The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

A remake of the Wes Craven film directed by Alexandre Aja, about a family of campers, they decided to take a shortcut across Department of Defense land. That land had previously used for Nuclear testing and they run into the family that still live there. One of many films in the last few years to get a remake, very little reason other than money for the film to be made.


You follow the family Aaron Stanford, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Dan Byrd and of Lost fame Emilie de Ravin. It all starts when their caravan breaks down and not fearing anything they settle down and then things start to happen including one of their dogs going missing and then it is a battle for survival as the family are picked off one by one. This film falls in to the category of another mindless horror film to me, I have struggled to remember that much that happens in the film and to this means little to no redeeming features.

Overall I remember enjoying some of the kills and some tension but overall there is not that much in the film that is appealing and it certainly is not a film I will rush to revisit. So in scoring this film it will have to be a generous 3 out of 10 and that is only for a couple of the kills.

Piranha (2010)

Film of 2012 #42

The 3D spectacular from Alexandre Aja that sees a remake of the 1978 fish horror film that I previously reviewed here. They take the basic idea of the Piranha in the water and use it as a natural monster spectacular. This film is basically your fun horror movie dark comedy with bloody gore and boobies used to comedic effect and it could be considered a bit campy but it really is enjoyable fayre. While the original film worked on the principle that the fish were genetic creations and were released in to the water, this idea works as the prehistoric fish have been living below a lake and a natural earthquake releases these fish into the water.

Your main cast is Elizabeth Shue as the sheriff, she is looking might fine in this film, you have her son played by Steven R McQueen who is on a different story line with Jerry O'Connell, Kelly Brook and porn star Riley Steele. You have a seismologist played by Adam Scott and Christopher Lloyd playing the expert, the characters are a means to an end and are not that well developed. There is no back story for any of them and really you do not need a back story you are simply watching this for the gore effects and the cool kills. You also have Richard Dreyfuss and Ving Rhames making appearances and you have several Jaws references which were really fun to spot.

Overall this film is not for everyone, there are scenes that are quite disgusting and are very gory, there is one sex scene that is in there simply for the sex scene. However that aside if you enjoy the campier, comedic side of gory horror then this films, this will be right up your street, it does not need to be seen in 3D however if you have the opportunity to see it in 3D then they use the gimmick of the 3D to good effect. A B movie worth seeing and a 4 star recommend for me, this is actually one of my films of 2011.