In elementary school I watched the original Hills Have Eyes and thought the character who Michael Berryman played (Pluto I think, the guy at 10:27) was the coolest guy ever. I wrote to Michael in a sixth grade class assignment where we had to write to a famous person and see if we could get a letter back. I told him how good of an actor I thought he was and told him I was sorry that he had "such a terrible disease" (I was in sixth grade mind you so I didn't realize how rude I was being by wording it that way). He has ectodermal dysplasia I believe. Anyways, shortly after I sent it I received a handwritten letter on the back of the original one I typed and sent to him. It was in blue pen I think. He told me about how it was difficult growing up with his disease as he would be made fun of frequently as a child, but that it no longer bothers him as an adult. He even sent me an autographed picture of him in a movie he was in that had just been released to Netflix. I still have the letter and I don't think I could ever get rid of it even if I'm not really fan at this point anymore. It really was just so sweet of him to handwrite it and sent me an autographed picture and take the time to respond. It meant a lot to me to have one of my personal heroes do that for me, especially as a young child. I will never forget it as long as I live.
I really look up to him for conquering his difficulties and succeeding against all odds, and I loved his acting in many movies and shows such as z nation (to name one of the recent things he's starred in) and I have newfound respect for him because he's apparently a really nice guy too :)
Satire is very difficult to remake. It's almost as if directors working on the remake are so aware of the themes presented in the original, that they naturally and maybe even unconsciously magnify them to a more exaggerated state.
thank you...satire is hard to remake...why do so many people who try to remake 70's and early 80's films dont realize?..its already cliché and a parody with a message ..your just repeating that...make something original...god...oh your remaking blank popular movie?..i wonder why oh just for profit not with any real motivation or message just cause your out of ideas ..the worst are the ones that dont realize the true intent of the original film and just think its a film and try to redo it not understanding the satire side of it at all...smdh
I interpreted the remake as having a message that there IS a difference between needless violence and doing what you have to in order to protect yourself and your loved ones
old comment, but I like to respond anyway. This is the thing people like to gloss over, and the moral gymnastic between what is revenge and what is defending your home from an established threat. It's more relevant in todays society, because the courts so love to punish people who react in a given moment to what is a deemed threat. You're in an abusive relationship, be it a significant other, partner, maybe a parent who physically assaults you - one day your mind breaks and you destroy the threat because mentally AND physically, you've gone past a breaking point. Someone invades your home, and you in a fit of fear or perhaps after being assaulted by the threat, manage to destroy it. In the courts, it is debated back and forth what is the morality behind this? You are no longer a victim, you have ended a threat to your body, and thus are now the thing that the court has mediation on whether or not to lock up. Society is super unforgiving of those that survive, by turning on the immediate and evident threat that would destroy us. It's as if we are no longer allowed to protect ourselves, since that would make us deviants to societies structure. If you hear a loud an unmistakable struggle in a neighbors home, you're not allowed to intervene at all; you call the authorities and then sit at your computer and wait. We can even argue that it is no longer allowed for people to simply defend themselves, but it is the governments job to decide the proper way of preserving someones life and wellbeing.
Yeah this. I also don’t see killing danger to you and your family as needless violence. Such as what many consider “revenge”. Like murderers and pedophiles don’t change.
The Hills Have Eyes is honestly one of the better remakes, I loved the radioactive wasteland/nuke town vibe it had. The visuals and cinematography were really great and the gore and violence (maybe a bit overkill) suited the movie. The movie is a remake that easily could stand on it's own, they could changed a few things here and there and it could have been it's own thing, instead of a remake sadly
@@razkable Totally agree! The whole revenge part was extremely good! It's a shame gore and practical effects isn't a big thing anymore, now we just get pg13 ghost/demon movies, that aren't impressive in any way. With these "torture porn" movies, we at least got good effects
@@jameshargroder7090 I know, but I mean change much more,like title, some of the plotline etc, then it could have been it's completly own thing, and not have the bagage of being a remake, same goes for the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I saw the main message of the remake especially as “we make the monsters we fear” Big brain states that the mutants were ostracized and we’re forced to live in toxic land, making them spiteful and violent to outsiders. However, they themselves made monsters out of Doug by killing his family and Beast by killing his mate, both of whom destroyed the mutants with the same violent rage the mutants held for humanity. It’s a cycle of monsters creating monsters that kill their creators.
A perspective for you. The wilderness in America is bigger than the whole of Europe and it is no joke. To live outside of a major city is inherently dangerous. Rural residents are caught between hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and forest fires along with actual animal attacks (wolves, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, snakes and the like) and emergency service that can be over an hour away. This on top of the problems of modern life, ie financial, cultural issues. The idea of having a responsibility and need to protect one's family, even with violent, didn't originate from a vacuum. So the idea of a cannibal tribe is scary because it is a) a powerful threat and b) a horrifying possible fate. Forcing the rural American to consider what lines they should draw in protecting their family and the possible consequences of not.
One of Wes Craven's best films, yes Scream & Elm Street are rated higher but its still a great movie. I love how Wes Craven gets ideas from actual stories or cases. The sequel....oh god....avoid it. Watch the remake instead, its pretty good. You should check out Dead Man's Shoes, its not a horror film but it has some dark disturbing moments.
Jw Nj Wes Craven admitted he only did the second movie because he needed the money, and I hate the fact that the movie had the nerve to pull a new villain out of it's ass, like where the hell was Papa Jupiter's brother during the first movie ? Was he sitting quietly in the back of the cave twiddling his thumbs lol ?
I think the remake did fine. Bob's star spangled conservatism and all it's "protection" and "preparation" aspect is useless in actuality protecting himself or his family in the face of the truly unexpected and unpredictable. On the other spectrum Doug's pacifism ends up being just as useless in turning away the violence the face of such determined brutality. The only thing that saves anyone in the end is stooping to the mutants level of vicious ultra violence. Though it should be pointed out that even that would have proven useless to Doug in the end when trying to save his baby girl if it wasn't for Ruby's kind gentle nature and willingness to sacrifice herself to protect the baby. Only the brutal can survive in the face of brutality, but it takes a passive gentle soul to actually accomplish anything truly good in such a awful violent mess, though often at a cost itself. It takes both, and in entirely different forms from either protagonist at the beginning of the film, for the family, what's left of them, to survive in any meaningful way.
I actually met Michael Berryman (the guy who plays Pluto), when I was at a horror convention when I was thirteen. I was cosplaying as a zombie and he complimented my zombie makeup. I was shy and kind of blew him off, but he was such a sweet dude. Definitely the sweetest minor celebrity I've had the privilege to talk with.
Mike Berryman was my neighbor in the late 80s, cool guy and good neighbor. This film terrified my sister so bad she didn't want to camp out in the Mojave anymore. Oh and gave me a signed poster from the movie.
@@joeywalker2061 Honestly, the synopsis just makes it seem like a dozen other zombie movies of the 21st century. I actually avoided watching it for just that reason until I finally saw it a week ago and was blown away. Definitely more of a character-driven film.
First time smoking pot with my brother we decided to watch this and I wasn't too afraid until I read the plot. One week later I was in the New Mexican Backcountry backpacking talk about timing.
Was wondering when you were going to get to this one. I always feared going into the desert because of this movie. The disturbing imagery and look of a depraved area always got to me.
Honestly it sounds like both versions of the hills have eyes are enjoyable. Also from what i read online the hills have eyes is one of the most complimented horror remakes. It’s not just an updated copy it makes changes that make it a different experience. Like the 2006 version is one of the most unsettling horror movies I have watched. The premise of being watched and stalked is still there but some of the visuals are just incredibly intense and i loved it. The whole trailer sequence with the sister,big bob and the mother and daughter is just incredible. You can actually feel the mother and daughter mentally break because what happens to big bob and it’s so amazing for a horror film to make you feel that way. ALL of this and the original is still good for different reasons. So in my opinion the hills have eyes is a good example of a MODERN horror remake.
I remember watching the 2006 version with my dad when I was 13 - I never realised how desentised I was to gore etc. until he (an avid horror fan) took the remote out of my hand and shut it off
My dad and I rented this when I was really little. The animal deaths nearly traumatized me. I can still remember particular scenes nearly 30 years later.
With The Hills Have Eyes thing of having you question on what is civility and the like I like to point out one thing. The antagonists are literal murderers and cannibals. Though they do this for their survival its nothing like a remote tribe in the middle of nowhere that has none of our advancements in technology and medicine. The patriarch of the cannibal family is a violent savage that chose to run off after being beat to shit by his father. And he raises his sons to be the same exact way. He rejects civility and all their advancements and finds his own way of life in the killing and eating of other people by choice. Not by necessity but by his own savage and abhorrent way of thinking. He isn't a deformed nor ostracized man forced to be a monster. He was a monster and he sired and made monsters. The family was pushed to the brink and had to fight or else they would die. They didn't willingly go into someone else's territory and poke and prod them. they were prey and had to fight for their survival.
There is a time and there is a place. The problem is that people get into echo chambers and they believe the way they perceive things is a constant. They place themselves directly in a paradox. For instance, a Liberal MIGHT say that violence is not needed because we are safe, the safest we've ever been. And it is true, we ARE the safest we've ever been. It doesn't mean that everyone in every situation is safe, however. A Conservative might say that violence is needed to defend against violence. There is truth to that. However, violence shouldn't become the immediate go-to... everything isn't a nail for your hammer. The truth is, as it tends to be, between these two extremes. In Wes Craven's example, a pacifism, a lack of courage and action, directly led to loved ones being brutally murdered. Now contrast that to something like Taxi Driver, where 'more or less innocent' people die, because an individual takes their ability to rise to violence to far, begins to see everything through the same lens because they had encountered 'bad' things. Then take something like Kick-Ass, where the Vigilante does only strike against obviously bad people, finding a proper balance though still being unlawful and in essence a criminal themselves. Life isn't Black/White, Good/Bad, there is a lot of grey, and ton of duality, a dynamic of shifting situations. But we choose a tribe, take up a narrative, absorb an ideology, and begin to view everything through a single lens. That's what I love about Movies, the plural... you can watch the same topic over 3 films and have 3 completely different lenses to filter the topic.
TheClimbTo1 Absolutely . We could then say that we are our own " Unreliable narrators " , seeing the world through a lens , our lens but not particularly the truest . Movies , since based on the idea of one or a couple people , show you how their vision of the world is . Hence , there are as many truths , as there are people . Perspectivism .
TheClimbTo1 To bounce off on the idea of " Unreliable narrators " , we can not take our vision of the world as the absolute truth , becoming ourselves just another version of it . For eg my favourite footballer might Ronaldo and yours might be Messi , but the truth , like you said , is always a little bit of both . This is why the need to always question oneself and always seek to learn new elements , as to approach the truth the most objectively possible . Thx for that great comment partner
TheClimbTo1 Oh and btw Far cry 3 and Far cry 4 , lean a lot against this idea ( I just realized it was the same guy that posted the Fc3 video about symmetry back in 2013 )
Glad you make these videos. Your take on films is unique and fresh. Always brightens my day to see a dismantling of movies that usually would just be considered jump scare trash. You're the boss.
I always found it interesting that in the original, the dog Beast turns the movie into a revenge/slasher film as he stalks and takes out the hill people one by one over them killing his mate Belle. We talk about how humans devolve into savagery in these situations while the one animal calculates his attacks based on grief and loss.
I actually prefer the Remake of The Hills Have Eyes over the Original. Don't get me wrong, the Original is still a good Film but I find the Remake better.
i think they're both good. I'd like to know why you like the remake better? (It's like how I prefer the 1980s The Thing to the original as well. And same for House of Wax. I prefer the Vincent Price version.)
@@confedgymclasswaterloop4047 Tbh I actually like The Hills Have Eyes 2 from 2007. Wes Craven had an interesting concept with the National Guard and how the mutants needed to rape the women to survive on. It carries the themes of the first film well imo and has nice female protagonists on top of it all. I also see it as a commentary on the War on Terror, how the US is going overseas to the Middle East in order to fight those it calls savages, desiring to bring order and pushing the populace to the extreme. Along with some good kills and mutants. :). Sucks that Brenda couldn't come back though. :(
This is the scariest premise for me, home invasions and ghosts can eat me, getting sexually assaulted and eaten by mutants who live in the hills is my hell.
Yeah I mean I get what he was trying to do but when the people who are meant to represent the people society treats poorly maybe it would be better if they didn't murder, rape or eat people....just a thought.
It's always best that we don't rape and murder, especially under extreme oppression, but it happens, even if we're afraid of looking at it. When governments invade countries and wonder why radicals are made from their mess, it's shocking. There's good commentary here.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the whole "crazed cannibal rapes minor" scene in the films. Saw the remake and the scene was just gratuitous and not needed. Put a terrible taste in my mouth and made me hate the film.
Stop being weenies it a horror movie meant to disturb and scare you. If not what’s the point in calling it a horror movie. I get no one like pedophilia I don’t either, I despise it but when it comes to horror movies I expect stuff like this horror movies have gone completely down the drain over the years a lot of them are just jump scares and loud noises.
Man I love your break downs and work, I never watch just one I keep jumping from vid to vid. I don't always agree with your interpretation of things but I love that it's always well thought out and logically presented. Awesome work mate!
Just a friendly reminder to any future creators out there: If you want to analyze media but ever find yourself not only siding with mutant cannibal hillbillies but then comparing them to a minority - you need to do more work on your media literacy while also touching as much grass as you possibly can.
Ryan, you should write a book on creating effective horror fiction. Your vids are so informative and inspiring I'd love to have a handbook of it all as I'm writing my own work
The will to survive is as close to absolute as a thing can be _IN THE MOMENT_ . It is only afterward that a person can "choose" whether what they endured was worth surviving.
I think you could argue that the remake isn't saying that liberals or conservatives are necessarily hypocritical, but that each one only makes sense in its own respective context. Bob's conservatism didn't have a place in the world that Doug inhabited, but it ultimately saved his life in a situation that was formerly completely alien to him. This doesn't give Bob's views some foundational truth that overrides Doug's views though- they just happen to be adapted for this exact kind of situation, and don't coexist well with a modern, urban society.
9:17 Yeah there were some family members who were straight psychotic in the remake but it purposely showed how cunning the cannibals are with their attacks. Remember the Walkie Talkie?
My biggest problem with the remake was that other than the dog, I could not stand one person in the family. They were all assholes to each other. I didn't care when any of them died.
In the daredevil comic book, kingpin had a great line There are two universal languages Violence and money What you cannot get with one you can often acquire with the other
NGL when I was little I was browsing through Wikipedia's Horror Movie list in the hopes of finding a good horror movie to watch and when I found out "The Hills Have Eyes" WASN'T some kind of supernatural, lovecraftian horror story like it should've been with a title like that... I was so disappointed lmao
Man does this review feel timely. Especially at 6:41. Not going to stoke any fires here so just gonna say I need to rewatch this film with Ryan's points in mind.
I love your videos. I have a lot of the same feelings about a lot of these, and it is very interesting to hear your analyses. Keep it up!!!! Horror has such a loyal fanbase, and we love to dissect it all :) it's a lot of fun. thank you for your videos!
There's no moral ambiguity when Doug beat the villain mercilessly. If Craven was trying to prove that "morality...is a product of fabrication", he failed miserably. Doug's wife was murdered, his baby daughter abducted by savage inbred cannibals, and he was attacked, so his actions were completely justified, Ryan. I'm in complete agreement with this comment found on the film's Wikipedia page: _Slant_ Magazine's Ed Gonzales characterized the film as "morally inconsequential," commenting that with the film's ending "Craven seemingly believes he's saying something about our instinctual need to kill for pleasure, but this philosophy doesn't hold water considering the context of [Doug's] situation....It's a cut-and-dry case of life-or-death self-defense." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hills_Have_Eyes_(1977_film)#Retrospective_reception
I'm fairly certain the politics are just to show that despite the right-wing extremists being characterized as bigoted, gun toting, xenophobic, and overly patriotic, the left wing can be just as violent and disturbed, if not more so. Or perhaps that the more "accepting/progressive" nature of the left-wing, can actually lead to a naive outlook on the world, to the point where you can't even protect your own family. The film still shows the flaws of the extreme right, as mentioned before, but unlike many commentaries, it also follows through by showing the extreme left's flaws too; cowardice/naivety disguised as compassion.
The extremes of both wings have their problems. That's why I've always taken a middle ground approach. It would be interesting to see a movie that critiques that.
When it comes to the political aspect or commentary.... I didn't get anything from it because I was 15 and ignorant. But the movies shocked me because it introduced the gore and shock aspect in horror for me. So I think I might dare to see these two movies again! Great vid!
Whatever version of the movie I saw disturbed me when I watched it, for one part. When one of the cannibals sucks on the mother's breast, it's violating and disturbing to see her sit there terrified and screaming and crying. It was way too much for me personally.
Ryan, actually no the reason Big Bob got defensive isnt because the clan were following the same ideology as him, but because the clan were murdering and eating people. I get what you think the underlying theme is, but how you pit it is extremely oversimplified and kind of stereotypical.
While I'm a big classic horror fan, The Hills Have Eyes has always slipped under my radar. However, as a kid who lived off video store horror, the Wrong Turn franchise is particularly memorable for me. Would love to see you tackle those at some point.
I had to chuckle at Ryan's contortions at 5:55. Yes, I suppose if one looks at it from a completely relativistic or trasngressive perspective, a gang of mutants cannibalizing other people is no different than a family protecting themselves in a hostile environment because 'Muh Xenophobia!'. But what do I know, I'm just expressing 'vitriol', LOL.
*What should I talk about next?* Let me know by replying below!
Suspiria.
Ryan Hollinger uhh maybe a video about alien? idk I’m pretty sure you already did that
Julia's Eyes
The new suspiria would be great
What about The Hills Have Eyes?
In elementary school I watched the original Hills Have Eyes and thought the character who Michael Berryman played (Pluto I think, the guy at 10:27) was the coolest guy ever. I wrote to Michael in a sixth grade class assignment where we had to write to a famous person and see if we could get a letter back. I told him how good of an actor I thought he was and told him I was sorry that he had "such a terrible disease" (I was in sixth grade mind you so I didn't realize how rude I was being by wording it that way). He has ectodermal dysplasia I believe. Anyways, shortly after I sent it I received a handwritten letter on the back of the original one I typed and sent to him. It was in blue pen I think. He told me about how it was difficult growing up with his disease as he would be made fun of frequently as a child, but that it no longer bothers him as an adult. He even sent me an autographed picture of him in a movie he was in that had just been released to Netflix. I still have the letter and I don't think I could ever get rid of it even if I'm not really fan at this point anymore. It really was just so sweet of him to handwrite it and sent me an autographed picture and take the time to respond. It meant a lot to me to have one of my personal heroes do that for me, especially as a young child. I will never forget it as long as I live.
Cool buddy
That was very kind of him
That's beautiful. I'm sure it meant just as much to him that someone so young took appreciation of his work. What a great memory.
I really look up to him for conquering his difficulties and succeeding against all odds, and I loved his acting in many movies and shows such as z nation (to name one of the recent things he's starred in) and I have newfound respect for him because he's apparently a really nice guy too :)
I would written to Keanu but cool.
This franchise gave us that one glorious sequel where we saw from a dog's POV for a prolonged amount of time.
The original sequel honestly sucks . The remake sequel is the best imo
pineapple pizzafan the pinappling the remake sequel has like an hour of fucking rape 😂😂😂😂 I mean, it’s super fucked but mostly just gross
1. Remake
2. Original
3. R's Sequel
4. O's Sequel
The dog plot was amazing!!
They're all terrible tbh
I appreciated “Let’s talk about WHY The Hills Have Eyes” more than I should have I think.
Same
Nah that's really worth appreciating
Thought the same thing to myself 5 seconds before I saw ur comment
Bc you laughed? Who told these ppl this was a good movie? I'm sorry. It's a no for me.
@@stylesmarshall6990 0000000
2:27 Fun fact: that actor that could do the flips, did it just because he could.
I read that comment and one second later that scene came up. Lmao. Nice to know
Shit was clean tho
Haters Gonna Hate lol right that’s what I was gonna say, damn that’s a good reason
@@ddss4480 guy's a natural lol
ArisaStudios same.. The fuck 😂😂
Satire is very difficult to remake. It's almost as if directors working on the remake are so aware of the themes presented in the original, that they naturally and maybe even unconsciously magnify them to a more exaggerated state.
And sometimes they don't care and just want a paycheck. Or they do care but only about certain things.
literallyawerewolf OHHHHHH MAY GODDDDD THEYRE EATING HER
thank you...satire is hard to remake...why do so many people who try to remake 70's and early 80's films dont realize?..its already cliché and a parody with a message ..your just repeating that...make something original...god...oh your remaking blank popular movie?..i wonder why oh just for profit not with any real motivation or message just cause your out of ideas ..the worst are the ones that dont realize the true intent of the original film and just think its a film and try to redo it not understanding the satire side of it at all...smdh
I interpreted the remake as having a message that there IS a difference between needless violence and doing what you have to in order to protect yourself and your loved ones
Bridget Madden Precisely.
old comment, but I like to respond anyway. This is the thing people like to gloss over, and the moral gymnastic between what is revenge and what is defending your home from an established threat. It's more relevant in todays society, because the courts so love to punish people who react in a given moment to what is a deemed threat. You're in an abusive relationship, be it a significant other, partner, maybe a parent who physically assaults you - one day your mind breaks and you destroy the threat because mentally AND physically, you've gone past a breaking point. Someone invades your home, and you in a fit of fear or perhaps after being assaulted by the threat, manage to destroy it. In the courts, it is debated back and forth what is the morality behind this? You are no longer a victim, you have ended a threat to your body, and thus are now the thing that the court has mediation on whether or not to lock up. Society is super unforgiving of those that survive, by turning on the immediate and evident threat that would destroy us. It's as if we are no longer allowed to protect ourselves, since that would make us deviants to societies structure. If you hear a loud an unmistakable struggle in a neighbors home, you're not allowed to intervene at all; you call the authorities and then sit at your computer and wait. We can even argue that it is no longer allowed for people to simply defend themselves, but it is the governments job to decide the proper way of preserving someones life and wellbeing.
Yeah this. I also don’t see killing danger to you and your family as needless violence. Such as what many consider “revenge”. Like murderers and pedophiles don’t change.
@@serpentinewolf7085100% agree.
@@StoicVeR you are so right on the money with this
The Hills Have Eyes is honestly one of the better remakes, I loved the radioactive wasteland/nuke town vibe it had. The visuals and cinematography were really great and the gore and violence (maybe a bit overkill) suited the movie. The movie is a remake that easily could stand on it's own, they could changed a few things here and there and it could have been it's own thing, instead of a remake sadly
yeah the cinematography acting writing and gore is top notch....the actors really sold it...the 2nd half is just a treat
@@razkable Totally agree! The whole revenge part was extremely good! It's a shame gore and practical effects isn't a big thing anymore, now we just get pg13 ghost/demon movies, that aren't impressive in any way. With these "torture porn" movies, we at least got good effects
They DID CHANGE MANY PARTS FROM THE ORIGINAL??
@@jameshargroder7090 I know, but I mean change much more,like title, some of the plotline etc, then it could have been it's completly own thing, and not have the bagage of being a remake, same goes for the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The last part of the movie is what a Fallout film would feel like, that was something i loved in the remake.
I saw the main message of the remake especially as “we make the monsters we fear”
Big brain states that the mutants were ostracized and we’re forced to live in toxic land, making them spiteful and violent to outsiders.
However, they themselves made monsters out of Doug by killing his family and Beast by killing his mate, both of whom destroyed the mutants with the same violent rage the mutants held for humanity.
It’s a cycle of monsters creating monsters that kill their creators.
A perspective for you. The wilderness in America is bigger than the whole of Europe and it is no joke. To live outside of a major city is inherently dangerous. Rural residents are caught between hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and forest fires along with actual animal attacks (wolves, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, snakes and the like) and emergency service that can be over an hour away. This on top of the problems of modern life, ie financial, cultural issues.
The idea of having a responsibility and need to protect one's family, even with violent, didn't originate from a vacuum. So the idea of a cannibal tribe is scary because it is a) a powerful threat and b) a horrifying possible fate. Forcing the rural American to consider what lines they should draw in protecting their family and the possible consequences of not.
The wilderness in America isn't bigger than Europe, The USA is smaller than Europe, Unless you're counting south America.
@@violentviolet8544 I think you're either looking at a bad map or counting russian
@@PookieDaExzile Europe is over 10km2 while the USA is over 9km2, of course I'm counting Russia, it's part of Europe
@@violentviolet8544 not all of Russian is in Europe though
@@PookieDaExzile Europe is bigger than the whole of the usa.
Ryan: this takes place in Nevada desert* me living in Nevada near a desert*
Me: say what
Just stay away from the hills, man! Stay on the main highway and keep your German Shepherd close!
Plot twist: You were the inbred hillbillies all along.
@@LookingGlass69 Lol
Let’s be honest tho, what parts of Nevada AREN’T desert?
Haha same I live in Reno and my dad said if you go over a few hills northwest there are some culty people all fenced off and shit. Nevada is weird
One of Wes Craven's best films, yes Scream & Elm Street are rated higher but its still a great movie. I love how Wes Craven gets ideas from actual stories or cases. The sequel....oh god....avoid it. Watch the remake instead, its pretty good. You should check out Dead Man's Shoes, its not a horror film but it has some dark disturbing moments.
On that token, the remake sequel is also a pile of steaming rubbish. Probably the worst film I've ever had the misfortune of seeing
Yeah the remake sequel is bad but I'll watch it over the original sequel.
@MR FREEZE-98 They said it's the worst movie they've seen, not the worst movie in general
Jw Nj Wes Craven admitted he only did the second movie because he needed the money, and I hate the fact that the movie had the nerve to pull a new villain out of it's ass, like where the hell was Papa Jupiter's brother during the first movie ? Was he sitting quietly in the back of the cave twiddling his thumbs lol ?
I’m partial to Serpent and the Rainbow myself. Not a lot of great voodoo horror movies out there.
I think the remake did fine. Bob's star spangled conservatism and all it's "protection" and "preparation" aspect is useless in actuality protecting himself or his family in the face of the truly unexpected and unpredictable.
On the other spectrum Doug's pacifism ends up being just as useless in turning away the violence the face of such determined brutality.
The only thing that saves anyone in the end is stooping to the mutants level of vicious ultra violence.
Though it should be pointed out that even that would have proven useless to Doug in the end when trying to save his baby girl if it wasn't for Ruby's kind gentle nature and willingness to sacrifice herself to protect the baby.
Only the brutal can survive in the face of brutality, but it takes a passive gentle soul to actually accomplish anything truly good in such a awful violent mess, though often at a cost itself.
It takes both, and in entirely different forms from either protagonist at the beginning of the film, for the family, what's left of them, to survive in any meaningful way.
This is what will happen to your family when you sign up to storm Area 51
Its like saying, "Hey I'm going to fight New Jack".....good luck.
3 likes, justin dont use bots :D
Justin Y. I see you everywhere
Well howdy there
Oh no, Y Justin here
I actually met Michael Berryman (the guy who plays Pluto), when I was at a horror convention when I was thirteen. I was cosplaying as a zombie and he complimented my zombie makeup. I was shy and kind of blew him off, but he was such a sweet dude. Definitely the sweetest minor celebrity I've had the privilege to talk with.
Mike Berryman was my neighbor in the late 80s, cool guy and good neighbor. This film terrified my sister so bad she didn't want to camp out in the Mojave anymore. Oh and gave me a signed poster from the movie.
Every video Ryan’s face cam gets slightly better.
I remember seeing "the hills have eyes 2" and it was some weird stuff about the military fighting rapey mutants in the desert or something
*"Who was that guy!"*
*"Shitman the barbarian, I don't know!"*
-Best thing to come from the sequels
The Battery (2012): The Bleakest Zombie Comedy You've Never Seen
Because of this comment I looked up the trailer, and now the second I find it online I'm going to watch it. Looks good.
Can you give me a quick synopsis of the film?
@@joeywalker2061 Honestly, the synopsis just makes it seem like a dozen other zombie movies of the 21st century. I actually avoided watching it for just that reason until I finally saw it a week ago and was blown away. Definitely more of a character-driven film.
Zombie movie is good too its a short film from 2005 you can watch on youtube
Thank you for the reccomendation I love hidden gems like this
Any Attack on Titan fans remember Hanjis’ “Sonny” and “Bean”
I think it is astoundingly absurd to make the claim that what the clan was doing was at all comparable to anything consider moral.
I’ve just always loved that title...the hills have eyes. It’s a frightening “concept” regardless of the story
This was the first non-kids friendly horror movie I watch in my early teen years (the remake, not the original) and it lowkey traumatized me.
Omfg me too!!!!
i remmember watching hills have eyes 2 (remake) like 10 years old or something like that and couldnt sleep for weeks lol
Im 15 and wacht it 2 days ago
@Dru Baxter ikr i don't think i have never seen a Horror kid- friendly movie, well not an english 1 at least
@Dru Baxter Jaws, Gremlins and Jurassic Park are kid-friendly horror films
First time smoking pot with my brother we decided to watch this and I wasn't too afraid until I read the plot. One week later I was in the New Mexican Backcountry backpacking talk about timing.
Was wondering when you were going to get to this one.
I always feared going into the desert because of this movie.
The disturbing imagery and look of a depraved area always got to me.
Honestly it sounds like both versions of the hills have eyes are enjoyable. Also from what i read online the hills have eyes is one of the most complimented horror remakes. It’s not just an updated copy it makes changes that make it a different experience.
Like the 2006 version is one of the most unsettling horror movies I have watched. The premise of being watched and stalked is still there but some of the visuals are just incredibly intense and i loved it. The whole trailer sequence with the sister,big bob and the mother and daughter is just incredible. You can actually feel the mother and daughter mentally break because what happens to big bob and it’s so amazing for a horror film to make you feel that way.
ALL of this and the original is still good for different reasons. So in my opinion the hills have eyes is a good example of a MODERN horror remake.
You have the tendency to always upload when I'm about to have my coffee. Which is awesome cause your channel goes great with it.
I haven’t yet watched the original The Hills Have Eyes but absolutely love the remake.
Speaking of survival movies, The Descent is a good candidate.
I remember watching the 2006 version with my dad when I was 13 - I never realised how desentised I was to gore etc. until he (an avid horror fan) took the remote out of my hand and shut it off
In the original script the baby would have been killed and eaten but the crew told Wes Craven they'd leave the film if that was done.
My dad and I rented this when I was really little. The animal deaths nearly traumatized me. I can still remember particular scenes nearly 30 years later.
With The Hills Have Eyes thing of having you question on what is civility and the like I like to point out one thing. The antagonists are literal murderers and cannibals. Though they do this for their survival its nothing like a remote tribe in the middle of nowhere that has none of our advancements in technology and medicine. The patriarch of the cannibal family is a violent savage that chose to run off after being beat to shit by his father. And he raises his sons to be the same exact way. He rejects civility and all their advancements and finds his own way of life in the killing and eating of other people by choice. Not by necessity but by his own savage and abhorrent way of thinking.
He isn't a deformed nor ostracized man forced to be a monster. He was a monster and he sired and made monsters.
The family was pushed to the brink and had to fight or else they would die. They didn't willingly go into someone else's territory and poke and prod them. they were prey and had to fight for their survival.
There is a time and there is a place.
The problem is that people get into echo chambers and they believe the way they perceive things is a constant. They place themselves directly in a paradox.
For instance, a Liberal MIGHT say that violence is not needed because we are safe, the safest we've ever been. And it is true, we ARE the safest we've ever been. It doesn't mean that everyone in every situation is safe, however.
A Conservative might say that violence is needed to defend against violence. There is truth to that. However, violence shouldn't become the immediate go-to... everything isn't a nail for your hammer.
The truth is, as it tends to be, between these two extremes.
In Wes Craven's example, a pacifism, a lack of courage and action, directly led to loved ones being brutally murdered. Now contrast that to something like Taxi Driver, where 'more or less innocent' people die, because an individual takes their ability to rise to violence to far, begins to see everything through the same lens because they had encountered 'bad' things. Then take something like Kick-Ass, where the Vigilante does only strike against obviously bad people, finding a proper balance though still being unlawful and in essence a criminal themselves.
Life isn't Black/White, Good/Bad, there is a lot of grey, and ton of duality, a dynamic of shifting situations. But we choose a tribe, take up a narrative, absorb an ideology, and begin to view everything through a single lens. That's what I love about Movies, the plural... you can watch the same topic over 3 films and have 3 completely different lenses to filter the topic.
Thank you couldn't write it that well.
TheClimbTo1 Absolutely . We could then say that we are our own " Unreliable narrators " , seeing the world through a lens , our lens but not particularly the truest . Movies , since based on the idea of one or a couple people , show you how their vision of the world is . Hence , there are as many truths , as there are people .
Perspectivism .
TheClimbTo1 To bounce off on the idea of " Unreliable narrators " , we can not take our vision of the world as the absolute truth , becoming ourselves just another version of it . For eg my favourite footballer might Ronaldo and yours might be Messi , but the truth , like you said , is always a little bit of both .
This is why the need to always question oneself and always seek to learn new elements , as to approach the truth the most objectively possible .
Thx for that great comment partner
TheClimbTo1 Oh and btw Far cry 3 and Far cry 4 , lean a lot against this idea ( I just realized it was the same guy that posted the Fc3 video about symmetry back in 2013 )
Lemme guess, you are a centrist libtard leaning weedsmoking weeb looking ass nerd geeky gamer?
Who here after In Praise of Shadows did his silliness?
Glad you make these videos. Your take on films is unique and fresh. Always brightens my day to see a dismantling of movies that usually would just be considered jump scare trash. You're the boss.
I always found it interesting that in the original, the dog Beast turns the movie into a revenge/slasher film as he stalks and takes out the hill people one by one over them killing his mate Belle. We talk about how humans devolve into savagery in these situations while the one animal calculates his attacks based on grief and loss.
I actually prefer the Remake of The Hills Have Eyes over the Original. Don't get me wrong, the Original is still a good Film but I find the Remake better.
i think they're both good. I'd like to know why you like the remake better? (It's like how I prefer the 1980s The Thing to the original as well. And same for House of Wax. I prefer the Vincent Price version.)
I like them both equally :/
@@confedgymclasswaterloop4047 Tbh I actually like The Hills Have Eyes 2 from 2007. Wes Craven had an interesting concept with the National Guard and how the mutants needed to rape the women to survive on. It carries the themes of the first film well imo and has nice female protagonists on top of it all. I also see it as a commentary on the War on Terror, how the US is going overseas to the Middle East in order to fight those it calls savages, desiring to bring order and pushing the populace to the extreme.
Along with some good kills and mutants. :). Sucks that Brenda couldn't come back though. :(
This is the scariest premise for me, home invasions and ghosts can eat me, getting sexually assaulted and eaten by mutants who live in the hills is my hell.
5:18 Because literal cannibals are such an oppressed and marginalized group... Okay Wes
Yeah comparing the family to woe begotten marginalised groups might work better if they didn't murder, rape and cannibalise innocent people
I mean he's not wrong. It's just taken to the extreme where the marginalisation is justifiable.
Yeah I mean I get what he was trying to do but when the people who are meant to represent the people society treats poorly maybe it would be better if they didn't murder, rape or eat people....just a thought.
I don't think that's necessarily what he's saying. It's a bit of a looking glass statement.
It's always best that we don't rape and murder, especially under extreme oppression, but it happens, even if we're afraid of looking at it. When governments invade countries and wonder why radicals are made from their mess, it's shocking. There's good commentary here.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the whole "crazed cannibal rapes minor" scene in the films.
Saw the remake and the scene was just gratuitous and not needed. Put a terrible taste in my mouth and made me hate the film.
MRDLT00 I totally agree, I couldn’t watch past that part
That scene traumatized me DX
Agreed 100%
Stop being weenies it a horror movie meant to disturb and scare you. If not what’s the point in calling it a horror movie. I get no one like pedophilia I don’t either, I despise it but when it comes to horror movies I expect stuff like this horror movies have gone completely down the drain over the years a lot of them are just jump scares and loud noises.
@@duffbeer9202 you're a bad person.
Just like, objectively bad.
I've only seen the 2006 version...And it traumatized me lol
Same here lol i kind of blew it off as just another movie my friend wanted me to watch boy was i wrong 😳
Wait there is a modern and an older version? Same here, watched it at 12/13
same. i was like 12 when I saw it and I was scarred.
@@jsosa3213 haha SAMEEE then I regretted it forever lol
Ha! I saw just a couple of scenes when I was 10ish... Slept with the lights on for a week or so.
Man I love your break downs and work, I never watch just one I keep jumping from vid to vid. I don't always agree with your interpretation of things but I love that it's always well thought out and logically presented. Awesome work mate!
I love the description of cannibals as “deviant nonconformists” 😂
Just a friendly reminder to any future creators out there: If you want to analyze media but ever find yourself not only siding with mutant cannibal hillbillies but then comparing them to a minority - you need to do more work on your media literacy while also touching as much grass as you possibly can.
Sure the hills may have eyes but are they alive with the sound of music?
2:27
“What Fuck The?!”
Ok buddy. 👌
6:33 makes no sense. These cannibals are murdering people and the travelers are just sightseeing. The comparison is really weak.
Yeah that was a huge reach
The remake is one of the best horror remakes in recent years. I think its even better then the original.
*bubbling noise* "Dude, man...dude. Like, what if like, we're like, just as bad as everyone else."
"mind-blowing. write that."
2:28 "WFT?!"
Don't you mean "WTF?!"
LOL
It mean whatafunnytumble
Ryan, you should write a book on creating effective horror fiction. Your vids are so informative and inspiring I'd love to have a handbook of it all as I'm writing my own work
Commercial:Beef. It’s what’s for dinner
Ryan: so let’s talk about The Hills Have Eyes
Your videos are amazingly crafted and you have a great talent for it keep up the work
"We do what we need to survive" *ad pops up* I see what you did there.
If they only asked them to help us storm area 51, maybe they would let them live...
The will to survive is as close to absolute as a thing can be _IN THE MOMENT_ . It is only afterward that a person can "choose" whether what they endured was worth surviving.
I keep hoping for a sequel. I'd call it The Valley has Ears.
The bay has teeth
I think you could argue that the remake isn't saying that liberals or conservatives are necessarily hypocritical, but that each one only makes sense in its own respective context. Bob's conservatism didn't have a place in the world that Doug inhabited, but it ultimately saved his life in a situation that was formerly completely alien to him. This doesn't give Bob's views some foundational truth that overrides Doug's views though- they just happen to be adapted for this exact kind of situation, and don't coexist well with a modern, urban society.
9:17 Yeah there were some family members who were straight psychotic in the remake but it purposely showed how cunning the cannibals are with their attacks. Remember the Walkie Talkie?
My biggest problem with the remake was that other than the dog, I could not stand one person in the family. They were all assholes to each other. I didn't care when any of them died.
most father in laws don't like their son in laws and what family doesn't bicker and fight.
Bro you called Bob every negative epithet a modern day liberal could muster, Bob was just an average American in 1977
In the daredevil comic book, kingpin had a great line
There are two universal languages
Violence and money
What you cannot get with one you can often acquire with the other
Ryan, I fully expect a video on Midsommar 😂
One of your best videos by far, keep up the good work
Actually now that you mention it
Yeah I agree with big bob he knows what needs to be done
And Doug did the right thing
I've been waiting for you to cover this one, thanks brother for the awesome content.
NGL when I was little I was browsing through Wikipedia's Horror Movie list in the hopes of finding a good horror movie to watch and when I found out "The Hills Have Eyes" WASN'T some kind of supernatural, lovecraftian horror story like it should've been with a title like that... I was so disappointed lmao
I remember after the remake came out, you weren't cool in middle school if you never saw it or were scared by the movie. Man, middle school was weird.
*Next Up:* Why Is _Storm Area 51_ Becomes One Of The Most Twisted Science Fiction Anime The World Has Ever Seen?
Wait, is it an anime or am I just not hip to the grooviest memes?
@@fuzzydunlop7928 you silly goof Storm Area 51 is the newest anime from THE Studio Madhouse, it kinda rips off naruto but it looks pretty cool.
“This is my last point about the remake” references it 3 more times.
One of the only horror movie remakes that was actually better than the original imo
Agree. Aja's version was far superior.
agreed, haven't seen the sequel to that one though, nor do I want to from what I have heard honestly
I guess I'm one of the few people who prefers the original. It felt more raw and less slick than the remake. Plus I prefer the originals ending.
@@akarbit3r111 yh it wasn't as great as the first
@@KingGhidorah007 yh the original did feel really good
Man does this review feel timely. Especially at 6:41. Not going to stoke any fires here so just gonna say I need to rewatch this film with Ryan's points in mind.
I’m a big fan of the “WFT?!”
I love your videos. I have a lot of the same feelings about a lot of these, and it is very interesting to hear your analyses. Keep it up!!!! Horror has such a loyal fanbase, and we love to dissect it all :) it's a lot of fun. thank you for your videos!
There's no moral ambiguity when Doug beat the villain mercilessly. If Craven was trying to prove that "morality...is a product of fabrication", he failed miserably. Doug's wife was murdered, his baby daughter abducted by savage inbred cannibals, and he was attacked, so his actions were completely justified, Ryan. I'm in complete agreement with this comment found on the film's Wikipedia page:
_Slant_ Magazine's Ed Gonzales characterized the film as "morally inconsequential," commenting that with the film's ending "Craven seemingly believes he's saying something about our instinctual need to kill for pleasure, but this philosophy doesn't hold water considering the context of [Doug's] situation....It's a cut-and-dry case of life-or-death self-defense." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hills_Have_Eyes_(1977_film)#Retrospective_reception
That was the most clever ad placement I've ever seen! Very nice work as always!
RIP Billy Drago💙
(aka Papa Jupiter)
It's always *why* the hills have eyes, but nobody ever asks *how* the hills have eyes. :'(
I'm fairly certain the politics are just to show that despite the right-wing extremists being characterized as bigoted, gun toting, xenophobic, and overly patriotic, the left wing can be just as violent and disturbed, if not more so. Or perhaps that the more "accepting/progressive" nature of the left-wing, can actually lead to a naive outlook on the world, to the point where you can't even protect your own family.
The film still shows the flaws of the extreme right, as mentioned before, but unlike many commentaries, it also follows through by showing the extreme left's flaws too; cowardice/naivety disguised as compassion.
The extremes of both wings have their problems. That's why I've always taken a middle ground approach. It would be interesting to see a movie that critiques that.
Big Bob was honestly the strongest character. I don’t know why they got rid of him that quickly.
When it comes to the political aspect or commentary.... I didn't get anything from it because I was 15 and ignorant. But the movies shocked me because it introduced the gore and shock aspect in horror for me. So I think I might dare to see these two movies again! Great vid!
Whatever version of the movie I saw disturbed me when I watched it, for one part. When one of the cannibals sucks on the mother's breast, it's violating and disturbing to see her sit there terrified and screaming and crying. It was way too much for me personally.
Ryan, actually no the reason Big Bob got defensive isnt because the clan were following the same ideology as him, but because the clan were murdering and eating people. I get what you think the underlying theme is, but how you pit it is extremely oversimplified and kind of stereotypical.
Love coming home from the ol' grind and seeing a Ryan Hollinger video
I've never seen the whole of The Hills Have Eyes and honestly I still have no desire. XD But great video!!
The action scenes in this is honestly better shot than most action movies which is honestly odd
you never talked about "why" the hills have eyes?
I always assumed the hills have eyes referred to the cannibal family that lives in the hills? I mean i could be wrong
@@JR-rk3hs That's how I interpreted it.
I think that describes the paranoia of being watch from the hills (that surrounded the family) by the cannibals
my dudeee “so lets talk about why the hills have eyes” was so smooth my man. props
Can u please do 2000s wrong turn next and thanks for the great content
I have taken the "Wrong turn" is what i thought i did do while i was watching it. So boring and cheesy.
I admit it's not the best but I did enjoy it the first time
While I'm a big classic horror fan, The Hills Have Eyes has always slipped under my radar. However, as a kid who lived off video store horror, the Wrong Turn franchise is particularly memorable for me. Would love to see you tackle those at some point.
I had to chuckle at Ryan's contortions at 5:55. Yes, I suppose if one looks at it from a completely relativistic or trasngressive perspective, a gang of mutants cannibalizing other people is no different than a family protecting themselves in a hostile environment because 'Muh Xenophobia!'.
But what do I know, I'm just expressing 'vitriol', LOL.
0:42 saying "civilized society" while showing that bag of human waste that luca barbareschi is, was just perfect
I honestly liked the remake.
I remember first watching it and being absolutely terrified! I think I was 15?
the casual way you said "the military were testing nukes and shit" is one of my favorite lines of yours yet
The Hill's have eyes is basically a rip-off of Texas chainsaw massacre . Wes admitted this. And the Bean family .
Oh my gosh. This video. Brilliant work Ryan!
Text: ”Hills of ice”
Welcome to sweden
Bro your nordie accent is somehow making your videos EVEN better, I’m shaking