SHAM034 - House on the Edge of the Park: The Archive Conversation

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by Prince_Vajda

in my eyes, Bizarre is also right when stating that it is a lot better than LHOTL

I disagree. I find Last House on the Left profoundly disturbing in places and so succeeds in unsettling the viewer. House on the Edge of the Park doesn't do that to me at all at any point in the film. The premise is so ludicrous and over-the-top that you just can't take it seriously. Admittedely the razor scene is quite in-your-face, but Hess is never as believable as he was in Last House. The ending kind of throws the whole thing out of whack too, making all that has gone before seem ridiculous.

Personally, I find much of Deodato's film hilarious. Morghen as Ricky is priceless, with choice lines of dialogue like 'Look at me, Alex - I can dance!' whilst wheeling around the floor like an imbecile. Sorry, I just can't take the film seriously and I doubt this film would harm anyone, except for the most seriously deranged, who should probably be in mental institutions anyway.

[JAMIOUSE]

I rewatched House the other night, I first watched it when I bought the Shriek Show disc years ago. It has some bizarre dialogue and set pieces for sure but like many nasties suffers from periods of complete dullness. All I will say is that they obviously couldn't razors for the actresses woo woos, beavers ahoy!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I disagree. I find Last House on the Left profoundly disturbing in places and so succeeds in unsettling the viewer. House on the Edge of the Park doesn't do that to me at all at any point in the film. The premise is so ludicrous and over-the-top that you just can't take it seriously. Admittedely the razor scene is quite in-your-face, but Hess is never as believable as he was in Last House. The ending kind of throws the whole thing out of whack too, making all that has gone before seem ridiculous.

Hmm... I do see where you're coming from Dae, but my case for Park vs. Left, is that even though Left sets up a more believable premise than Park, Park's almost jovial vibe to the depravity is more visually shocking (and a hell of a lot more sleazy!), in my opinion.

The fact that Hess and Morghen are imbeciles almost doing it for a laugh (not too dis-similar to the motley crew of misfits in Left) makes it all the more sadistic, watching two people flip from odd partying to razor wielding rape. Hess and Morghen make you believe that they're capable of terrible things through the odd unsettling performances, and even though Hess is strong as Krug in Left, the rest of the group seem very two-dimensional, and very unbelievable in their roles.

Plus, if you want to talk silly, then the bumbling cops and sped-up country music in Left completely detracts from the terror and peril you're supposed to feel for these two young girls and just leaves you shaking your head in annoyed bemusement with a sour taste in your mouth.

However, I do agree with you on the ending of Park, and do prefer the more fitting revenge ending of Left (but Night Train Murders easily tops them both).

Originally Posted by Daemonia

Personally, I find much of Deodato's film hilarious. Morghen as Ricky is priceless, with choice lines of dialogue like 'Look at me, Alex - I can dance!' whilst wheeling around the floor like an imbecile. Sorry, I just can't take the film seriously and I doubt this film would harm anyone, except for the most seriously deranged, who should probably be in mental institutions anyway.

Well I've got to agree with that statement!

Overall they are both not without their flaws, I guess I can just overlook the flaws in Park more than I can in Left.

[nekromantik]

I agree!

Last house's cops just ruin the film for me.
The evilness inside the characters in Edge just top Last House imo.
I do think the actual Rape and humiliation in Last House is worse then Edge but the sexual violence in Edge is a little more explicit in Edge.

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by nekromantik

I agree!

Last house's cops just ruin the film for me.
The evilness inside the characters in Edge just top Last House imo.
I do think the actual Rape and humiliation in Last House is worse then Edge but the sexual violence in Edge is a little more explicit in Edge.

The humorous police duo really does not fit into that film - if you'd cut out those scenes, the film would become more believable, I think. Just think of our police - they do stupid things, yeah, they fail doing their job sometimes, yeah; but they never get as silly as those two guys in LHOTL.

As to David Alexander Hess - I'm afraid of him in both movies; I think there are few people that can top him playing crazy and dangerous killers. His performances - laugh at me, if you like - sometimes are very close to winning some actor's award. However, the imbecile partner of Hess in HOTEOTP (Radice) is more realistic than the mixed-up gang in LHOTL - as the partnership in HOTEOTP is clearly one leader and one follower; a thing you can find out on street more than once (which is a sad thing ). It's closer to reality than the combination "deranged sadistic father", "stupid influenceable son", "lesbian sadistic b*tch" and "knife-loving sadistic madman".

The final twist in HOTEOTP is a less believable than the ending of Last House - but that does not reduce the intensity of the first-mentioned movie. A horror fan has to see them both - but HOTEOTP is tougher in my eyes; a really angry and evil flick.

Greetings!

[Daemonia]

All good points raised and I agree to some extent. However, my problem is this, the moment we start to take these films too seriously is the day we give the BBFC credibility in cutting these films.

I'll admit that they contain shocking material, but let's also not forget it's not real. I'm not desensitised either, it's simply that I can make a distinction between fact and fiction. I believe that a film can go too far in rare instances - but for the most part films don't upset or offend me, because it's fictional. But they can certainly shock me when they present something so in-your-face that it catches you off-guard.

The reason I say that Last House is better is because of one sequence. The scene in the woods is the most sustained and uncomfortable sequences I've seen in a film from this sub-genre. For that whole period of the film it's almost unbearable and you just want it to stop - it succeeds in that most fragile of film environments, the suspension of disbelief. Granted, the cops are a juvenile touch and some of the acting is dire. But that one sequence is nerve-shredding - and that look of 'What the hell have we done?' on Krug's face when it's over is a genre-defining moment IMO.

[nekromantik]

I do agree that the rape in the woods scene in Last House is pretty messed up but as far as both movies, overall I think Edge has a slight edge on Last House no pun intended

[Rotten]

seems like a second movie is on thenway next year

The House on the Edge of the Park Part II | UK Cinema Release Date

[robertzombie]

A sequel to the 1980 cult classic 'The House on the Edge of the Park' that focuses on the surviving villain Ricky.

SPOILER:

I always thought Ricky died at the end?!

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by robertzombie

SPOILER:

I always thought Ricky died at the end?!

Nope. I think

SPOILER:

he was lying on the floor quite severely wounded, looking as if he would bleed to death sooner or later; Howard would like to shoot him but the others stop him doing so. As Tom calls the police it could be assumed that they come along with the ambulance. So it's not impossible to shoot a remake with Radice recreating his classic part.

Greetings!