The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)

The Hills Have Eyes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wes Craven
Written by	Wes Craven
Produced by	Peter Locke
Starring	Susan Lanier Robert Houston Martin Speer Dee Wallace Russ Grieve John Steadman Michael Berryman Virginia Vincent
Cinematography	Eric Saarinen[1]
Edited by	Wes Craven[1]
Music by	Don Peake
Production company	Blood Relations Company[1]
Distributed by	Vanguard[2]
Release date	July 22, 1977 (1977-07-22)
Running time	89 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$350,000–700,000[1]
Box office	$25 million[3]

The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. The film follows the Carters, a suburban family targeted by a family of cannibal savages after becoming stranded in the Nevada desert.

Following Craven's directorial debut, The Last House on the Left (1972), producer Peter Locke was interested in financing a similar project. Craven based the film's script on the legend of Scottish cannibal Sawney Bean, which Craven viewed as illustrating how supposedly civilized people could become savage. Other influences on the film include John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). The Hills Have Eyes was shot in the Mojave Desert. The film's crew were initially unenthusiastic about the project, but they became more passionate due to Craven's enthusiasm and came to believe that they were making a special movie.

The Hills Have Eyes earned $25 million at the box office and spawned a franchise. All subsequent films in the series were made with Craven's involvement. The Hills Have Eyes was released on VHS in 1988 and has subsequently been released on DVD and Blu-ray, while Don Peake's score for the film has been released on CD and vinyl. Reviews for the film were mostly positive, with critics praising its tense narrative and humor. Some critics have interpreted the film as containing commentary on morality and American politics, and the film has since become a cult classic.