I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

   
Produced, Written, Directed & Edited by: Meir Zarchi

Starring:

Camille Keaton .... Jennifer Hills
Eron Tabor .... Johnny
Richard Pace .... Matthew Lucas
Anthony Nichols .... Stanley
Gunter Kleemann .... Andy

Release Date: Theatrical: November 3, 1978; Night Visions Film Festival: October 30, 2005 (Finland)

 

 

Rating:

 

An aspiring writer named Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton) stays at a lodge in the woods for the summer to concentrate on her writing and encounters a few local rednecks there along the way who mock her by driving their boat towards her.
Suddenly, she is hauled in and raped by several of the rednecks nearly causing her death.
They manipulate a mentally retarded young man who joined them named Matthew Lucas (Richard Pace) to go into her lodge and kill her so she can't run to the police but he is hesitant by doing so but lies to them that he did so.
After Jen regains conciousness, she kills them all in horrible and the most gruesome painful deaths you can imagine while she puts on a lustful act for them to give in to her while doing so.

 

Nice shots on the great outdoors as well as Jennifer Hills lying on her hammock etc while trying to write as it almost looks relaxing.
It does get real disturbing as we spot a good camera shot on her boat being tied while she is lying in it in the middle of a lake and being pulled in as you know the rape scene's are going to happen.
It is disturbing when she is pinned down by the gang and getting stripped down as the filmmakers made sure it was done to the point that it would disturb any woman's fear of what could happen when you're alone in the woods.
There's a great intense shot on her when she is raped doggy style with her wild and intense screaming almost in a similar sitatuion with a kidnapping scene by the chainsaw gang in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
There's a nice shot on Matthew Lucas when he is holding a knife towards her on the ground and feeling too hesitant to stab her.
The violence was well done too as well as the rape scene's when the gang kicks Matthew around.
There is a great shot on Jennifer wearing a white silky gown near a tree stand speaking sexy and softly towards Matthew and then the terror begins.
We spot nice evil expressions on her face when she starts burning one of the rapists clothing at a fireplace as the redness to the fire reflects off of her very well.
The best vengeful moment with Jennifer is while driving a motorboat and terrorising both Stanley and Andy as they are spooked by all of this which makes you want to think of other people's reactions if something bad was coming to them after they did a nasty deed to you.
We see the best shot on her holding up an axe in her hand while driving the boat and plunging it in to one of her victims.

Bottom line is that this film is similar to Last House on the Left but nowhere near as good yet way more intense and cringing.
It is pretty bland with just showing a woman getting raped although it can be very hard to watch yet it really picks up a bit when she seeks revenge on them as it introduces the psychological horror in it and you will squirm in some scene's on how she kills one of them which guarantee's to make you squirm.
Very low budget with some stake performances too to top it off which made this one below average other than the slow plot.
It's definetely not for anyone who has the fear of being alone somewhere and getting raped or abused by rednecks yet it gives others a good feeling by seeking revenge too on whoever was abused by people.

Camille Keaton (Jennifer Hills) does an impressive job in her role as a writer staying out in the woods and the victim being raped and shows excellent intensity to her character as well as showing a vengeful side to her proving that she can be diversive with her part in the film. She was also great at being weak by crawling to her lodge after being raped and then again being raped as the surroundings around her looked disturbing and she posed nicely sprawled out barely concious looking very real that she was close to death. She has a great evil look on her face while pointing a gun at someone forcing him to take off his clothes and delivers it well at being demanding towards him. She had the best vengeful looks on her face while driving a motorboat and terrorising some of the onscreen rapists.
However, the rest of the acting in this film is pretty bad which explains why they never carried on to act in other projects. Especially Richard Pace (Matthew Lucas) as a mentally challenged delivery man as his role seems like a comedic character instead which wasn't meant to be nor was this film meant to be humorous. We have a good reaction on him after he is told to deliver groceries to the woman's lodge after the horrifying incident after him and his friends raped her.

Camille Keaton takes it all off going into a lake and when she is stripped down to the bone while getting raped as well as taking off her clothes during other moments exposed from top to bottom.
The rest of the cast as the rednecks take it all off too showing their butt and crotch in many takes.
This film definetely qualifies for an X rating.

Lots of blood here and there as the rednecks get killed in the most painful ways but it isn't too graphic.

Johnny: [to Jennifer after she pulls a gun and tells him to take off his clothes] I don't like women giving me orders.

Jennifer Hills: Suck it... Bitch!