Anyone who has seen 'The Last House on the Left' will know exactly what to expect from this film, and indeed it's clear that Death Weekend has took a lot of influence from it's illustrious predecessor. In terms of Last House rip-off's, this probably isn't one of the best; but Death Weekend succeeds in drawing the audience into its premise, and overall - this is a hugely enjoyable slice of 'rape and revenge'. Directed by William Fruet and originating from Canada, the film certainly gives the Italian heavyweight nasties a run for their money, and provides a social commentary different to the one portrayed in Wes Craven's earlier famous shocker. The plot is thin and focuses more on characters than plot points. At the start, we are introduced to rich playboy dentist Harry, who takes a different woman home every weekend. This time he's got a model in tow, and the pair run into trouble on the road and end up getting into a car chase with four drunken men. Naturally, the action ends up back at the playboy's mansion, and pretty soon the pair are being held hostage by the unpredictable madmen.
The film was given the alternative title 'The House by the Lake' in an obvious attempt to cash in on Last House on the Left, and although the two are undoubtedly similar, this film plays out along different lines. Craven's film focused on ultra-violence, whereas this one manages a social commentary along the same lines as Dawn of the Dead and pokes fun at consumerism, as the playboy at the centre fears more for his house and material possessions than his own life and that of his companion. It's obvious that director William Fruet was restrained by his budget, but he still manages to implement a great atmosphere, which is more chaotic than many of the film's genre counterparts. This sort of film is obviously put on the back foot from the beginning as many will merely pass it off as another rip-off; but while the film may not be as nasty as some others, Death Weekend still succeeds at doing what it set out to do; namely, delivering a raw film with gratuitous nastiness and violence. The acting isn't up to much, although everyone does an adequate job of portraying their characters, and while this might not be a 'great' genre film; it's certainly a very good one.
The film was given the alternative title 'The House by the Lake' in an obvious attempt to cash in on Last House on the Left, and although the two are undoubtedly similar, this film plays out along different lines. Craven's film focused on ultra-violence, whereas this one manages a social commentary along the same lines as Dawn of the Dead and pokes fun at consumerism, as the playboy at the centre fears more for his house and material possessions than his own life and that of his companion. It's obvious that director William Fruet was restrained by his budget, but he still manages to implement a great atmosphere, which is more chaotic than many of the film's genre counterparts. This sort of film is obviously put on the back foot from the beginning as many will merely pass it off as another rip-off; but while the film may not be as nasty as some others, Death Weekend still succeeds at doing what it set out to do; namely, delivering a raw film with gratuitous nastiness and violence. The acting isn't up to much, although everyone does an adequate job of portraying their characters, and while this might not be a 'great' genre film; it's certainly a very good one.