Film Buff Friday: The Hills Have Eyes

                                  The hills are alive with the sound of...eyes, yikes!

The Hills Have Eyes [Blu-ray] (September 27th)

THE LUCKY ONES DIED FIRST

Horror master Wes Craven achieved critical and commercial success with the likes of Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street - but for many genre fans, the director's seminal 1977 effort The Hills Have Eyes remains his masterpiece.

Taking a detour whilst on route to Los Angeles, the Carter family run into trouble when their camper van breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, the family find themselves at the mercy of a group of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills. With their lives under threat, the Carters are forced to fight back by any means necessary. 

As grueling a viewing experience today as it was upon initial release, The Hills Have Eyes stands alongside the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Night of the Living Dead as one of the defining moments in American horror cinema.

Limited Edition Contents
* Brand new 4K restoration of the film, supervised by producer Peter Locke and viewable with both original and alternate endings 
* High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation 
* Original Uncompressed PCM Mono Audio
* Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing 
* 6 Postcards 
* Reversible Fold-out Poster 
* Limited Edition 40-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Brad Stevens and a consideration of the Hills franchise by disc producer Ewan Cant, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
* Brand new audio commentary with actors Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Susan Lanier and Martin Speer
* Brand new audio commentary by academic Mikel J. Koven 
* Audio commentary with Wes Craven and Peter Locke 
* Looking Back on The Hills Have Eyes - making-of documentary featuring interviews with Wes Craven, Peter Locke, actors Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Robert Houston, Susan Lanier, Dee Wallace and director of photography Eric Saarinen
* Brand new interview with actor Martin Speer
* The Desert Sessions - brand new interview with composer Don Peake
* Never-before-seen Outtakes 
* Alternate Ending, in HD for the first time 
* Trailers and TV Spots 
* Image Gallery
* Original Screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
* Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper

Michael Vaccaro Is A "Child Of The 70's"

The Hit Web Series "Child of the 70's" has been around for two seasons now and is about to embark on it's third, for those of you who are not in the loop, COT70's follows the adventures of one Carlo Perdente...

"Carlo Perdente is a real loser! He's a struggling actor in New York. He loses his survival job, he gets thrown out of his apartment, his boyfriend dumps him, his overbearing Italian mother treats him like garbage, and he's about to give up... until a chance encounter with his favorite '70s star, KiKi Lawrence, completely changes his life. Will he move to LA? Will his life be any better there? Will he find love? Career success? And what will his mother say?"

Here to talk about being a "Child of the 70's" is the Writer/Creator, "Carlo Perdente" himself Michael Vaccaro!

MS: Obviously "Child of the 70's" is based loosely on your life.

MV: Very, loosely (laughs) 

MS: So why are you a "Child of the 70's?" Being that we are the same age and were both teenagers in the 80's?

MV: I gravitated more towards the music and movies of the 70's by the 80's I was horribly jaded and cynical. I consider the 70's my formative years. I actually kind of hated the 80's to me it was the time when everything went down the shit hole.

MS: Have you ever been a phone sex operator like your character "Carlo" was on the show?

MV: I did have a job at a phone sex company, that part of the show is real, I think I got fired after a couple of months. There's nothing sexual about the job at all, it is actually horrendously boring. You sit at a phone bank for eight hours a day and moan and groan into a phone. (laughs)

MS: By the way, Donna Pescow played your Mother "Anna Perdente" on the first season, how come the end credits read "Anna Perdente" as "Anna Perdente" and not Donna Pescow as "Anna Perdente?"

MV: That was a decision we made together. We thought it would be cute to do the credit that way and see if people could figure out who the actress was playing "Anna." 

MS: She was really good.

MV: Also there is a joke behind it too, every season we are going to have a different actress playing my Mother. In season two we have this amazing actress, Lynne Marie Stewart, who was "Miss Yvonne" on "Pee Wees Playhouse." I love how on "Bewitched" there was a new Darren and on "Roseanne" there was a new "Becky" and they just don't explain it at all, that is one of my favorite things, Soap Operas do it all the time.

MS: Who is the character of TV Star "Kiki Lawrence" on your show based on?

MV: "Kiki" is sort of based on Vicki Lawrence, who was on the show "Mama's Family" of course "Kiki's" show is called "Mama's Jewels." But I don't have inside information on Vicki Lawrence, I don't know if she was a psychopath like "Kiki." (laughs) But she was the jumping off point I used for writing that character. 

MS: You have some awesome cameos on the show!

Carlo & Family

MV: We have Susan Olsen from "The Brady Bunch," Geri Jewell from "The Facts of Life" and Bruce Vilanch. In season three we have Dee Wallace from "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" there is also this amazing pop singer, Kitten Kay Sera, she is going to be playing "Kiki Lawrence's" crazy white trash sister. There is one more superstar from the 70's who is joining us in season three as well, but it is a surprise and I can not tell you.

MS: I wanna know!

MV: Sorry, I can not mention his name. Everyone will have to tune in to see who it is.

MS: When is season three set to drop?

MV: That's a great question and the answer to that is "I don't know." I'm fundraising right now. So if there is anyone out there who wants to be an investor, executive producer or a sponsor, get in contact with me. Season three is all written, the cast and crew are ready to go I just need the money to pay everybody.

MS: Season three sounds very exciting.

MV: It's the biggest, most ambitious season yet. There's a whole new story line, almost an entire new cast coming in. I'm not going to give anything away, but there is a major cliff hanger at the end of the season, something really exciting! I'll give you a hint, just remember that our show takes place in Los Angeles, CA...


Have a blast from the past and let loose your inner "Child of the 70's" at:

Website: http://www.theofficialchildofthe70s.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildOfThe70s

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChildOfTheSeventies1