I'd never heard of William Fruet when I saw this film with Brenda Viccaro and Don Stroud back in '76 when it was released but I was struck by the resemblance to Sam Peckinpah's Straw dogs in both the story line and the violent action. None of the other faces have stuck with me to any great extent but, as other reviewers here have noted, Viccaro and Stroud stand out in their respective performances. Yes, the story will appeal to the more politically correct shoot'em/beat'em up fan (if indeed any exist), as the final message is that an independent woman will take no guff off a bunch of nasty, randy dudes and there is truth to the old adage, "Hell hath no fury like a woman...pi**ed." Stroud and Viccaro do indeed make the film. The sleaze ball orthodontist who just wants to have an orgy for the weekend and gets his come-upence from a pack of even sleazier balls, veteran character actor Chuck Shamata is the only other character I can remember. But, like the earlier Peckinpah classic, Straw Dogs, this film does stick in the memory.
Review of The House by the Lake
