“I Spit On Your Grave” 1978.
Old review still applies. For the US Blu-Ray, however, I believe the film is longer by over two minutes, and the rape scenes are indeed a little more pungent (and less choppy). The picture quality looks plenty sharper, cleaner, and more vibrant than the UK disc, but sound quality is nothing to scream about (PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 2.5/5)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange
Next greatest blind buy: “ I Spit On Your Grave” 1978. I don’t know why… 
There’s perhaps nothing more depressing and bleak than seeing a human being receive the full blunt of another person’s violent malice. Whether looking at the playful mental tormenting in “Funny Games,” the brutal punishment of the Bride in “Kill Bill,” the relentless suffering in “The Passion,” the tense conflicts of “Deliverance,” the unavoidable humiliation of “The Human Centipede,” or the willful defiling and violation of dozens of nameless innocents in the unassuming villa of “Salo,” the portrayal of human indignation and suffering is always a hard-hitting (if not wholly provocative) element. And there’s perhaps nothing more invigorating and inspiring than to see characters overcome their adversities and claim justice.
“I Spit On Your Grave” beckoned with seemingly similar content to something like the original “Last House on the Left,” with the promise of controversial violence and heartbreaking humiliation. And the film delivered!  Nearly an hour is spent on the main character’s plight, before spending the rest of the film depicting her vengeance. For both halves, the film is highly effective; the initial brutality is hard-hitting (even if the actors are a little over-zealous; I think Camille Keaton’s earnest performance balances it out), and by the second half you’re rooting for the main character.
This is a very simple story; you probably already get the gist of it from what I’ve revealed. But it is well-executed with an adequate group of characters. A few small parts hint at some moral complexity (a bad guy with a family, for example), but at its core the film is as straightforward as it can be.
Similarly, this is also a simple film. Photography is fairly plain, with some stand-out scenes, but most of it maintains a certain objective distance. Production value is very limited. Acting is swell though; some of the actors seem a little extreme with their roles, but I think Camille Keaton did a smashing job. She expresses great suffering in the film’s first half that’s really heartbreaking to watch, and she shows an incredibly cool and cold-hearted resolve in the second half matched only by the actresses in “Death Proof.”
In the end, the film is a bit of a rollercoaster ride, dipping into the extreme lows of human suffering, before rising into triumph. I think it’s cool, and would rank it well above the average fare of trashy exploitation films.
4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 4/5, emotional impact: 3/5, controversy: 4/5)
Recommendation: Only for those who can handle violent, disturbing, brutal films. The rape scenes in this film might be a massive deal-breaker for most civilized folks.
This British Blu-Ray looks really nice in its pretty slipcover and with its glossy essay booklet. The PQ seemed a little underwhelming though; it is certainly sharper than a DVD, but it seems a little soft as well. On very close inspection I thought it looked pixilated, making me wonder if this is a 1080i presentation or something. From a distance though, it looks adequately detailed. Color and contrast are good most of the time, with maybe just a few scenes where they could have been better. The image is largely clean, save for some film scratches, some slight flickering in one scene, and a couple of other anomalies. Sound quality is lossy; it is clear some of the time, but some dialogue was low and noisy and hard to make out.
PQ: 3/5, AQ: 2/5
This movie is Region-B locked. |
Next greatest blind-buy:
“I Spit On Your Grave” 2010.
Same story, new film. I was expecting total garbage here, and I’m sure many other viewers out there will call this garbage.
I was rather surprised though: I feel that the remake is worthy. The first half of this newer film has a decent amount of tension and suspense. The actual rape scenes are nowhere near as long or provocative, but a lot of the violence and harassment leading up to it are meaner and more defined. It creates enough of a tense and brutal situation to warrant the revenge scenes that follow…and boy are they wicked! The last half of the film takes a page from the book of “Saw,” and the results are downright gnarly!
As for the story, even though it is the same as the original, it has received a decent overhaul. The bad guys are better defined (and yes, there are five of them now, just as was originally advertised). I didn’t think I cared for the main heroine at first, but in the second half I liked the rage she showed. Overall, the story is a little better-built, with more consideration put into the specific details, building up a climax, building tension, and putting more thought into the characters. I also gotta admire the attempt to twist up the story’s morality; it’s not so much black-and-white when one of the bad guys has a family…or is it?
The remake does feature quality photography; a little plain at times perhaps, but there are some good-looking shots in there as well. Acting is okay: all of the bad guys seemed decent in their respective parts, and the main character is okay, even if she is unlikable half of the time. Production value is appropriate for this picture.
My biggest gripe about this movie would be a certain lack of impact. The original packs a huge punch with the extended rape scene. But even without it, the main character had a certain coolness to her that the new reimagined character lacks. They replaced her stoic demeanor with a confrontational one, and although it has merits of its own (it’s good that she tried to fight back), it just doesn’t leave the same impact.
In the end though, the original film was a rarity at its time, and generated its own notoriety. I think this remake is easily overshadowed by the myriad of common torture-porn flicks that have come before it. I doubt people will remember it as readily as “Saw.”
4/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5) Same rating as the original.
Recommendation:
Horror/slasher/torture porn fans can rent it, see what you think. The original is better for the most part though.
The Blu-Ray looks great. It is very sharp and clean. Colors are quite dull, possibly as an artistic effect, but contrast seemed okay. Sound quality seemed okay.
PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5
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