Blu-ray Release: The Last House on the Left (1972)

Blu-ray Release Date: July 3, 2018
Price: Blu-ray $31.39
Studio: Arrow/MVD

The late Wes Craven’s 1972 directorial debut—Craven being the man behind such horror favorites as A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes and Scream—The Last House on the Left remains one of the most unsettling and disturbing horror-thrillers of its era, and it retains its power nearly a half a century since its original release.

On the eve of her 17th birthday, Mari (Sandra Peabody) and friend Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) set off from her family home to the big city to attend a concert by shock-rockers Bloodlust. Attempting to pick up some marijuana on the way, the pair run afoul of a group of vicious crooks, headed up by the sadistic and depraved Krug (David Hess). Gagged and bound, the young women are bundled into a car trunk and driven to the woods, where the gang subjects them to a terrifying ordeal of sexual humiliation, torture, rape and murder.

An infamous, twisted remake of Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, the R-rated film shocked audiences with its graphic and unflinching tale of violence and revenge. paving the way for a whole host of cheap imitators looking to capitalize on its success. (I Spit on Your grave, anyone?) It is Wes Craven’s original alone, however, that remains one of the true watershed moments in horror (and indeed, film) history.

Along with offering three different cuts of the film, this set is brimming with bonus features, both archival supplements and newly produced pieces. Here’s the complete list of the package’s contents:

• Three cuts of the film newly restored in 2K from original film elements
• Original Uncompressed Mono Audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
• 6 x lobby card reproductions
• Limited edition perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by author Stephen Thrower
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper
• DISC ONE – THE UNCUT VERSION
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Uncut Version
• Brand new audio commentary by podcasters Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes
• Archival audio commentary with writer/director Wes Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham
• Archival audio commentary with stars David Hess, Marc Sheffler and Fred Lincoln
• Junior’s Story – a brand new interview with actor Marc Sheffler
• Marc Sheffler in Conversation at the American Cinematheque
• Brand new interview with wardrobe and make-up artist Anne Paul
• Songs in the Key of Krug – never-before-seen archive interview with David Hess
• Celluloid Crime of the Century – archival documentary featuring interviews with Wes Craven, Sean S. Cunningham, actors David Hess, Fred Lincoln, Jeramie Rain, Marc Sheffler and Martin Kove
• Still Standing: The Legacy of The Last House on The Left – archival interview with Wes Craven
• Scoring Last House on the Left – archival interview with actor/composer David Hess
• It’s Only a Movie: The Making of The Last House on the Left – archival documentary
• Forbidden Footage – the cast and crew of Last House on the film’s most controversial sequences
• Deleted Scene
• Outtakes and Dailies
• Trailers, TV Spot & Radio Spots
• Image Gallery
• DISC TWO – THE ‘KRUG & COMPANY’ & R-RATED CUTS
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Krug and Company and R-rated cuts of the film
• The Craven Touch – brand new featurette bringing together interviews with a number of Wes Craven’s collaborators, including Sean S. Cunningham, composer Charles Bernstein, producer Peter Locke, cinematographer Mark Irwin and actress Amanda Wyss
• Early Days and ‘Night of Vengeance’ – filmmaker Roy Frumkes remembers Wes Craven and Last House on the Left
• Tales That’ll Tear Your Heart Out – excerpts from an unfinished Wes Craven short