HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK (1981)
Starring David Hess and Annie Belle
Hess, who starred as the bad guy Krug in Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left," was a natural to star in this similarly titled film. He's a mechanic who, like the character he played in "Last House," is a serial rapist and murderer. When a pair of badly dubbed yuppies in this Italian shocker pick him up and take him to a party, all hell breaks loose. Given that this is from the director of "Cannibal Holocaust," you should know what you're getting into.
It's an interesting early '80s sleazefest which, if you ever get the chance to see it, should definitely remind you just how politically incorrect horror films were in the dawning months of the Reagan Era. The film is loaded with nudity and sadism, making it even more exploitative than "Last House."
The real crime committed in
this movie is the ridiculous "twist" ending, which was really stretching it. The
acting, of course, is horrible, with the exception of Hess, who basically plays the same
role he was so good at in "Last House on the Left." Fans of that masterpiece
should get a big kick out of seeing him in action again. But, after the novelty wears off,
the movie is basically just another example of how sick we were during the Reagan years.
That's not to say that I don't recommend it for horror completists. But everyone else should stay far away.