most salient pieces of information in the above quote are the fact that this was shot on 16mm and that this transfer is sourced from 35mm CRI elements. Sourcing from a CRI gives a slightly dupey and at times contrasty appearance, two things which tend to add to an already gritty and at times fuzzy look. One of the best things about this transfer is its general palette intensity, with blue skies and deep red blood offering some vivid and nicely suffused hues. Unfortunately the most brightly lit moments, one which tend to support the palette most effectively, also tend to display grain resolution and compression issues, which can add a chunky yellow quality to the proceedings (outside of any opticals, where such an anomaly might be expected). Detail levels are decent in close-ups, but rarely if ever rise to overwhelming levels. Sharpness and clarity are also fairly variable, with some scenes looking very good and other pretty roughshod (one assumes from the two different source elements). Anyone who suffered through the old Image release of this film is probably going to view the Arrow release as something of a revelation despite its obvious deficits. Those who have either never seen the Image release or perhaps not even the film itself should not expect contemporary levels of sheen and sharpness. Due to the variability of everything from grain resolution to detail levels, I'd tend to score at least parts of this transfer closer to 3.0, meaning the average is probably somewhere around a 3.25.
The film was scanned in 4K on a Northlight Film Scanner, selecting the reels in the best condition from two separate 35mm CRI elements struck from the 16mm AB negative reels, which have been lost. The original soundtrack was transferred from original 35mm print elements. Grading was performed on a DaVinci resolve and restoration was completed using PFClean.
All work was done at Gammy Ray Digital, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Scanning and grading was overseen by Perry Paolantonio and the restoration work was supervised by Benn Robbins.
The Hills Have Eyes features a decent sounding LPCM mono track, one which capably supports the film's dialogue, occasional effects and score by Don Peake. While narrow, there's an appealing depth to the midrange which gives this mono track perhaps a bit more full sound than might be expected. Unlike the video quality, there's no real variability at play and similarly there's no damage to report.
- US Trailer (1080p; 2:43)
- German Trailer (1080p; 2:46)
- TV Spots (1080p; 1:54)
- Audio Commentary with Cast
- Audio Commentary with Wes Craven and Peter Locke
- Audio Commentary with Mikel J. Koven
Other Craven films are better plotted and certainly more stylishly shot, but The Hills Have Eyes has an unusual intensity and visceral impact which has helped to make it such a cult item over the years. Yes, it's resolutely silly. But it's scary silly. Arrow has done a commendable job restoring still problematic video, and as usual with this label, the supplemental package is top notch. Recommended.
1977
1977
Limited Edition
1977
Limited Edition
1977
Standard Special Edition
1977
The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 | Standard Edition
1985
2012
Unrated Edition
2006
2016
2016
1972
2015
Day of the Woman
1978
1986
Unrated
2007
2003
2016
Collector's Edition
2013
Unrated
2007
1980
1974
2017
2013
20th Anniversary Edition
2003
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1980