Last House on Dead End Street
Encyclopedia
Last House on Dead End Street is a horror film
released in 1977
about a disgruntled man, recently released from prison
, who takes out his anguish by making snuff films.
Few knew who actually directed the film, until Roger Watkins
, who died in March 2007, posted on Internet message boards three decades after it was made saying he was behind it . The film was made in 1973, but was not released until four years later.
Watkins said he was high on amphetamines while making the film. He also said only about $800 was spent making the film, while the remaining $3,000 budgeted was used to buy drugs.
The film was virtually unavailable until Barrel Entertainment released a double-disc DVD in 2002. In the 1970s, its release was limited to grindhouse
and drive-in
theaters.
It is also known as The Cuckoo Clocks from Hell and The Fun House. The version entitled The Cuckoo Clocks Of Hell originally ran some 175 minutes in length - though the only remaining print of it in that form is thought to be stored in a New York film lab.
Hawkins believes audiences want something more, so he decides to make snuff film
s. Victims are lured to an abandoned building. There they are murdered in elaborate ways for the films, including by decapitation
or receiving a power drill to the head. Hawkins is complimented on how realistic his films look.
The narration ultimately informs viewers that the film crew was arrested and sentenced to prison.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
released in 1977
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
about a disgruntled man, recently released from prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, who takes out his anguish by making snuff films.
Few knew who actually directed the film, until Roger Watkins
Roger Watkins
Roger Michael Watkins was a film director best known for the notorious 1970s grindhouse movie Last House on Dead End Street. He also directed several porn films...
, who died in March 2007, posted on Internet message boards three decades after it was made saying he was behind it . The film was made in 1973, but was not released until four years later.
Watkins said he was high on amphetamines while making the film. He also said only about $800 was spent making the film, while the remaining $3,000 budgeted was used to buy drugs.
The film was virtually unavailable until Barrel Entertainment released a double-disc DVD in 2002. In the 1970s, its release was limited to grindhouse
Grindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
and drive-in
Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...
theaters.
It is also known as The Cuckoo Clocks from Hell and The Fun House. The version entitled The Cuckoo Clocks Of Hell originally ran some 175 minutes in length - though the only remaining print of it in that form is thought to be stored in a New York film lab.
Synopsis
Terry Hawkins, played by Watkins, has just been released from spending a year in state prison on drug charges. He wants to get into filmmaking, and claims he previously made pornographic films that he was unable to sell.Hawkins believes audiences want something more, so he decides to make snuff film
Snuff film
A snuff film is a motion picture genre that depicts the actual death or murder of a person or people, without the aid of special effects, for the express purpose of distribution and entertainment or financial exploitation. For-profit snuff films are generally regarded as an urban legend, whose...
s. Victims are lured to an abandoned building. There they are murdered in elaborate ways for the films, including by decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
or receiving a power drill to the head. Hawkins is complimented on how realistic his films look.
The narration ultimately informs viewers that the film crew was arrested and sentenced to prison.