“House on the Edge of the Park” (1980)

Studio: F.D. Cinematografica
Starring: David Hess, Annie Belle, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Christian Borromeo, Lorraine De Selle
Directed by: Ruggero Deodato
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 89 min.

Synopsis: Two men terrorize a group of high society socialites in a house in New Jersey.

REVIEW

This is a film that I wanted to see for quite some time now, and most movies on my must see list turn out in the end worth the wait or shouldn’t watched at all. Well, for this movie it was worth the wait and it delivered. Directed by Ruggero Deodato (who brought us one of the most controversial horror films ever made, Cannibal Holocaust) and starring horror vet, David Hess (from Last House on the Left fame) and a number of other genre favorites in the cast as well as the crew. House on the Edge of the Park is story about two divalent mechanics that terrorize a group of spoiled kinky rich kids. The film is often called the Italian Last House on the Left, but only thing they have in common is “House” in the title, a violent film of rape and revenge, and David Hess, who pretty much plays the same character, but is a little less vicious, well just a little bit. The story telling, most of the characters, and style of the film is much more different and it definitely has an Italian vibe. Edge on the Park was actually shot before Deodato shot Cannibal Holocaust, but it was release after, but in the same year. Although the movie is not as shocking or up there with Holocaust or Last House, it still is a very an entertaining, bizarre, and stylish film.

Edge on the Park starts off with a great view of New York City skyline during busy traffic. It also opens with a soft ballad, Sweetly, as Alex (David Hess) cruses the city streets looking for some tail. One thing about this film, it has a great soundtrack and a score by Riz Ortolani, who also did the scores to Holocaust and Goodbye Uncle Tom and many others. It stars off with Alex just innocently flirting with a girl he’s driving next to. Then he almost crashes into her which causes her to stop and Alex to rush her and eventually rape and strangle her with the soft ballad still playing in the background.

After the opening credits, the film goes to Alex getting ready for a big night on the town. When Alex is not terrorizing women, he’s an auto mechanic that also deals in hot cars. His co-worker and best friend Ricky (played by Italian horror staple, Giovanni Lombardo Radice) who also seems to be kind of simple, shows up and wants to come along with Alex to boggie and pick up chicks. With his John Travolta starter kit on, Alex assures Ricky that he’ll see some action tonight. As soon as he says that, a car pulls up in their garage. It’s a rich couple, Lisa and Tom (played by Annie Belle and Christian Borromeo) who have some car trouble. At first Alex tells them that they’re closed, but then gets a look at Lisa and she hints at a small get together at Tom’s uncle’s house in Jersey. Ricky happens to fix the car quick and Alex invites himself and Ricky to their party. The two let them come along. Before they all take off, Alex runs back to his locker and grabs his blade.

Along with Hess, there are a lot of familiar faces in film that graced their presence in other classic horror films. Giovanni Lombardo Radice is most known for his role in Cannibal Ferox, and he’s also been in City of the Living Dead and Cannibal Apocalypse. Christian Borromeo appears in Tenebre and actress Lorraine De Selle who plays Gloria has been in Cannibal Ferox as well.

When the four arrive at the house, they are greeted by their other rich friends, Gloria, Howard (Gabriele Di Giulio), and a tall black bald headed woman, Glenda (Marie Claude Joseph). The three of them wonder who their new friends are. It’s almost as if Alex and Ricky are the rich kids entertainment for the night. Something they picked up off the street like a stray dog. As a cool Italian disco tune, Much More, plays on the record player, Ricky wants to show the crowd how he dances. In the most goofiest disco dance scene ever, Ricky gets down with Gloria. The others cheer him on but Alex pulls him aside and tells them their just playing with your head and your making a fool out of yourself. Ricky brushes him off and continues to please his hosts as Alex follows Lisa upstairs into the shower. She invites him in to wash her off but then leaves him hanging. The games continue downstairs when the rest cheat Ricky out of money in a fixed poker game. When Alex returns, he picks up on this and confronts the rich brats. He knows there now just making fools out of them, teasing them and playing games. Alex takes matter into his own hands and gets into a fight with Tom and Howard. It comes to an end when Alex pulls out his blade and puts it to Tom’s throat. Now Alex is in control of the game.

Alex makes them continue playing poker and he makes sure this time Ricky wins. Like a simpleton that he is, Ricky just laughs at Alex’s actions but is a little concerned on where he’s going with all of this. He tells Ricky he has first choice to any of the girls. He picks his dance partner, Gloria. Alex tries to get Ricky to rape her in front of everyone, but before it goes too far, Howard steps in and they try to take out Alex. Of course Alex gets the upper hand and beats the hell out of the two men and he even shoves Howard in a swimming pool and pisses on him. He then takes Howard and ties him up for no more trouble is caused.

The rest of the night the group are put into humiliating situations. Even Ricky is pushed to his limit when Alex tries to force him to have sex with Gloria, or Miss Muffet as Alex calls her, but can’t do it cause he sees that she’s scared and this is wrong. Some try to escape or get help. Tom is almost beaten to death when he breaks a glass table to attract attention. Lisa runs upstairs when the lights are turned off but she’s is only stopped by Alex when he forces her to have sex with him, but then the weird thing about it she seems to like it. One thing about the behavior of some of the socialites is that they seem to get off on some of the danger.

Another friend, Cindy (Brigitte Petronio) comes to the door not knowing the terror that has plagued her friends. She is let in and now a new player in Alex’s sick game. At the same time, Gloria runs out the door and is chased by Ricky. When he catches up to her he tells her he doesn’t want to hurt her and wants this all to stop. Feeling sorry for him I guess or another sick pleasure, Gloria gets it on with Ricky in the garden.

Meanwhile, Alex is having fun with his new toy, Cindy. He starts to cut her shirt off with his blade then tells her to take the rest of her clothes off. The others tell him to leave her alone but Alex then terrorizes her even more. He takes his blade and rubs it gentle on her chest while singing her name. The scene is very eerie and distributing and Alex is creepy as hell. Ricky and Gloria come back to the house. Ricky tells her he’ll get Alex to leave. He tries to confront his friend but gets nowhere. In raged, Alex starts to cut up Cindy and takes a scene that was distributing to horrifying. Ricky has enough and tries to stop Alex, but he accidentally cuts up Ricky in the stomach. When Ricky is on the floor bleeding, Alex hovers over him and looks as if he’s going to finish his friend off, but he drops his blade and goes to his friend telling him he didn’t want to hurt him and they’re trying to turn them against each other. Alex yells to him “if it’s for that girl (Gloria) she wouldn’t even look at him if he were walking down the street, that she doesn’t care about him”.

SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this paragraph if you don’t want to know the climax. As Alex is caring for his friend, Tom pulls out a gun that he’s been trying to get to all night. He then shoots Alex in the leg and the shoulder and Alex crashes through a glass door. Tom and the others approach him and he lets Alex know the woman he raped and strangled a year ago was his sister and this was all a set up to get back at him. They wanted him to come back to their house for they could shoot him to death and say he broke in and it was all self-defense. Tom then shoots him in the crotch and he falls straight into the pool. Lisa and Howard get they’re turns at taunting him and then finally finishing off by shooting him in the head. (This part is interesting because Alex dies floating in the pool, kind of like how Mary dies in the lake in Last House when Hess’s character Krug shoots her.) Howard then is about to shoot Ricky, but is stopped by Gloria then Tom when he tells him it is over. They call the police and have them deal with him. All of them are glad it is all over. Lisa asks “For what price?” Tom asks Lisa if she got off on all of it, that she liked the danger. In the end it did seem like the group got turned on by the danger and it’s almost seemed they became just as disturbed as Alex was.

The film as a whole, although not a masterpiece, is a stylish horror film. The characters are very strong. Hess gives an awesome performance and is very menacing. Giovanni Lombardo Radice also does well as the simple but sad character of Ricky who just got wrapped up in all the mess that his friend caused. And the high society socialites have all the 70’s glamour and look. Nice and pretty on the outside but have some nastiness on the inside. Although they are out for rightful revenge on Alex, the group gives off a twisted vibe. Alex and Ricky are the brutes and are looked at as animals and nobodies to the rich kids who brought them in to make fun of and to have them as their entertainment.

Deodato directs everyone well and sets a great mood. It is also very well shot and edited and has many great settings. Another thing that attracts me to this movie is the music. Great songs on the soundtrack and another awesome score from Ortolani. If you haven’t checked out this Italian horror classic, give it a look. It’s a very good film for that time and the genre.