Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left": The Making of a Cult Classic

Wes Craven is world renowned as the man responsible for legendary horror film events such as The Hills Have Eyes, the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the massively successful SCREAM franchise. Craven began his meteoric career in fear with Last House on the Left, a disturbing tale of sadistic violence and devastating revenge. Rough, raw and irreverent, this pioneering, prescient contribution to the "splatter" film tradition is still banned in Britain for its unflinching portrayal of rape and murder. David A. Szulkin's internationally acclaimed book tells the inside story of the making of Last House on the Left and identifies its continuing importance as a highly influential cult film classic. This newly revised and expanded edition features exclusive interviews, added commentary and over sixty extra illustrations, including twenty four pages in full colour.

A bludgeoningly relentless investigation into what many regard as a classic... chapter after chapter throws out anecdotes and hitherto unknown details. This book is recommended wholeheartedly. -- Headpress

As far as I'm concerned, Last House on the Left is still Craven's masterpiece. And David Szulkin's perceptive, intelligent book on the subject makes me think that all the more. Easily one of the very best books on a single movie I've ever read. -- Jack Ketchum, author of Off Season and The Girl Next Door

David Szulkin's compendium on "the Altamont of horror films" not only dissects the film in minute detail but brilliantly reassesses its position in the annals of horror. The colour photographs and lurid text may make you wash your hands but if you want to know about the emergence of 70s stalk'n'slash films, the genesis of Craven's talents or the myths surrounding the film, then this book is for you. -- Empire - Book of the Month

Features reams and reams of stills, many in full colour, which are worth the price of the book alone. There are some great reproductions of original posters which truly drive home the outrageous marketing potential for snuff. Well worth a look. -- Rue Morgue Magazine

If you're interested in getting the inside scoop on one of the ballsiest, most repellent movies ever made, look no further! Steeped in violence and revenge, this 1972 vision of terror brought a grainy, documentary quality to its victims' suffering that, a quarter-century later, still has unsuspecting viewers stumbling for the exits. A down-and-dirty chronicle of guerrilla filmmaking that demonstrates how a few unsuspecting folks scraped together the necessary resources and created one of the most infamous films of all time. -- Fangoria

Reveling in gory photos, old ad slicks, censorship problems, and scenes which never made it to theatres (with good reason), it overflows with intimate details that cut to the heart of the pic's chaotic history. This gorgeous volume borders on the obsessive, is definitely worth a read, and will undoubtedly make you take another look at this kill-crazed classic. -- Shock Cinema

Szulkin accurately conveys a blackly comic sense of filmmaking on the edge. His close textual analysis of the film's narrative occasionally reads like a Cahiers Du Cinema essay penned by Jeffrey Dahmer... its impact is fascinating, resulting in a detailed, professional and very funny dissection of a nasty, brutish film. -- Neon

Szulkin writes in a witty, literate and easily readable style, and crucially refuses to insult the reader's intelligence. The book makes a serious and informed attempt to place this film within the context of the modern slasher genre it almost single-handedly invented... utterly excellent. -- Total Film - Book Of the Month

Szulkin's book is a real treat for all those interested in Craven's work. The tome is packed with page after page of interesting info, however this is far more than just a collection of bits and pieces... Szulkin demonstrates a deep understanding of the movie, and offers an excellent, thorough analysis of what is a very difficult movie. Stylish layout and appropriate design put the icing on what is a hugely compelling experience. -- Samhain

Szulkin's study of Last House on the Left is a model of its kind. The book is handsomely designed and very sharply written. The film it chronicles is not an easy one to like, but its importance and power are hard to deny and it is brilliantly analysed here. -- Shivers