Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Hills Have Eyes Blu-ray Movie Review

Do these 'eyes' have it?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 20, 2016

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 barren but still trash filled environment that greets the viewer at the beginning of The Hills Have Eyes is at least somewhat reminiscent of the Tobe Hooper film, and it also quickly establishes the kind of poverty stricken ambience that seems to be part and parcel of the involving subtext of the cannibal clan who act as nemeses to the supposedly nice and upwardly mobile Carter family who make the mistake of wanting to venture off the main highway to supposedly hunt for hidden silver in them thar hills. There’s perhaps a bit of misdirection in the early going, as a gas station owner named Fred (John Steadman) has a somewhat confusing interchange with a disheveled looking girl named Ruby (Janus Blythe). When the Carters pull up needing petrol, Fred admonishes Ruby to go hide, something that of course immediately raises suspicions.

That particular relationship is explained a while later in the film, but the real plot dynamics kick in when the Carters end up getting stranded by the wayside, with things bad enough that neither their trailer nor their station wagon can get out of the bind. Because this is supposedly a “good” family, a quick prayer is undertaken as Bob (Russ Grieve), the paterfamilias, decides to head off for help back at the gas station, leaving son Bobby (Robert Houston) to protect the womenfolk, which include Bob’s wife Ethel (Virginia Vincent, along with Bobby’s sisters Brenda (Susan Lanier) and Lynne (Dee Wallace). Lynne is actually there with her newborn baby and husband Doug (Martin Speer). The family also has two dogs whimsically named Beauty and Beast, and one of them takes off after an unseen provocation, Bobby follows in what is just the first example of people acting incredibly stupidly. A horrifying revelation occurs (one of the film’s most shocking, actually), leading Bobby to panic and injure himself. Still, no actual assailant or even menacing force has ever really been seen, though Craven hints at such elements in a couple of teases. This is actually to the film’s benefit, for it builds a really palpable sense of dread and foreboding—things are definitely going bump in the night, but what’s making those noises isn’t immediately clear.

Some of kind of frankly clunky exposition comes courtesy of Fred once Bob makes it back to the gas station. Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t yet seen the film, suffice it to say Fred’s extended family have odd tendencies that make them vicarious descendants of the long ago Bean clan. With that foreknowledge set up, the film then returns to the stranded family as freakish marauders attempt to take them out, if only to have something to snack on. Adding to the angst is another trauma involving Lynne’s newborn, something that probably gives the film its strongest “oh, no” element.

The Hills Have Eyes is impressively strong on mood, but as indicated above, its narrative relies on various members of the Carter family simply defying all logic, often by putting themselves resolutely in danger. That of course is a tried and true horror film staple, but it plays here even less believably than it does in some other films, even some other Craven films. The horrifying quasi-mutant family is undeniably disturbing and an obvious inspiration for all sorts of “white trash” horror villains who have cropped up in the intervening years. As Koven suggests in his commentary, while probably not overly germane to the general plot dynamics, there’s a socioeconomic subtext to these proceedings that suggests Craven may have had more on his mind than simply scaring the daylights out of his audience.

The Hills Have Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 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 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 Hills Have Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

The Hills Have Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Looking Back on The Hills Have Eyes (1080i; 54:35) is a well done retrospective featuring interviews with Wes Craven, Peter Locke, Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Robert Houston, Susan Lanier, Dee Wallace and Eric Saarinen.


• Family Business (1080p; 16:08) is an interview with Martin Speer.


• The Desert Sessions (1080p; 11:00) is an interview with composer Don Peake.


• Alternate Ending (1080p; 11:34) is also available via seamless branching under the Play menu if you want to watch the film that way.


• Outtakes (1080p; 18:57)


• Trailers and TV Spots

  US Trailer (1080p; 2:43)

  German Trailer (1080p; 2:46)

  TV Spots (1080p; 1:54)

• Image Gallery (1080p)


• Audio Commentaries

  Audio Commentary with Cast

  Audio Commentary with Wes Craven and Peter Locke

  Audio Commentary with Mikel J. Koven



• Original Screenplay (BD-ROM content)

Additionally, this deluxe edition comes housed in a sturdy chipboard case which includes a nicely illustrated booklet with essays and stills. There's also a reversible fold out poster and six postcards.

The Hills Have Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.