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Take a right at Hell Lane, then a hard left at Horror Boulevard, and look for the last house on the left.

Kim Hollis: The Last House on the Left, the latest classic horror remake, earned an estimated $14.7 million. Should Rogue Pictures be pleased with this result?

David Mumpower: Variety is saying that this is on the low end of box office opening expectations for the film, but I'd been thinking $15 million or so all along. So, it's right where I figured it would be. It's going to be profitable given its minuscule budget, but this one was never going to break out. It doesn't have the awareness of most of the high profile horror remakes. I like the original quite a bit, but unless I'm on a horror film web site or talking with a true cinema buff, I wouldn't expect to be able to discuss it without explaining what it is first. I think that the disastrous Friday the 13th hurt a bit as well. Consumers were so recently burned by a horror reboot that was beyond dreadful. That had to linger in their minds a bit, which is unfair to and unfortunate for The Last House on the Left, but it is the way of things.

Kim Hollis: I agree that this total seems just about right. There was nothing about it that made it look different from any other torture porn movie that we've seen over the last several years. I think those sorts of hyper-violent movies have a very specific, fairly limited audience to start with. Horror as a genre is suffering from an extreme lack of originality except in the case of some very indie flicks.

Jason Lee: There was just nothing to sink your teeth into with this film - what makes it different than any other horror film that we've seen in 2009? Without some sort of hook, I think Rogue should be just tickled with this opening. That said, anyone else surprised that they didn't play up the Friday the 13th angle at all?





Pete Kilmer: I think it's a solid opening for a film that has no real 'horror' guy in it. I know the original is a classic, but no Michael or Jason or Leatherface or anyone like that is featured. They should be pleased.

Max Braden: I was expecting more, assuming a boost from Friday the 13th. But it pretty much reinforces the fluke that the 13th was.

They're really missing the boat by not remaking H.R. Pufnstuf

Kim Hollis: Do you see saturation as an issue in all of these 1970s reboots/re-imaginings or do you think people are always going to like the nostalgia factor?

David Mumpower: I maintain that while it largely depends on the project, we have reached a point of diminishing returns on these things. Upcoming releases such Land of the Lost and G. I. Joe make me cringe when I think about them. The reality is that most of the good ideas for reboots of these properties have already been utilized. Now we're left with ones that almost certainly can't work (see: Dallas) or titles that were never that popular in the first place, even if they were good ideas (see: The Greatest American Hero). And the horror genre has completely devoured its young. Is it too soon to do a re-make of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-make? Hey, it's been five and a half years now. How about Saw? Scream? Jason X?

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