Rish Outfield's reviews
This was extraordinarily well-made. I'm sure it cost less than a trip to the lingerie shoppe, but it didn't look it.
A big family (and their two dogs) on a cross-country journey happens upon a scared old man who warns them not to take the "scenic" dirt road through the desert. Of course they do, and they pay a nasty price. You see, there's something of a pack of wild hill people out there, intent on robbing, killing, and doing god knows what else to those unfortunate souls who happen into their blood-stained territory.
Directed by a young and impressionable Wes Craven, I was terrified that "Eyes" would be in the same vein as Last House On The Left, which was so grim and depressing, it made Seven look like The Journey of Natty Gann.
Luckily, I found it so much lighter and so much more watchable, that I didn't even feel I had to justify myself in liking it. It wasn't a laugh riot, or one you'd want to watch every Kwanzaa, but so much better than my expectations that my praise is mile high. The characters were pretty realistic (as usual, I related to the most useless, cringing of the characters) and the action sequences were clever and exciting. Like I said, it was cheap, but that actually made it better. The dogs were a nice touch, and one of them produced one of the most gruesome wounds ever! Mr. Craven is one of my favourite directors, and unlike his earliest work, this one was legitimately entertaining (something he'd guarantee even in such bad films as Deadly Friend, The People Under the Stairs, and Vampire in Brooklyn). It was disturbing and scary, especially since the story was told in a way that hinted that evil not only COULD win, but probably would. And the thought that someone would steal your newborn baby, not to raise as their own, but to EAT. . . well, that just unsettles me beyond words (they call the child "tenderloin"). Here was another example of a film where I never even considered wanting the villains to win.
I'd Recommend It To: Now, this film isn't for everyone. Sometimes it gets really unpleasant. But if you like that sort of thing, I think you'll appreciate The Hills Have Eyes as I did.
Note: If I ran the world, Michael Berryman would get lots of girls. But who knows, he may already.
Posted: January 12, 2001

The tyranist's thoughts
I've long been a Wes Craven fan but have neglected to search out this, his second film. No special reason, it was just never at the top of my list. That and the fact that I find the cover image for this one particularly creepy.
So we have yet another story of a family that lives out in the middle of nowhere and likes to kill, rape, and or eat innocent passersby. It really doesn't deviate from the formula that much and since it is a formula that I particularly don't enjoy, you can guess what I thought of the movie.
I have to admit that it wasn't all bad and didn't leave me with the sick feeling that Last House on the Left did. There are a couple funny bits, a few inexplicable bits and a lot of normal killer stalking victims, victims try to strike back type stuff.
See it for yourself. I didn't like it much but Rish seemed to so you might too.
Posted: January 12, 2001