The Hills Have Eyes (series)
Encyclopedia
The Hills Have Eyes series of films began in 1977
with The Hills Have Eyes
by Wes Craven
. The film spawned two sequels and a remake, which had its own sequel in 2007
.
The films center around an inbred clan living in the desert, killing anyone who they encounter. The films draw inspiration from the legend of Sawney Bean, a serial killer who is said to have murdered and eaten over a thousand people with his family.
The Hills Have Eyes Part II is regarded as a flop by most and has been disowned by Wes Craven, who apparently made it due to a need for money; the film has an over-the-top and camp style and also had several flashbacks to the original film, with even the dog, Beast, having one.
and Grégory Levasseur remade the original film after a discussion with Wes Craven, who produced the film. The film, though essentially having the same plot as the original, has several changes, such as reimagining the clan of cannibals as freakish mutants resulting from nuclear testing
and replacing several of the established characters with new ones. Released in theaters on March 10, 2006, the film grossed $15,500,000 on its opening weekend in the United States.
films made in relation to The Hills Have Eyes film franchise. Many of The Hills Have Eyes documentaries were all about the interviews and the film characters throughout the series.
Some of the documentaries were made short and some long.
made in 2003. It was directed, written and produced by Perry Martin, edited by David Deelo, cinematography
by Ira Speir, and other crew. The documentary was filmed in Hollywood, California
and in San Bernardino, California
. The documentary was released on September 23, 2003 and included in "The Hills Have Eyes" DVD.
This laid-back interview-laden documentary about the film The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
details the entire production of the movie. All of the financing and weather problems are explained, as well as many other difficulties on set. The interviewees also talk about their starts in the film industry, which took place in and around when the film was made.
The documentary featured Wes Craven
, Peter Locke
, Robert Houston
, Dee Wallace, Susan Lanier
, Janus Blythe, Michael Berryman
, and Eric Saarinen.
, and had a video premier on July 17 around the United States
. This documentary was minor to all other documentaries.
It featured Michael McMillian
, Jessica Stroup
, Derek Mears, Wes
and Jonathan Craven
, Marianne Maddalena
, and many more cast & crew.
. This documentary ran about 13 minutes according to the Internet Movie Database
. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment distributed the documentary, and Trailer Park produced the documentary.
The documentary starred newly Martin Weisz, Lee Thompson Young
, Daniella Alonso, Sam McCurdy, and Keith Wilson
.
company.
The documentary had Aaron Stanford
, Emilie de Ravin
, Ted Levine
, Kathleen Quinlan
, Dan Byrd
, Vinessa Shaw
, and Alexandre Aja
(most of The Hills Have Eye cast).
, taking place in the continuity of the remake series, was made by Fox Atomic Comics
. The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning reveals the genesis of the mutants, how they were once normal people, ignorant to the rest of the world, who were devolved into horrific creatures, filled with nothing but rage at the world that destroyed their once simple lives.
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....
with The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
by Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
. The film spawned two sequels and a remake, which had its own sequel in 2007
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
.
The films center around an inbred clan living in the desert, killing anyone who they encounter. The films draw inspiration from the legend of Sawney Bean, a serial killer who is said to have murdered and eaten over a thousand people with his family.
The Hills Have Eyes
Created by director Wes Craven, the first film in the series involves a family, the Carters, becoming stranded in the desert and being forced to fight for their lives against a demented family of cannibals, essentially a perverted version of themselves. The film did reasonably well at the box office and possesses a small cult following.The Hills Have Eyes Part II
Made in 1985, The Hills Have Eyes Part II concerns a group of motocross racers becoming stranded in the desert and being preyed upon by the remains of the cannibalistic clan and a new member of it, Reaper; several characters from the original film made return appearances, though largely in minor roles.The Hills Have Eyes Part II is regarded as a flop by most and has been disowned by Wes Craven, who apparently made it due to a need for money; the film has an over-the-top and camp style and also had several flashbacks to the original film, with even the dog, Beast, having one.
The Hills Have Eyes III
Also known as The Outpost and Mindripper, The Hills Have Eyes III (1995), despite its name, has little to nothing to do with the previous films and instead has a completely new storyline, involving a super-powerful monster known as Thor (Dan Bloom) created through science gone wrong. The Hills Have Eyes III was the first in the series to not be created by Wes Craven; instead it was made by his son, Jonathan Craven, alongside Joe Gayton and Phil Mittleman.The Hills Have Eyes
In 2006, French director Alexandre AjaAlexandre Aja
Alexandre Aja is a French film director who rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension .-Personal life:...
and Grégory Levasseur remade the original film after a discussion with Wes Craven, who produced the film. The film, though essentially having the same plot as the original, has several changes, such as reimagining the clan of cannibals as freakish mutants resulting from nuclear testing
Nuclear testing
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them...
and replacing several of the established characters with new ones. Released in theaters on March 10, 2006, the film grossed $15,500,000 on its opening weekend in the United States.
The Hills Have Eyes 2
The 2007 sequel to the remake of the original film, despite its name, The Hills Have Eyes 2 is not a remake of The Hills Have Eyes Part II and has a different plot, involving a group of soldiers battling another group of mutants.Box office
| Film | Release time | Revenue | Rank (All time domestic) |
Budget | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | |||||
| The Hills Have Eyes | March 10, 2006 | $41,778,863 | $27,844,850 | $69,623,713 | 1,328 | $15,000,000 | |
| The Hills Have Eyes 2 | March 23, 2007 | $20,804,166 | $16,662,372 | $37,466,538 | 2,384 | $15,000,000 | |
| Total | $62,583,029 | $44,507,222 | $107,090,251 | $30,000,000 | |||
Critical reaction
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
Yahoo Movies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | |||
| The Hills Have Eyes | 49% (134 reviews) | 40% (5 reviews) | 52% (28 reviews) | C+ (14 reviews) |
| The Hills Have Eyes 2 | 11% (61 reviews) | 43% (7 reviews) | 32% (18 reviews) | C- (6 reviews) |
Documentaries
The Hills Have Eyes documentaries are the documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
films made in relation to The Hills Have Eyes film franchise. Many of The Hills Have Eyes documentaries were all about the interviews and the film characters throughout the series.
Some of the documentaries were made short and some long.
Looking Back at 'The Hills Have Eyes'
Looking Back at 'The Hills Have Eyes' was a documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
made in 2003. It was directed, written and produced by Perry Martin, edited by David Deelo, cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
by Ira Speir, and other crew. The documentary was filmed in Hollywood, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
and in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. The documentary was released on September 23, 2003 and included in "The Hills Have Eyes" DVD.
This laid-back interview-laden documentary about the film The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
details the entire production of the movie. All of the financing and weather problems are explained, as well as many other difficulties on set. The interviewees also talk about their starts in the film industry, which took place in and around when the film was made.
The documentary featured Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
, Peter Locke
Peter Locke
Peter Locke is a retired Welsh professional darts player.Locke made his World Championship debut in the 1983 BDO World Darts Championship, losing in the first round to Terry O'Dea...
, Robert Houston
Robert Houston
Robert Houston is an American actor and filmmaker from California. Robert first became known for his character Bobby in Wes Craven's 1977 horror classic The Hills Have Eyes. He directed the samurai epic Shogun Assassin in 1981. Robert also wrote and directed a few more mainly independent films in...
, Dee Wallace, Susan Lanier
Susan Lanier
Susan Lanier-Bramlett is an American film, television actress and entertainer.Born as Susan Jean Engledow in Dallas, Texas to Gene and Dorothy Lanier Engledow, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career in 1967 where she attended New York University...
, Janus Blythe, Michael Berryman
Michael Berryman
Michael John Berryman is an American actor. He has appeared in several horror movies and other B movies. Berryman is famous for having a distinctive physical appearance as a result of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition which prevents him from developing hair, sweat glands...
, and Eric Saarinen.
The Hills Have Eyes 2: Mutant Attacks
The Hills Have Eyes 2: Mutant Attacks (AKA Mutant Attacks) is the ten-minute documentary on The Hills Have Eyes 2. The documentary was released on September 14, 2007 around FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and had a video premier on July 17 around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This documentary was minor to all other documentaries.
It featured Michael McMillian
Michael McMillian
Michael McMillian is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on What I Like About You and Steve Newlin on the HBO series True Blood...
, Jessica Stroup
Jessica Stroup
Jessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
, Derek Mears, Wes
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
and Jonathan Craven
Jonathan Craven
Jonathan Craven , son of renowned horror director Wes Craven and ex-wife Bonnie Broecker , is a writer and director with a number of credits to his name. Aside from his lineage, he is probably most noteworthy for his co-writing credit on The Hills Have Eyes 2 and his work on the short-lived NBC...
, Marianne Maddalena
Marianne Maddalena
Marianne Maddalena is an American film producer. She is part of a joint venture called Craven-Maddalena Films alongside Wes Craven...
, and many more cast & crew.
Exploring the Hills: The Making of 'The Hills Have Eyes 2'
Exploring the Hills: The Making of 'The Hills Have Eyes 2' is a making documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. This documentary ran about 13 minutes according to the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment distributed the documentary, and Trailer Park produced the documentary.
The documentary starred newly Martin Weisz, Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role as the title character on the Disney Channel television series The Famous Jett Jackson...
, Daniella Alonso, Sam McCurdy, and Keith Wilson
Keith Wilson
Keith Wilson may refer to:*Keith Wilson , English writer, performance poet, musician and broadcaster*Keith Wilson , American mixed martial artist...
.
Surviving the Hills: Making of 'The Hills Have Eyes'
Surviving the Hills: Making of 'The Hills Have Eyes' is another "Hills Have Eyes" documentary. The documentary was released on June 20, 2006 in the US. Co-X Entertainment producted the documentary, and was distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, special affects by Rez-Illusion, and others include the ShapeshifterShapeShifter
ShapeShifter is an Application Enhancer plugin for Mac OS X developed by Unsanity that allows the user to make system-wide modifications to the appearance of the operating system's graphical interface by applying GUI skins through “injection” into running code and without modifying system files,...
company.
The documentary had Aaron Stanford
Aaron Stanford
Aaron Stanford is an American actor, best known for his role as Pyro in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand films, and Doug Bukowski in the 2006 The Hills Have Eyes remake....
, Emilie de Ravin
Emilie de Ravin
Emilie de Ravin born 27 December 1981)is an Australian actress. She is commonly associated with her roles as Tess Harding on Roswell and Claire Littleton on the ABC drama Lost....
, Ted Levine
Ted Levine
Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...
, Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Denise Quinlan is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress, mostly seen on television and in motion pictures.-Personal life:...
, Dan Byrd
Dan Byrd
Daniel "Dan" Byrd is an American actor. His most prominent roles include the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes, the CW original comedy series Aliens in America, A Cinderella Story alongside Hillary Duff, ABC's Cougar Town, and the 2010 movie Easy A.-Life and career:Byrd was born in Marietta,...
, Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
, and Alexandre Aja
Alexandre Aja
Alexandre Aja is a French film director who rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension .-Personal life:...
(most of The Hills Have Eye cast).
Comics
In 2007, to coincide with the release of The Hills Have Eyes 2, a graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, taking place in the continuity of the remake series, was made by Fox Atomic Comics
Fox Atomic Comics
Fox Atomic Comics was formed in late 2006 as the graphic novel publishing arm of Fox Atomic. In partnership with publisher HarperCollins, Fox Atomic Comics produced and distributed graphic novels tied to Fox Atomic theatrical releases as well as original content. It closed, along with Fox Atomic,...
. The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning reveals the genesis of the mutants, how they were once normal people, ignorant to the rest of the world, who were devolved into horrific creatures, filled with nothing but rage at the world that destroyed their once simple lives.