The Hills Have Eyes/Fun Facts

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< The Hills Have Eyes

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  • There is a ripped poster of Jaws (1975) visible. See also: The Evil Dead (1981), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
  • Producer Peter Locke has a memorable cameo as Mercury, the imbecile-sounding gang member with the feathered head-dress who is only spotted twice throughout the film, firstly at Fred's garage and secondly communicating with Mars and Pluto using a USAF radio.
  • The dead dog used as a stand-in for the family's slaughtered Alsatian 'Beauty', widely believed to be a dummy dog, was in fact a real (already dead) dog that director Wes Craven and producer Peter Locke had bought from the county sheriff's department.
  • When originally submitted to the MPAA, the film was given an X-rating which would have relegated it to the porno circuit and severely hurt the box-office returns. Wes Craven cut the film enough to secure an R rating, and the original director's cut is thought to be no longer in existence.
  • The movie is based on the legend of Sawney Beane and his family (a wife, eight sons and six daughters), a feral clan who inhabited and roamed the highlands of Scotland's East Lothian County, near Edinburgh, in the early 1400s. They captured, tormented and ate several transients. They were eventually captured on the order of Scotland's King James, were judged to be insane, and executed without trial.
  • Many of the props in the feral family's cave were from Robert A. Burns's previous project, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
  • There were two babies that were used in the film as the same character (Katy) though the baby is only credited as Brenda Marinoff.
  • The dessert locations for the film were extremely rough on the crew. Not only was the rocky terrain difficult to walk, let alone run through, but the temperature would reach up to 120 degrees during the day. After sunset though it would drop to a cold 30 degrees in a matter of minutes.
  • According to star Robert Houston the audition process for the film depended a lot on whether or not an actor could cry on cue.
  • In an interview with star Susan Lanier she said that her agent strongly opposed her taking a role in the film fearing that it could ruin her career opportunities. However Lanier, who was a fan of the horror genre, liked Wes Craven so much that she went ahead and took the role of Brenda Carter anyway.
  • Janus Blythe, who plays Ruby in the film, was originally auditioned for the role of Lynne Wood. Blythe however wanted the role of Ruby instead.
  • Robert Houston was actually the second choice for Bobby Carter and landed the role because the original actor left the production after reading the script.
  • The locations for the film were 30 miles from civilization and the cast and crew had to cram themselves into a few Winnebagos to be driven to location.
  • According to Wes Craven the film was shot on cameras rented from a famous California pornographer.
  • Auditioning for the role of Ruby required the actresses to have a foot race. When Craven shouted for the actresses to go, Janus Blythe stood behind for a moment. Then after a moment took off and beat all the other actresses to the finish line. She was given the role.
  • Janus Blythe said Wes Craven kept insisting that she be covered in more dirt through out shooting because she looked too pretty to have been living in a dessert all of her life.
  • Originally the ending of the movie wasn't as abrupt as it is on screen. There was additional footage shot after Doug kills Mars where we seeing the surviving Carters coming back together with Doug and Ruby. They embrace and Brenda takes Ruby by the hand and they walk away. The footage however was never used in the film in favor of a conclusion that was more shocking and bleak.
  • Dee Wallace said little acting was required in the scene where Lynne encounters the tarantula. Wallace said her fear of the spider was very much authentic.
  • For the scene where the feral family is eating Bob, the actors were actually eating a leg of lamb roast.
  • According to Susan Lanier the tension was at first quite high when the crew prepared to shoot the scene where Pluto rapes Brenda. As a gag to break the ice for everyone Lanier and Michael Berryman started making out during the first take. The whole crew laughed hysterically.
  • According to Wes Craven the idea of actually having the baby killed in the film was considered. However the cast and crew strongly opposed the idea saying they would leave if the plot went that route.
  • The rattlesnake used in the film actually escaped while preparing to shoot a scene in a narrow mountain crevasse. The entire crew fled at once from the narrow passage frightened. Minutes later the snake wrangler went in and recaptured the snake.
  • Wes Cravens original title for the film was 'Blood Relations'. Producer Peter Locke however disliked the title. Numerous titles were then considered and the film tested best under the title 'The Hills Have Eyes', though Craven himself initially disliked the title.
  • Virginia Vincent's reaction to being shot was quite genuine as there was a mishap with the squib planted under her robe. The small explosion caused her a deal of pain and she was briefly taken to the hospital.
  • Janus Blythe at first refused to pick up the rattlesnake in the film. Producer Peter Locke tried to convince her to pick it up, but Blythe said she would only do it if Locke would pick it up too. Peter Locke quickly touched the snake and Blythe complied by picking up the snake in the scene.
  • Star Michael Berryman said he was once watching the film a theater when a woman in front of him said aloud 'this movie is sick and depraved!' Berryman then thought it would be funny to lean over her and say 'you're damn right lady this movie is sick!'
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