One of the more memorable exploitation films from the 1970s, this gruesome little chiller is a nice addition to the list. Wes Craven, writer and director of this movie, does a great job at setting a mood, atmosphere, and having plenty of scary moments throughout. The desert in the film is eerie itself, it’s such an empty and genuinely creepy landscape for a horror film to be set in. Along with this is the brutality factor – this is a harrowing little movie. The violence is shocking and strangely realistic, and it makes it more unsettling than it could have been. I can see why Mr. Craven has gone on to direct so many other successful horror films, such as “Scream” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, because he’s good at what he does.

The acting here isn’t bad, we have Dee Wallace Stone (“E.T.”, “Cujo”), but most of the other actors are unknowns, who give decent performances. Some of the acting was admittedly over the top and a little laughable at times, but what could you expect from a low-budget ’70s horror flick? This film comes to a close in a rather odd way, fading out into a red screen. The ending was surely abrupt and I’m sure there were other, better ways to conclude the story. But, again, the rough abruptness is another addition to the movie’s raw atmosphere and visceral quality. This isn’t a pleasant movie, and I think anyone who has seen it can agree on that.

Bottom line – “The Hills Have Eyes” is one of the best horror/exploitation films to come from the ’70s era. Not the best, but it is definitely close to it. It’s brutal, raw, unsettling, and it made me uncomfortable. Any movie that has the power to do that must really have something going for it. Definitely worth a watch, it’s a classic midnight-movie. One of my many personal favorites. If you like this, I’d also recommend Craven’s debut picture, “Last House On The Left”, which is also a visceral exploitation B-movie classic.