The Hills Have Eyes (series)
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| The Hills Have Eyes | |
|---|---|
| Release date(s) | 1977 – 1995 (original series) 2006 – 2007 (remake series) |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
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.
Contents |
[edit] Original series
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Remake series
[edit] The Hills Have Eyes
In 2006, French director Alexandre Aja 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.
[edit] 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.
Directed by Martin Weisz, the story of the film originally involved Brenda Carter aiding the army in exterminating the remains of the mutants, though this plot fell through due to scheduling conflicts with Emilie de Ravin, who played Brenda in the previous film. The film was met with largely negative reviews and grossed around $36,768,880 in the box office.
[edit] Profits
A Table of money made by the first two of the remake series
| Year | Film | Domestic Gross | Foreign Gross | Total | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Hills Have Eyes | $41,778,863[1] | $27,791,169[2] | $69,570,032 | $15,000,000 |
| 2007 | The Hills Have Eyes 2 | $20,804,166[3] | $16,651,361[4] | $37,455,527 | $15,000,000 |
[edit] Comics
In 2007, to coincide with the release of The Hills Have Eyes 2, a graphic novel, 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.
[edit] References in other media
- In the 1981 horror film The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, a tattered poster advertising the original The Hills Have Eyes can be seen in the basement of the cabin the bulk of the film takes place in. [5]
- In the episode "The Country Club" of the documentary television series Torchwood Declassified (a companion show to the series Torchwood) Russell T. Davies mentions that when creating the Torchwood episode "Countrycide", he wished "to do a Hills Have Eyes".
- The episode "Funeral for a Fiend" of the long-running animated series The Simpsons features the character Sideshow Bob stating he was hired to direct "The Hills Have Eyes 3: The Hills Still Have Eyes". [6] [7]
[edit] References
- ^ The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
- ^ The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
- ^ The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)
- ^ The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)
- ^ Sam Raimi (Director). (1981). The Evil Dead [DVD]. United States: New Line Cinema.
- ^ "Funeral for a Fiend". The Simpsons. Fox Broadcasting Company. 2007-11-25. No. 8, season 19.
- ^ IGN: Funeral for a Fiend Review
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