User reviews

And what a ride it is. "The House on the Edge of the Park" is yet another variation (I'll avoid the term 'rip-off') of "Last House on the Left," which succeeds because of David Hess's outstanding portrayal of a razor-wielding psycho. Unlike "Last House," which made generational conflict its primary theme, HotEotP is an unashamed exploitation picture that director Ruggero Deodato uses to embellish the excesses of the genre, and there's no better an actor than Hess to carry out such activities.

Hess plays Alex, a NY mechanic who, before the opening credits begin to roll, rapes and strangles an anonymous female (although it's not made clear whether the girl is actually dead). Cut to him and his friend Ricky (Giovanni Lombardo Radice), who have plans to go "boogie-ing" when they're accosted by a rich young couple with car trouble. Ricky fixes the problem (a torn alternator wire), and Alex persuades the couple to invite them to a little 'get-together' at an appropriately-secluded villa. Before long, Alex and Ricky are engaging in some rather heavy petting, and things turn violent.

That's the basic plot setup. At times, the movie moves from scene to scene as if being improvised on the spot, which either intesifies the action or slows it down. That the house (as a setting) is rather small limits the amount of action that can go on inside it. Yet Ruggero Deodato knows how to manipulate his audience--his use of violence and sex to advance the film along works in all the right ways, and keeps your attention. And the sex, violence, and depraved behavior here is pretty extreme, to say the least (the film boasts only one murder, but is far more vicious than LHotL, in my opinion).

Also elevating the film a few levels is a surprisingly name cast of genre actors, including Christian Borromeo ("Tenebrae"), Radice ("The Gates of Hell"), and Lorraine De Selle ("Cannibal Ferox"). These familiar actors add a unique gloss to the sleaziness of "House on the Edge of the Park."

7/10

Perhaps one of the most infamous violence-exploitation films ever made, and for good reason!

Slick rapist and his simple-minded buddy get invited to a snobbish get-together, where they quickly take over the house.

Disturbingly dark, oddly erotic, and subtly directed, Deodato's House on the Edge of the Park is an unforgettable tale of lust and violence. While the violence of this film is extreme, Deodato is careful not to let any of the characters become uninteresting. Even as the story is a somewhat convoluted, the occurrences on screen between the villains and their victims keep the audience well on edge. Also of note is the haunting music of Riz Ortolani, the song 'Do It To Me Once More' being especially appropriate for the film.

The cast is fairly good, the best is undoubtedly David Hess. Hess is no stranger to playing sleazy B villains, as he brings such fierceness to every character.

If you're seeking a sleazy exploitation film, or just a strong guilty pleasure, House on the Edge of the Park may just work! Definitely not for all (or even most) tastes.

** 1/2 out of ****

Italian Horror maestros have always been revered, regardless of whether their films are really any good and by whom or what they've been, umm...influenced by. This pic is sort of a carbon copy of a few other flicks, given a discreet roll of the fluffy dice to change the story around here and there. However it was all enough to satisfy the new bloodthirsty and thrillseeking generation of filmgoers in the 80s and thus delivered the goods, earned its sleeper reputation for cult classic status in the next 30 years or so and got promptly banned on the UK Nasties List, sealing the whole deal. We come to worship at the alter, in as much as what we're actually expecting from a film like 'La casa sperduta nel parco' in terms of quality, enjoyment and originality. The film has dated, and badly. But Hess's disco stud is incredibly good value, along with the Dil's 'Class War' thrown in and a few psychological insights that 'may' have been pertinent at the time. A few neon drenched shots of NYC in the retro age are always welcome - a trademark found in Spaghetti Horror of this breed. You're either partial to this genre within a genre or you're not - I had fun with it and so did a whole world of other people. You know who you are.

I've actually been searching for this film for ages. They sure won't sell it in the UK, so the best place is the internet. Alas, no joy. Without using a credit card (I'm not old enough to have one), it seemed like this notorious video nasty was never going to be added to my collection.

Then, on a trip to Paris, I wander into a video store, and what do you know? There are two copies of it, tucked away in a box half pushed under the bottom shelf. And it was in English too. I mean, do we put that down to fate, or what?

I'd already watched Last House on the Left, and so was familiar with David Hess, and the character he portrayed (who, let's face it, was just a re-named Krug). Even so, I wasn't prepared for the graphic nature of this film. Last House on the Left actually turned out to be a lot less graphic than I'd expected, and I'd even got the uncut version. Since both films fall into the same genre, I was expecting this to be somewhat similar in terms of content. Oh man, was that a mistake....

The most repugnant moments in this film are unmatched, and I suspect they will only be surpassed by Cannibal Holocaust/Cannibal Ferox. Acting was somewhat dire to begin with, but did seem to pick up as the film went on. Also, the numerous scenes of rape were never distasteful in their own right. Last House on the Left kept flicking back and forth between a rape scene and a comedy scene, which is distasteful in the worst sense. Yet in this, the rape was never glamourised, it was never presented as anything other than rape, and it was never short of gruelling (or graphic).

Plot? Well, there is one, but it doesn't truly unfold until the end. I must confess that, for someone who successfully predicted the ending of Se7en, I never saw the plot twist coming. But I agree with a lot of the comments on here. The characters at the party were in the large part, very unlikeable, and I ended up hoping Alex would murder them all, which I don't think was the desired effect.

Still, if this is your cup of tea, then you want to make getting this film a priority. It's only going to become and and more rare as time gets on. And they don't make them like this anymore...

Caution advised: Content is extreme.

7/10 - For all its faults, it's very powerful stuff. I lent it to three people in the first week I purchased it.

Two psychos (Alex and Ricky) invade a get-together of rich people. They take over and proceed to humiliate, rape and torture the guests.

Sick and vicious. Why people say this is a horror classic is beyond me. For starters ALL the acting is bad but the worst is from David Hess playing Alex. His dialogue is terrible and he over over OVERacts constantly. He gets annoying real quick. The script is pathetic--full of very stupid people who do dumb things left and right. At multiple times during the film they could have escaped to get help but never do. There is graphic female nudity. It's in your face and has no point other than to turn on guys in the audience. The violence is pretty graphic but (to me) was obviously fake. Surprisingly when it wasn't sick or degrading it was boring! There is a (stupid) twist at the end that didn't help matters. Unless you're turned on by seeing nude women being raped or tortured this movie isn't for you. Just terrible.

Gialli movies are generally about well-dressed bloodless rich people standing around beautiful rooms being mean to each other for no reason other than, perhaps, the sterile luxury they're surrounded with has robbed them of any feeling other than the small rush they get from cruelty, both giving and receiving. We are generally not surprised when the black-gloved killer starts slicing these people up; in fact, we're relieved. They are deliberately hard to bear.

And then there's the rape/revenge flick. Not too much to say about that genre. I'm sure there are some who have found it worthy of analysis, but it's one of my least favourite sub-genres, so I haven't seen that many, other than your typical entry-points into the genre, "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Last House on the Left".

Indeed, "The House on the Edge of the Park" is clearly a rip-off of the latter flick. How can you tell? Not only does it have the word "House" in the title, which, judging from all the movies that came in the wake of the Wes Craven flick, producers really thought must have been a key ingredient in its success, it also stars Krug Stillo himself, David Hess, in basically the same role he played in "Last House".

Whereas the plot is similar to the generally American rape/revenge exploitation flicks, what with a pair of psychopathic louts invading a party and er, raping or otherwise sexually harassing the female partygoers... the movie has a distinctly European bent in the depiction of these so called rapes, in that they are shot like softcore pornography. There's none of the screaming, writhing, fighting back, even the female faces contorted in expressions of horror that you would expect from depictions of actual rape - and that you got in movies like the aforenamed American rape/revenge flicks. In fact it is heavily implied that the women are enjoying it in some instances.

The plot: Hess is a loutish mechanic who works with a younger, apparently intellectually disabled man. He is shown at the beginning of the movie raping and murdering a woman he just met at a discotheque while the sweetest music plays on the soundtrack - which will be a recurring motif. A sophisticated young man and woman show up at the duo's autoshop looking for a repair, and when they let on that they're going to a party, Hess invites himself and his buddy along.

Those expecting a straightforward rape/revenge tale will be surprised almost immediately when one of the women, who looks like Jean Seberg in "Breathless", entices Hess by stripping and showering in front of him, inviting him to join in. They play poker and attempt to humiliate the younger lout by getting him to strip, and when accusations of cheating are made, Hess pulls out a pretty non-threatening looking straight-razor and ties up one of the guys, while smashing another's face repeatedly into a table.

All the women appear either fully naked or half-naked, and all are beautiful, particularly an exquisite black woman with a totally shaven head.

"The House on the Edge of the Park" has a reputation as a really nasty shocker, particularly in the UK where it was banned as part of the whole "Video Nasty" craze, and is now available there only in a cut version. Nowadays, though, the only thing that's really shocking about it is the film's attitude to sexual violence, which isn't shown to be very violent at all.

At least I wasn't bored. Hess was good value for money as a bad guy. It's kind of hard to believe him as a serial killer when he seems more like a violent loutish type person, and the movie has a ridiculous, though negligible twist at the end, but at least I wasn't bored by it.

A psychopathic rapist and his simple-minded companion brutalize a group of wealthy young people. Starring David Hess and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (in his film debut).

Deodato calls this film a "mistake" made only "to satisfy the producers". He says the "screenplay was really poor". So, if you think the movie is a failure, you would be in agreement with its creator. For me, there was little offered beyond a few cute naked women.

Taking place in the disco era with the appropriate music and outfits, this is a truly odd experience. Somehow a Radice striptease comes into play here.. which is, um, interesting to say the least. And then you have people who realize they are going to get tortured, so rather than fight they just accept it...

Luca Palmerini sums up the film as a "listless remake of Last House on the Left. Boring." Of course, it is not a remake, though it was clearly influenced by "Last House" and adding David Hess to the cast only calls that to our attention. Jim Harper calls the plot "paper-thin" and the characters illogical. Harper also believes the film "goes too far" in its treatment of rape. This may be due to the script being written by Gianfranco Clerici, who also wrote "New York Ripper" and "Nazi Love Camp 27", among others.

If it's called a "horror" film, doesn't it make sense to give the audience plenty of "horror" for their money? Ruggero Deodato, the director of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and CUT AND RUN, certainly thinks so, and that's why THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK is such a damn fine pic.

Vocalist Tina Corsini's rendering of Riz Ortalani's "Sweetly" opens this grim chiller and its placement in the film is a masterstroke. After thug Alex (David Hess) rapes a woman in her car, we follow him and fellow thug Ricky (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) to a party at a house on the edge (or thereabouts) of a park. It is here that the film's tense, sexually-charged drama unfolds.

Deodato, a director of great skill and intelligence, conducts the tension like a maestro as Alex and Ricky upset their hosts and force several confrontations that end in assault and rape.

HOUSE depicts a microscopic class clash and strips all players bare until all that remains is animalism.

The film turns the throttle right up on the psychological violence while keeping the blood and guts to a natural, realistic level.

Hess is totally believable as Alex, as is Radice, Alex's marginally retarded offsider, who questions his loyalty to Hess when the situation threatens to ignite.

Climax raises questions that can not be adequately answered, but Deodato wraps everything up so swiftly you hardly have time to complain.

This is tense, rugged, uncompromising horror.

Bless the talent of Ruggero Deodato, a director who truly delivers the goods with a basket of style.

A couple are on their way to a party when their car breaks down. They manage to get to a garage where the mechanic and his friend fix the car. Out of gratitude they invite the two men to the party. Once there things unravel pretty quickly between the two men and the other guests, with shocking, violent results.

Directed by Ruggero Deodato, a leader in the field of 70s/80s low-budget films. This film is pretty much par for the course by his standards, and by 70s/80s exploitation film standards, i.e. Clumsy plot, random violence, one-dimensional villains and a fair amount of titillation.

It starts intriguingly enough though, making me think it might amount to more than the B-grade film I figured it was. However, the longer it goes on, the more implausible the plot becomes. You keep thinking, "surely all they have to is (this) and they're safe", but that never happens.

As evidence of its B-grade credentials it stars David Hess, the perennial bad guy in exploitation movies. He was also in "The Last House on the Left", which had a similar plot.

David Hess reprises his role as sadistic rapist in exploitation king Ruggero Deodato's loose sequel to Wes Craven's genre definer The Last House on the Left . This deliriously sleazy video nasty has been banned or cut the world over - it is still refused classification in Australia and was only recently made available in Britain, albeit with 11 minutes of 'eroticised sexual violence and gross violence' cut.

The film kicks off in true exploitation form - a brutal rape spliced in with the credits, where we see our antagonist Alex strangling a woman in the back seat of his car. Fast forward to where the action really happens - a young rich couple on their way to a party arrive at Alex's and his retarded friend Ricky's (think Of Mice and Men ) garage wanting a motor problem rectified. The issue is fixed and Alex and Ricky tag along to the yuppie party in a secluded luxury home. After pleasantries are exchanged with the several remaining guests, Alex and Ricky hold the group hostage, subjecting them to various sexual tortures.

The title of Deodato's film is sure to automatically evoke comparisons to Craven's no-budget morality tale - the fact is both are vastly different movies. Calling this a rip off isn't exactly fair - while Last House on the Left is vastly better, it was not nearly as exploitative enough to be considered one of the sub-genre's greats; Deodato and Hess' devilish collaboration does, however, fit the bill nicely. In addition, the yuppies in the titular location almost enjoy the torture Alex and Ricky put them through - the women engage in consentual sex with their torturers after their boyfriend's are roughed up and they are very flirtatious, even when horrific acts of violence are being committed against them. Therefore, Deodato's effort is not nearly as difficult to watch as Craven's. The House on the Edge of the Park is nonetheless very brutal stuff - the rapes are dysfunctional in their explicitness however the non-sexual violence was fairly tame. (Too) young-looking Italian soft-core star Brigitte Petronio is the subject of all the film's nastiest bits. If I was to fault it, I was disappointed at all the sex - the movie was essentially a rape and revenge (the second part happened only in the final ten minutes) flick with sex as its raison-d'etre, but Deodato could have put a little bit more action and taken away some of the pervasive sleaziness. All in all, this was decent exploitation and certainly a must see for a fan of the genre.

"The House on the Edge of the Park" has David Hess again playing a psychopathic murderer-this time, he's a New York City mechanic who canoodles his way into a private party alongside his friend, Ricky. At first his interests lie in bedding the women there, but things quickly unravel as his homicidal tendencies come to the fore.

This film is beloved by many fans of Eurosleaze, and for quite obvious reasons. It was Ruggero Deodato's follow-up to "Cannibal Holocaust," and while it's not nearly as interesting, it is just about as shamelessly gratuitous. There is little plot to speak of here, and much of the film's power hinges on Hess's ability to command the space he's in, using both his body and his voice; this is an easy feat for him as he was a natural charismatic, so the film can rest on that laurel alone to some degree.

The set pieces are gawdy and very much of the time period, which lends the film a period-piece feel, and there is a claustrophobic sensibility to the film because of its limited confines; that being said, it is noticeably dated, more so than many films of the '70s are today. The gore, when it hits, is ample and fairly well-designed. There is also plenty of gratuitous nudity, mainly of females, but even a hunky Hess shows the majority of his body during a pointless shower sequence with a female partygoer. The conclusion comes in a fashion that is fairly standard, but it ultimately satisfies.

Overall, "The House on the Edge of the Park" is a prime piece of grim and gruesome torture-horror from a filmmaker whose career has been in the art of violence. It's not nearly as good as some of Deodato's other films, but Hess provides a charismatic, appropriately sleazy villain (ala his turn s Krug in "Last House on the Left"), and there are some well-orchestrated scenes. A minor entry in the grand scheme of things, but a decently-made one, if not dated. 6/10.

David Hess virtually replays his "Last House on the Left" role in this very bad Italian exploitation movie. He plays a perverted greaseball named Alex who spends his free time raping and strangling women. At the garage where he works, some snotty rich kids pull in to get their car worked on and Alex finds himself drawn to the attractive Lisa (Annie Belle), so he decides to follow them to a party, dragging along his retarded co-worker Ricky (Giavanni Lombardo Radice who frequently uses the Anglacized name John Morghen). Well at the party, it doesn't take long for Alex's bad side to come out as he proceeds to terrorize the people there. Some of the men are beaten, all of the women are stripped naked at one point or another and Alex tries to coerce Ricky into joining in on the fun. During one rape scene, the female "victim" seems like she could care less about it. There is ample opportunity for the party guests to turn the tables on their attackers, but it takes them forever to do so. It's very annoying to watch, but then there's one of those out-of-left-field endings that's supposed to justify why everyone acts brain dead throughout the entire movie. Sorry but I didn't buy it!

I have no clue why this movie has a favorable score and reviews! It's just plain inept! Mostly terrible acting, cringe-worthy dialogue, completely unimaginative directing, almost no plot to speak of and that final twist I mentioned is so contrived and unlikely you'll want to smash the DVD when it's over with. The pluses are the photography is decent, the main theme song is sort of creepy, a couple of the actors were tolerable (namely Christian Borromeo and Lorraine De Selle, the rest of the cast either overacted or acted with all the enthusiasm of a tree stump) and it piles on full nudity and sexual scenes. There is really not much in the way of gore, but a lot of violence or sexually violent scenarios that might make it uncomfortable for some people to watch. I just found is ridiculous and amateurish; too badly made to really be effective or offensive.

This is interesting sleaze in a lot of ways, mainly because it's one of those movies that looks like nothing more than cheap, hateful sex trash when there are underlying ideas (even though I will not dare call this an intellectual film by any means). One thing I would like to say is that it is true that some of the things going on here can be viewed as romantic if you view it in a very unconventional way. One of the "rape" scenes definitely seems more like a rough, consensual sex game rather than a brutal, totally forced rape. At the same time, a lot of this can really be viewed more as about a guy (David A. Hess as Alex) who has had some serious female trouble at one point and is so terrified of a woman he loves leaving him that he responds animalistically with hateful, misogynistic acts of rape and abuse so that he can get close to all the women he likes in the only way he knows could work for him, no matter how cruel and damaging it is to anyone else. His companion Ricky is obviously someone who is mentally slow and hated by society, finding friendship only in scum like Alex, who he looks up to like a big brother/mentor type. He is shown to not know any better for the most part, but we know there is good in him when he not only can't bring himself to violate a woman, but he is also the one who tries to stop the terror from continuing. This leads to a twist ending that I thought was actually surprisingly clever for this type of film. This one's not quite as good as "The Last House on the Left" if you're going to compare movies with mean David A. Hess characters, but, despite similarities, this film stands up fairly well on its own, in my opinion.

Movie's director, Ruggero Deodato was certainly not a stranger to making exploitation movies and it shows. In the first three minutes of the movie there is already a rape scene and from that point to it's end, the movie is chock-full of nudity and violence. But despite that I quickly noticed something was off. This is not your typical exploitational sleazy movie. The soundtrack is good, the acting is good, there is even some character development and even a bit of romance! In fact, the whole movie is not badly made. Quite the contrary, the whole thing is a really well made, and, dare I say, enjoyable movie. And so, while I was watching this movie and thinking of a reason someone would want to watch this violence and nudity (and decent nudity, at that) filled movie, the ending scene happened, the music started to play and I was left in a shock and just sat there for a minute or two in silence. This is, without a doubt, an exploitation movie, to it's core... And despite that, it's a really good movie. It's uncomfortable, graphic and intense... But it somehow turns it around and manages to be poetic, impactful and well thought out at the same time. It's not for everybody, so I can't go higher than 7.5/10!

I ended up with this film in a 9 film Horrorlicious collection. This is one of the scariest films in the pack.

What is scarier than being held hostage by a couple of wacko's and being raped and tortured by them never knowing when your life or someone you care about life will end? This film is kinda that situation.

David Hess plays the creep Alex which is a villain much like his character in The Last House on the Left (1972). This film, House on the Edge of the Park, is a film that is similar to "Last House (1972). Both are scary films.

7.5/10

Hello lady! House on the Edge of the Park (1980) is a starring vehicle for David Hess. Hess is reprising his sadistic psycho role from Last House on the Left. He's good in this movie. Playing a grease monkey that has a hankering for raping pretty young ladies. Well, that was in the past. He and a buddy from work are off to go boogie the night away. That's until a couple of socialites hire them to fix their car. After they complete the job, they ask David and Ricky if they want to come along. Angry about it being "too late to boogie", Hess and Ricky take off to party with the couple. Before they go, David brings along his trusty straight razor. Later on they arrive at a nice house outside the city limits. An hour into the party, David doesn't like the idea of him and his friend being brought along so the guests could have some "entertainment". David Hess goes Krug on the party goers. This is when the fun begins! The next hour is one hell of a joy ride. If you loved Last house on the Left then you'll dig this flick. Watching David Hess go Krug on a group of rich socialites is loads of fun.

Highly recommended.

THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK is considered exploitation/trash film-making at its best or worst, depending on the viewer's capabilities of absorbing violence and sex, and sexualized violence. Cinephiles would probably dismiss this as pure trash and not worthy of anything artistic, while some exploitation film fanatics might dismiss it as well because it's not trashy enough. I like any kind of film, arty or trashy, and for me I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed HOTEOTP. Oddly enough, this "exploitation" film actually feels more like some sort of art-film than anything else: it feels and looks like a stage play.

Like a play, there's a minimalist setting and story. The whole story takes place in one area, the posh house. Like a play, there's an ensemble cast of (sketchy) characters, whom we meet one at a time and eventually they all interact together. Like a play, there are big dramatic moments with losta scenery chewing. Like a play, the story is played out like some sort of Greek tragedy or Shakespearian tale, with an ending that completely flips the story in its face, which, in turn, probably infuriated those who just wanted to watch gratuitous violence and sex.

I cannot tell you how much I like the ending in THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. In my humble opinion, it's totally brilliant. I would have rated the film much lower had it not been for the cool ending. I wasn't put-off by the sex and violence. But the acting and dialogue are a whole different matter. At around 90 minutes long, having to watch these non-actors act so badly for the longest time WAS almost torture. Like so many films of this kind, the level of acting is below average and coupled with the sorta odd behavior of the characters seen throughout the film (which finally made sense thanks to the truly sadistic twist), what was rough to watch eventually smoothed itself out by the end of the film. The way the director (not one of my favorite directors) switches the story's narrative drive at the end reminds me of the way Hitchcock played with audience's empathy vis a vis Norman Bates in PSYCHO. And its statement (yes, it does have a statement) on social class differences and how they feed on each other is obliquely succinct and ironic. It's masochism at its purest form.

With a cast of capable actors and better dialogue, this twisted revenge story would make a great remake or even a nifty stageplay. But for now, if you're into violent, sadistic and trashy dramas, make sure to watch THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. I sure got a kick from it!

I've never seen anything worse than this. The whole idea is disgusting, the acting is terrible, the sound effects are even worse. How one can enjoy such garbage?

This is an Italian exploitation mess directed by Ruggero Deodato, and it stinks to high heavens. I can go for junk like this when it's done right and is disturbing, frightening, or somehow engaging. This was just boring and never-ending, with idiotic dialogue and a terrible lead "performance" by David Hess (who was in the overrated LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT). He plays Alex, a garage mechanic who rapes and strangles a girl and enjoys going to discos to "boogie" during his more uneventful nights. When an upper-class snobby couple on their way to a posh party need their car fixed one evening, Alex and his dimwitted friend Ricky wind up being invited and Alex proceeds to hold all the guests hostage while taunting and raping the women and beating up the men. All of this is handled in a draggy and snail-like pace and with very little flair. What is continuously annoying is that Alex (armed only with a tiny razor whose blade resembles that of a small kitchen butter knife) and his stupid buddy are no match for their five or so hosts, and though they can easily be overcome, all the victims seem obliged to sit there and take all of their abuse. There is a lame attempt made to explain away all of this, but it didn't convince me. 0 out of ****

This film is one of the best made of the video nasties. Alex (David Hess) rapes and strangles a young woman in the back of her car before the credits start to roll. Soon after a young rich couple pull into their garage to see if they can fix their car. They agree but only if they can tag along to their party. After fixing the car Alex and Ricky (John Morghen AKA Giovanni Lombardo Radice) tag along. They spend the best part of the film terrorizing the 5 yuppies at the party. There's gore, torture and rape applenty. Hess is awesome as the crazed rapist and Morghen is equally great as the retard. This film is one you must see. The ending is truly amazing.