The film “Hills Have Eyes” is a classic approach to the horror genre, full of blood, suffering and ugliness in the truest sense of the word. With the general simplicity of the plot and its unpretentiousness, the picture managed to win the favor of both fans of the original of 1977 and newcomers, who considered the tape devoid of frills, but interesting.
The actors of the movie “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006) look intimidating in makeup, the costumes do not seem fake or too fake. Protagonists are not stereotyped, demonstrate the entire emotional palette and make the audience empathize. Together with the original idea and high-quality decorations, a memorable picture and an excellent horror film turned out to be nice to come back to again and again.
Plot
At the center of the story is the Carter family, which travels through the desert, where nuclear experiments were previously conducted. A few years earlier in the same territory, a group of scientists conducted analyzes and scientific research, but they were forced to stop the experiments. Researchers met a wounded man who spoke of an attack by unknown monsters, after which the attack had already occurred in the parking lot of his saviors.
However, it is worth returning to the Carter family. At the gas station, they meet one guy who offers to shorten the path through abandoned territories. The family does not yet know what dangers await her in the territory of the former training ground. True, the guy warns that some residents remained after the territory was withdrawn by the military. They mutated strongly and no longer resemble humans.
Mutants
The mutated residents in The Hills Have Eyes look natural. Makeup and props seem real, and mutations - natural. Papa Jupiter, the oldest and, apparently, the most powerful mutant, really seems to be a patriarch. Even small children with a mutation look natural. Some monsters have not lost their mental ability, for example, the mutant Lizard set up an accident in which the Carters got into.
The family is forced to stop in the middle of the desert, while the monsters are preparing a capture plan. Apparently, the family was far from the first to fall into the snares of mutants. They are forced to rob for food, and later for pleasure. The actors of the film “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006), despite the conditional budget constraints, were able to convey the image of distraught monsters mutating into strong and violent creatures that dragged the life of scavengers and killers.
Prototype and historical example
The original, which, in turn, was filmed a remake, was based on the story of Souni Bin. Some researchers think that Bean’s personality cannot be considered genuine, and the legend itself should be considered somewhat exaggerated. The director of the original noted that he had once heard of a family of cannibals devouring residents accidentally lost in the desert hills while on a tourist trip near Edinburgh. Legend has it that Bean led a clan of 46 members who murdered and devoured corpses. For what reason the killer came to such a life is unknown. In the end, he, along with the entire clan, was caught and executed without trial. Wes Craven was so inspired by the story of the cannibal family that he decided to use the legend as the basis of the script.
Differences from the original
The actors of the movie “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006), even those who were already familiar with the script, faced a surprise. The picture of the last century showed the atrocities of people with slightly less noticeable external changes at the genetic level. In the remake, the entire family of cannibals received an impressive dose of radiation, after which incest was also interfered. Because of this, mutations began to manifest much more strongly. In addition, the final in the original remains closed: all mutants died or are presumably dead, while the heroes calmly leave the desert. In a remake, an unknown mutant watches the escape of survivors through binoculars. However, in both cases, the causes of the mutation are called nuclear tests.
Cast
The actors of the movie “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006) brilliantly performed the roles of both mutants and their victims. The family does not look ordinary, and the mutants give the impression of madmen who have completely lost their identity in the outbreak of a nuclear explosion.
Emily de Ravin played the role of the youngest daughter of the Brenda Carter family. The girl played fear first, then panic and the desire for revenge.
Aaron Stanford in the movie “Hills Have Eyes” played Doug Bukowski, the husband of the family’s oldest daughter. There are no complaints about the role, just like the image. The character turned out to be holistic, interesting and harmoniously fit into the atmosphere.
Emily de Ravin, by the way, is not the only star actress in the troupe. Robert Joy, who played the mutant Lizard, is known for more than 130 films and series.
In addition to the Lizard, the name of the actor who embodied the mutant is known - the Pope of Jupiter. He was played by Billy Drago, known more likely in the West than in the CIS countries. He approached the role responsibly, however, the actors who played the mutants have repeatedly stated that under the make-up they had to sweat extraordinary in the literal sense of the word. The design, depicting external ugliness, weighs quite a lot. However, it was worth it, because mutated residents look horribly natural.
Reviews from critics and viewers
According to the creator of the remake, the film did not fail and even exceeded expectations. Critics noted the excellent play of the actors, stunning scenery, makeup and originality of the idea. The actors of the series “The Hills Have Eyes” (2009) initially assumed the game in a horror film, and therefore did not skimp on cruelty and heartbreaking cries. As an original picture, the tape received, rather, praise, rather than negative. However, as a remake, the film turned out to be rather weak, according to fans, without conveying the atmosphere of the original. Many characters were losing, according to fans of the earlier version.
About the painting “The Hills Have Eyes” the reviews are extremely mixed. The film is criticized for excessive vulgarity, cruelty. But at the same time, the picture is distinguished by an interesting idea and quite high-quality implementation. In the end, the tape found its niche and the epithet of the "bloody horror" was entrenched in it.