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5 Hysterical On (and Off) the Set Moments from The Hills Have Eyes (’77)
Behind The Scenes: The Hills Have Eyes
When you think about Wes Craven‘s cult classic, The Hills Have Eyes, there are words that automatically come to mind — unrelenting, gritty, dark, savage… but what about humorous?
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. How on Earth could a film that was as deviantĀ as The Hills Have Eyes be humorous? Let meĀ explain.
I found myself watching a featurette called “Looking Back at The Hills Have Eyes“.Ā It’s basically a recollection of how the idea for Hills came about, what filming Hills was like, and many other things concerning the film itself.
Wow, did these guys have some funny stories to tell!
- When looking for the set location toĀ be used for Hills, Wes Craven and producer Peter Locke both headed out to an area in the desert, which was decided on by merely pointing to a random area locatedĀ on aĀ topographical map, so that they could findĀ the perfect spotĀ that would later send chills down our spines many months later when the film hit theaters. The two later found themselves in a placeĀ called Apple Valley. It was excruciatingly hot that day, withĀ temperatures nearing 114 degrees. Keeping cool with 6-packs of Pepsi, it was finally decided that this was the site they would use. Wasting no timeĀ to get the hell out of the heat, Peter and Wes headed back to their car which was blessed with the gift of air conditioning. As they began to head back to civilization… uh-oh. The car wouldn’t start. They tried again. Still wouldn’t start. Could it be that the two would fall victim to their own plot? Was this some sort of sick karma? As they tried one more time… bingo! The car finally started. I guess the third time really is the charm!
- One of the most memorable scenes (if not the most memorable) from The Hills Have Eyes is, without a doubt, the trailer raiding scene, where the young Brenda Carter (played by Suze Lanier-Bramlett) is defiled by the feral savage Pluto (played by Michael Berryman). It’s a hard scene to watch, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. The rape scene was actually the first scene filmed for Hills, and of course, that meant things would feel very tense between cast and crew. Suze and Michael thought it would be a good idea to try and break the ice, which is exactly what they did. As action was called and the curtain was flung back, everyone was stunned to see the two performing a passionate make-out scene, instead of the planned rape scene. This brought out wild laughter from both the cast and crew, and just as Suze and Michael had planned, broke the ice for the real deal.
- You would think that working on such an indecent film as The Hills Have Eyes would bring out the darker side of people. Throughout the film, it is obviousĀ that Papa Jupiter and his clan (aside from Ruby, of course) would like nothing more than to kill and devour (“We’ve got us a young Thanksgiving turkey!”)Ā little baby Katy. Believe it or not, there was not a single member of the cast or crew that wanted that precious little baby (played by Brenda Marinoff) to be killed. In fact, many made it quite clear that if the baby was killed, they would want nothing more to do with the film and would leave the set entirely. Hey, I don’t blame ’em. That baby was pretty cute.
- I think that most peopleĀ are under the impression that the rattlesnakes that were used during the end of the film were harmless. That’s what I thought, anyway. Before the snakes were releasedĀ onto the set, they were placed inside a cooler to set for a few hours. Doing thisĀ helped slow the snakes down, thus preventing them from becoming a serious threat to the cast and crew. As the last of the cast membersĀ began to prepare for their final scene, they noticed that the others were jumping up out of their seats and running away from the set. It turned out that the snakes that were supposed to still be in the cooler were let out a bit too early… and the heat of the desert helped get them going again. Keep in mind that these snakes still had venom in them. Yikes! Thankfully, the snakes were retrieved safely, and nobody was hurt.
- The Hills Have Eyes finally hit theaters on July 22, 1977. During a screening of the film, a woman with her 14-year-old son stood up during the film and declared, “This film is sick and depraved!” A voice suddenly spoke from behind her. “You’re damn right, lady. This film is sick, and it’s depraved.” She then turned around to find herself face to face with none other than Pluto himself, Michael Berryman! Oh, what I would give to have seen that happen.
I think my favorite thing about documentaries is being able to hear all about the funny stories the cast and crew have to tell from their experiences on and offset. I highly recommend checking out “Looking Back at The Hills Have Eyes“. It’s definitely worth the watch, especially if you’re a die-hard Hills fan such as myself! So tell me, what’s your favorite moment from The Hills Have Eyes? Leave a comment below!
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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
āThis year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.ā
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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