The House on the Edge of the Park (1984)

House on the Edge of the Park

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jun 22, 2001

Imagine LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT only without the humor, and you might begin to fathom what's in store for you in Ruggero (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST) Deodatto's HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. This genuinely sick, twisted movie is likely to repel all those but the most jaded horror fans. A sadistic sociopath (LAST HOUSE's David A. Hess) and his dim-witted buddy (MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY's John Morghen) wind up at a party thrown by a group of unpleasant yuppies. When the bunch start to ridicule their lower class guests, Hess gets really pissed and instigates a night of torture, violence and sexual assault. Things get complicated when Morghen falls for beautiful, sexy Lorraine De Selle (also from MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY), who talks him into turning against his crazed pal. An enraged Hess takes his anger out on young latecomer Cindy, forcing her to strip and then cutting her to shreds with a straight razor in the movie's single most unbearable scene. Unlike LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, which has a point behind its seediness and violence, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK has no moral lesson whatsoever (other than sadistic rapists will eventually get what they deserve), and Deodatto makes no attempt to provide one. It's exploitation filmmaking at it's darkest and most basic. I give it two stars only because it is undeniably well made and acted. If you couldn't make it through LAST HOUSE, walk right by the HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK.