This is a lesser-known entry into the backwoods brutality genre of films started by the classic DELIVERANCE. Derivative exploitation, but pretty good nonetheless. Please note that a majority of the reviews listed for this film (also known as THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE) are littered with errors in the who, what and where of the storyline... so let me set the record straight, at least based on my own viewing of the rare Japanese VHS release. Fashion model Diane (BRENDA VACCARO) accompanies her playboy-swinger-dentist friend Harry (CHUCK SHAMATA) to his country house to join several others for a weekend-long party. On the way, he allows her to take the wheel of his souped-up Corvette and she challenges a gang of hillbilly hoodlums into a dangerous road chase, which ends with the four miscreants crashing their hot rod Camaro off the road and into a creek bed. The Vette leaves them in the dust... speeding away. The menacing gang leader Lep (veteran DON STROUD) swears vengeance on the pair, especially the woman driver. Up at the house, Diane is observed by Harry (the voyeur) via a two-way mirror taking off her clothes and nude in the shower. Nice guy this Harry. Not surprisingly, Diane soon discovers that there are no other guests coming up to the lake for the big "party" weekend. She also realizes that sleazy Harry just wants a quickie sex romp and another notch on his belt. Meanwhile, the psychotics in the Camaro are causing havoc all over town, nearly killing a local man of the law, in search of the two in the black Corvette. Of course, the vicious thugs eventually arrive at the lake house, terrorizing Diane and Harry, and really begin messing up the place. Two of the gang members even take Harry's expensive speedboat for a spin out on the lake and kill some drunken hicks in a rowboat, who were actually on their way to help the endangered couple. When Harry the dentist is revealed to be a bit of a wimp, the chaos really begins to ramp up. Diane in desperation, takes matters into her own hands and begins to exact her revenge, but not before she is sexually assaulted by Lep, the crazed ringleader... and dry-humped by one the creepy gang flunkies while locked in one of the rooms of the house. Strangely enough, the ending of this film has a bit of an ambiguous tone. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I'm talking about. Recommended backwoods brutal shocker that is destined for Z-Grade glory. ///thechooper
30 Reviews
An underrated revenge movie
meathookcinema3 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Harry is on his way to a country holiday home with his new ex-model girlfriend, Diane when they cross paths with a rowdy car-full of drunken yahoos who try to intimidate them. After the couple run them off the road and ruin the suspension on their car, they are tracked to their country lair with the angry men proceeding to invade this picuresque idyll.
Violence and rape ensues as the hillbilly gang seek revenge. In the course of events Harry is actually killed and Diane is raped when trying to escape. But then Diane turns the tables single-handedly and in brutal fashion.
They are elements of both Last House on the Left and Straw Dogs within this film's premise (in the UK, this film played as part of a double bill with the latter film) but theres also enough to distinguish Death Weekend from these two films. Theres a strong feeling of the 'haves vs have nots' thats interesting. The hillbilly gang see what they don't have within the house and their lives and instinctively seek to destroy and tarnish it.
Also, this isn't a case of the good vs the bad- when Diane arrives at the house by the lake she very quickly realises that Harry is a slimeball personified. Hes a swinger who has invited Diane to the house for one reason and that isn't holding hands and going for long walks. We see him taking pictures of Diane as she gets undressed and showers as the mirrors in the swingers paradise masquerading as a country house are all two-way. Diane finds out this later when one of the gang stumbles upon the pictures that the pervert Harry has taken unbeknownst to her.
Also, just before the gang invades the house Diane is just about to leave as she learns that although Harry had told her that there were other guests who would be joining them, in fact this was a lie. Harry appears to be just as repellent as the gang members who are just about to kick the door in- its just his social class that separates him from them.
This film is also made noteworthy by the cast with Brenda Vacarro and Don Stroud deserving special mention.
A very good film that deserves a really good Blu ray release. In fact, this would be ideal for Scream Factory.
Violence and rape ensues as the hillbilly gang seek revenge. In the course of events Harry is actually killed and Diane is raped when trying to escape. But then Diane turns the tables single-handedly and in brutal fashion.
They are elements of both Last House on the Left and Straw Dogs within this film's premise (in the UK, this film played as part of a double bill with the latter film) but theres also enough to distinguish Death Weekend from these two films. Theres a strong feeling of the 'haves vs have nots' thats interesting. The hillbilly gang see what they don't have within the house and their lives and instinctively seek to destroy and tarnish it.
Also, this isn't a case of the good vs the bad- when Diane arrives at the house by the lake she very quickly realises that Harry is a slimeball personified. Hes a swinger who has invited Diane to the house for one reason and that isn't holding hands and going for long walks. We see him taking pictures of Diane as she gets undressed and showers as the mirrors in the swingers paradise masquerading as a country house are all two-way. Diane finds out this later when one of the gang stumbles upon the pictures that the pervert Harry has taken unbeknownst to her.
Also, just before the gang invades the house Diane is just about to leave as she learns that although Harry had told her that there were other guests who would be joining them, in fact this was a lie. Harry appears to be just as repellent as the gang members who are just about to kick the door in- its just his social class that separates him from them.
This film is also made noteworthy by the cast with Brenda Vacarro and Don Stroud deserving special mention.
A very good film that deserves a really good Blu ray release. In fact, this would be ideal for Scream Factory.
More Than Might Be Expected
Brakathor5 October 2009
I really was not expecting anything spectacular when going into this film. By the time i'd seen this, i'd seen virtually all of the murder/revenge films and just about everything that involved a group of chaotic thugs who terrorize some normal people, who in turn end up fighting back or trying to escape, and they pretty much all were cheap exploitative dribble that was wholly unrealistic and poorly layed out. This movie on the other hand does some things differently that elevate it above pretty much all the rest aside from "Deliverance" and "Straw Dogs" which I'm not sure fall into the same category anyways. A movie like this can never surpass "Straw dogs" who's plot allowed for much more meaning and emotional depth, done so perfectly, where the violence also inevitably seemed more plausible the way it played out.
The film opens with a very spectacular car chase where the thugs are harassing the dentist and his model companion who is at the wheel. Pretty soon I was saying to myself "come on.... no other cars use this road?" and then CRASH. Finally the scene ends with the thugs landing in a ditch as the dentist and model drive off, having completely disgraced them, setting off a desperate need for revenge in the thug leader. The film had delivered a very convincing opening act, and from this point I had the sense that this director knew what he was doing.
It' the little things that are all at play which end up making the film much more convincing than lesser efforts. For example, when the leader opens up pretending to be nice and reasonable with the dentist in a very sardonic way, and his 3 comrades are snickering at it, as characters they all seem so believable, and this scene really does get across a foreboding sense of bad things to come, as we have already been shown just how fierce the leader can be.
One scene that I found to be a huge detractor was where the drunken gas store workers were killed by the thugs with the dentists boat. Firstly it was very coincidental that they borrowed the dentist's boat at this propitious moment, but more importantly, the way that they taunted and tormented the dentist and model, and the way tension grew and grew was so successful, that it seemed very much like a situation of bad luck, and one thing leading to another, though when we see them so callously murder these 2 people on the boat, it destroys much of that very well produced tension, because it means they were going to kill the dentist and model from the very beginning and the fate was sealed.
The unfolding chain of death at the end was again, much better executed than in most movies of this type, though still as usual, a little contrived that the shed trap would work so perfectly, that the 2nd last thug would stumble into quicksand and die, while the model avoided the same fate. One thing that I think certainly could have been better handled was the transition from night to day. I would have loved to see shots of the sun rising, of the model shivering in the night, waiting for morning. Regardless, the final showdown between the model and the leader is quite intense, and I love the added irony that the wounded dentist ran off to the car the night earlier after being shot, but died in the car, as he had no car keys, though luckily for the model she learned how to hot-wire cars.
The ending shot of the movie can only be described as extremely bizarre, and its so very perverted in the a sado-masochistic sense of what it implies. In terms of drama and meaning, as with the rest of the film, it really does not delve beyond the mere surface, but it does serve as a final jolt to the viewer saying: Not a masterpiece, but this movie definitely has enough thought and effort put into it to place it above average sleazy schlock like "Last House On The Left" or "I Spit On Your Grave"
The film opens with a very spectacular car chase where the thugs are harassing the dentist and his model companion who is at the wheel. Pretty soon I was saying to myself "come on.... no other cars use this road?" and then CRASH. Finally the scene ends with the thugs landing in a ditch as the dentist and model drive off, having completely disgraced them, setting off a desperate need for revenge in the thug leader. The film had delivered a very convincing opening act, and from this point I had the sense that this director knew what he was doing.
It' the little things that are all at play which end up making the film much more convincing than lesser efforts. For example, when the leader opens up pretending to be nice and reasonable with the dentist in a very sardonic way, and his 3 comrades are snickering at it, as characters they all seem so believable, and this scene really does get across a foreboding sense of bad things to come, as we have already been shown just how fierce the leader can be.
One scene that I found to be a huge detractor was where the drunken gas store workers were killed by the thugs with the dentists boat. Firstly it was very coincidental that they borrowed the dentist's boat at this propitious moment, but more importantly, the way that they taunted and tormented the dentist and model, and the way tension grew and grew was so successful, that it seemed very much like a situation of bad luck, and one thing leading to another, though when we see them so callously murder these 2 people on the boat, it destroys much of that very well produced tension, because it means they were going to kill the dentist and model from the very beginning and the fate was sealed.
The unfolding chain of death at the end was again, much better executed than in most movies of this type, though still as usual, a little contrived that the shed trap would work so perfectly, that the 2nd last thug would stumble into quicksand and die, while the model avoided the same fate. One thing that I think certainly could have been better handled was the transition from night to day. I would have loved to see shots of the sun rising, of the model shivering in the night, waiting for morning. Regardless, the final showdown between the model and the leader is quite intense, and I love the added irony that the wounded dentist ran off to the car the night earlier after being shot, but died in the car, as he had no car keys, though luckily for the model she learned how to hot-wire cars.
The ending shot of the movie can only be described as extremely bizarre, and its so very perverted in the a sado-masochistic sense of what it implies. In terms of drama and meaning, as with the rest of the film, it really does not delve beyond the mere surface, but it does serve as a final jolt to the viewer saying: Not a masterpiece, but this movie definitely has enough thought and effort put into it to place it above average sleazy schlock like "Last House On The Left" or "I Spit On Your Grave"
Exhilarating in parts.
analoguebubblebath17 May 2001
"Death Weekend" is a more complex film than it appears on the surface.
The violence is initially against Harry's property which he values more than anything else. Even though Diane has spurned him one gets the impression that he considers her his property too. Her resilience against the grotesque mob of ugly greasers is exhilarating to watch and is comparable to the revenge actions that take place in the later "I Spit On Your Grave".
The film's closing images are unnerving, keeping in tone with the somewhat excessive terror factor of the second half.
Stroud and Vaccaro are excellent.
7/10
The violence is initially against Harry's property which he values more than anything else. Even though Diane has spurned him one gets the impression that he considers her his property too. Her resilience against the grotesque mob of ugly greasers is exhilarating to watch and is comparable to the revenge actions that take place in the later "I Spit On Your Grave".
The film's closing images are unnerving, keeping in tone with the somewhat excessive terror factor of the second half.
Stroud and Vaccaro are excellent.
7/10
Last House by the Lake
Jonny_Numb20 September 2003
I will throw "Death Weekend" (aka "House by the Lake") a bone as far as its influence over future revenge flicks is concerned ("I Spit on Your Grave" and "House on the Edge of the Park" come to mind), but truth be told, it can't touch the grand-daddy of them all: "Last House on the Left." It blatantly borrows from that film (and, to a lesser extent, "A Clockwork Orange") and mixes it up into a volatile yet shallow experience. While Don Stroud makes a fittingly vicious ringleader, his character is ill-defined (he's just really, really MEAN) and his 'droogs' are just too goofy at times. "Death Weekend" does deliver in the suspense department, and the pace keeps moving along, but it's strictly second-rate material. Yet those seeking a lean and mean revenge flick (and are familiar with the aforementioned above) will probably find much to like here.
5.5/10
5.5/10
One of the better Last House knock offs.
Corpus_Vile28 August 2010
A sleazy lothario dentist has brought a chick to his country retreat, under the false pretense that there's a party, when he really just wants her to be his next conquest. She's none to pleased on hearing this and an argument ensues. However, their argument pales when they are menaced by a quartet of scuzzy degenerates, who proceed to turn their weekend into a nightmare...
Death Weekend is a misleading film, in the sense that any fan of exploitation will probably feel short changed, as in regards to content, it's pretty tame indeed.
A film more interested in character exploration, it also takes its time to build to its effective and tense climax.
I went into Death Weekend expecting a nasty exploitative shocker but what I got was a solid enough well made film in its own right.
A recommended film for those seeking something just a little bit more offbeat, but again, exploitation fans should be aware that this will not be what they're expecting, and some may be underwhelmed by its slow burning style and tame content. I quite liked it overall though, and found its climax fairly gripping. A solid enough revenge film overall, and worth checking out.
Death Weekend is a misleading film, in the sense that any fan of exploitation will probably feel short changed, as in regards to content, it's pretty tame indeed.
A film more interested in character exploration, it also takes its time to build to its effective and tense climax.
I went into Death Weekend expecting a nasty exploitative shocker but what I got was a solid enough well made film in its own right.
A recommended film for those seeking something just a little bit more offbeat, but again, exploitation fans should be aware that this will not be what they're expecting, and some may be underwhelmed by its slow burning style and tame content. I quite liked it overall though, and found its climax fairly gripping. A solid enough revenge film overall, and worth checking out.
S10 Review's Death Weekend (1976)
suspiria1028 April 2008
'Weekend' starring Brenda Vaccaro is a lesser known entry in the rape-revenge sub-genre. It doesn't have the blood lust that most of the flicks do, in fact there isn't a whole lot of the red stuff at all (even less in many of the existing home video prints such as the Vestron version I saw). But 'Weekend' does have an above average atmosphere and the performances by the whole cast are solid. Don Stroud plays the lead baddie who just couldn't take being out driven by a girl in the beginning (a pretty well done car chase sequence) and eventually tracks down Vaccaro at a nice vacation lodge. Hardcore exploitation fans may find 'Death Weekend' to be a bit 'boring' but that may appeal to those who don't like films with an 'extreme' edge to them.
Nice to see a resilient heroine.... otherwise a nasty, artless, inexcusable slice of exploitation.
barnabyrudge27 October 2004
In the 1970s, a handful of films like Straw Dogs, Death Wish and Last House on the Left pushed back a few cinematic boundaries. They also provided inspiration for many copycat movies - titles like Vengeance Is Mine, I Spit On Your Grave, The Visitors, Death Hunt and Death Weekend. The latter of these - Death Weekend - is a Canadian thriller produced by a certain Ivan Reitman (who would go on to become a director of box office juggernauts like the two Ghostbusters flicks and Kindergarten Cop). It is a fairly forgettable siege thriller with a few moments of gore and an interestingly resourceful heroine.
Diane (Brenda Vaccaro) and Harry (Chuck Shamata) are on their way to a remote house. Harry is a self-obsessed and successful dentist who owns the house. He spends most of his time buying objects to gratify his wealth, without realising their true value. Diane is his latest conquest (she doesn't know it, but she's just one in a long line of weekend flings for Harry). En route to the house the couple are subjected to a scary road rage ordeal at the hands of four drunken hoodlums, led by the foul-mouthed, foul-minded Lep (Don Stroud). Diane successfully out-drives the unpleasant foursome and causes them to crash. However, Lep tracks them down to their secluded love nest and, aided by his cronies, subjects them to an even more degrading and sadistic ordeal.
Vaccaro is far too good an actress for a sleazy, violent exploitation flick such as this. She gives a good performance, as you would expect, but it's wasted on the repellent material. Stroud also registers strongly as a deplorable villain, and Shamata is OK as the vain, heartless playboy. For gorehounds there are some worthwhile moments - the highlight being a chilling throat slashing scene - but it's a long wait until the nasty stuff gets underway. Death Weekend is essentially an intentionally mean-spirited thriller. It offers the lingering threat of rape as a form of entertainment, and asks us to enjoy scenes of drunken abuse, degradation, destruction, idiocy, and graphic murder. Ultimately, the unpleasantness becomes a turn-off. The thoughtfulness of Straw Dogs and the black humour of Death Wish is nowhere to be found. This is just unpleasantness for its own sake.... and that's just NOT what movies are all about.
Diane (Brenda Vaccaro) and Harry (Chuck Shamata) are on their way to a remote house. Harry is a self-obsessed and successful dentist who owns the house. He spends most of his time buying objects to gratify his wealth, without realising their true value. Diane is his latest conquest (she doesn't know it, but she's just one in a long line of weekend flings for Harry). En route to the house the couple are subjected to a scary road rage ordeal at the hands of four drunken hoodlums, led by the foul-mouthed, foul-minded Lep (Don Stroud). Diane successfully out-drives the unpleasant foursome and causes them to crash. However, Lep tracks them down to their secluded love nest and, aided by his cronies, subjects them to an even more degrading and sadistic ordeal.
Vaccaro is far too good an actress for a sleazy, violent exploitation flick such as this. She gives a good performance, as you would expect, but it's wasted on the repellent material. Stroud also registers strongly as a deplorable villain, and Shamata is OK as the vain, heartless playboy. For gorehounds there are some worthwhile moments - the highlight being a chilling throat slashing scene - but it's a long wait until the nasty stuff gets underway. Death Weekend is essentially an intentionally mean-spirited thriller. It offers the lingering threat of rape as a form of entertainment, and asks us to enjoy scenes of drunken abuse, degradation, destruction, idiocy, and graphic murder. Ultimately, the unpleasantness becomes a turn-off. The thoughtfulness of Straw Dogs and the black humour of Death Wish is nowhere to be found. This is just unpleasantness for its own sake.... and that's just NOT what movies are all about.
Thy shall not engage in road rage with thugs and then proceed to cut off from civilization.
Fella_shibby10 February 2021
I saw this for the first time recently and that too the uncut 89 mins version. Was on my radar for a long time.
This one aint that violent as The Last House on the Left or as nasty as I Spit on your Grave or as darker as Straw Dogs but it is horrifying at times.
The film starts off very well with the car race and the thugs showing their regard for law by torturing a lawman. The scene of the transition between night n day is a bit silly.
I didn't understand one thing, Lep asking the model, why did u stop. Was Lep impotent?
Don Stroud as Lep is reminiscent of Neville Brand from Eaten Alive and the character Chigurh from No Country...
Chuck Shamata's double chin n his sheer stupidity gets on the nerves. The rural Canadian areas are well shot and it does add to the isolated feel.
Aft tormenting n torturing innocent fellas, Don Stroud gets to wash off his sins by playing a priest in Amityville Horror.
This one aint that violent as The Last House on the Left or as nasty as I Spit on your Grave or as darker as Straw Dogs but it is horrifying at times.
The film starts off very well with the car race and the thugs showing their regard for law by torturing a lawman. The scene of the transition between night n day is a bit silly.
I didn't understand one thing, Lep asking the model, why did u stop. Was Lep impotent?
Don Stroud as Lep is reminiscent of Neville Brand from Eaten Alive and the character Chigurh from No Country...
Chuck Shamata's double chin n his sheer stupidity gets on the nerves. The rural Canadian areas are well shot and it does add to the isolated feel.
Aft tormenting n torturing innocent fellas, Don Stroud gets to wash off his sins by playing a priest in Amityville Horror.
Decent enough revenge film.
poolandrews21 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Death Weekend is set in the Canadian wilderness where rich dentist Harry has a huge isolated mansion 10 square miles from anything or anyone, he has invited pretty model Diane (Brenda Vaccaro) there for the weekend. On the way Diane insists on driving his flashy Corvette & gets involved in an ugly road rage incident with Lep (Don Stroud) & his gang of thugs, Stanley (Don Granberry), Frankie (Kyle Edwards) & Runt (Richard Ayres) which ends up with Lep's pride & joy parked in a ditch in a stream. Harry & Diane continue their journey to his place while Lep & his buddies are left understandably upset by being humiliated by a woman, they decide to get even & teach Diane a lesson so follow them to Harry's house where the nightmare starts...
This Canadian production was written & directed William Fruet & is a decent piece of sleaze although while I liked it I didn't love it. The script is your basic backwoods brutality exploitation film where some city folk are given a harsh lesson by some inbred retards. Interestingly Death Weekend paints all of it's male leads as scum, even Harry who likes to take nude photo's of his female guests from behind a two way mirror in their bathroom. This actually doesn't lead anywhere & nothing significant is made of it but I found it quite an odd subplot. On the exploitation front this is actually quite tame, there are two attempted rapes unless a rape can be committed while both parties remain fully clothed & it seems to want to spend more time on Lep & his mate's wrecking Harry's expensive house. The character's are OK but I didn't think Lep & his gang came across as anything more than one dimensional pantomime villains, Harry tried to bribe his way out of trouble rather than do anything proactive, Diane as expected suddenly turns into a female commando who takes four big guys down by herself & I could have done without the two drunk comedy relief gas station attendants. Having said that it moves along at a nice pace, when it's good it's good & overall it's quite an effective piece of 'savage cinema'.
Director Fruet does a good job, the opening car chase scenes are pretty cool although he does tend to chicken out when Death Weekend threatens to get really nasty. There's a great 70's sleazy atmosphere to it which is priceless. I wasn't sure about the ending either as it just sort of finishes abruptly. There's not much gore, there's a cool slit throat & some blood splatter but nothing else.
Technically this is well made & has good production values, the location is nice enough & has decent cinematography. The tag line to Death Weekeend on it's theatrical artwork was 'It Began with a Rape. It Ended with a Massacre!' which I think is a bit misleading as it should more accurately have said 'It Began with a Road Rage Incident. It Ended with a Massacre!', then again that doesn't quite have the same ring about it. The acting is good from all involved.
Death Weekend may not be the best revenge flick ever but it's still a fine piece of Canadian sleaze that's worth a watch, you know they just don't make them like this anymore... shame really...
This Canadian production was written & directed William Fruet & is a decent piece of sleaze although while I liked it I didn't love it. The script is your basic backwoods brutality exploitation film where some city folk are given a harsh lesson by some inbred retards. Interestingly Death Weekend paints all of it's male leads as scum, even Harry who likes to take nude photo's of his female guests from behind a two way mirror in their bathroom. This actually doesn't lead anywhere & nothing significant is made of it but I found it quite an odd subplot. On the exploitation front this is actually quite tame, there are two attempted rapes unless a rape can be committed while both parties remain fully clothed & it seems to want to spend more time on Lep & his mate's wrecking Harry's expensive house. The character's are OK but I didn't think Lep & his gang came across as anything more than one dimensional pantomime villains, Harry tried to bribe his way out of trouble rather than do anything proactive, Diane as expected suddenly turns into a female commando who takes four big guys down by herself & I could have done without the two drunk comedy relief gas station attendants. Having said that it moves along at a nice pace, when it's good it's good & overall it's quite an effective piece of 'savage cinema'.
Director Fruet does a good job, the opening car chase scenes are pretty cool although he does tend to chicken out when Death Weekend threatens to get really nasty. There's a great 70's sleazy atmosphere to it which is priceless. I wasn't sure about the ending either as it just sort of finishes abruptly. There's not much gore, there's a cool slit throat & some blood splatter but nothing else.
Technically this is well made & has good production values, the location is nice enough & has decent cinematography. The tag line to Death Weekeend on it's theatrical artwork was 'It Began with a Rape. It Ended with a Massacre!' which I think is a bit misleading as it should more accurately have said 'It Began with a Road Rage Incident. It Ended with a Massacre!', then again that doesn't quite have the same ring about it. The acting is good from all involved.
Death Weekend may not be the best revenge flick ever but it's still a fine piece of Canadian sleaze that's worth a watch, you know they just don't make them like this anymore... shame really...
The typical overacting from the seventies.
deloudelouvain14 November 2019
The House By The Lake or Death Weekend, call it what you want, it doesn't matter but it doesn't change the fact that there is some pretty bad acting going on in this movie. I guess this movie did better in 1976 when people were used to watch overacting but I watched it in 2019 and so I will rate it like it was made in 2019. I think the overacting was something normal in those days, now it's just awful. The story itself isn't that bad if you like revenge movies, even though the behavior of some characters is cringing to watch. Some characters act like they are just and that's not a good thing to improve the quality of the movie. I really don't get the extremely positive reviews for this mediocre movie. I watched it once and will never watch it again.
Highly intense and criminally underrated Canadian rape and revenge shocker.
HumanoidOfFlesh30 May 2006
"Death Weekend" begins with a sleazy super rich dentist on the way to his country mansion with a buxom beauty in tow.The dentist has actually deceived Brenda Vaccaro into the country weekend foray-the sole purpose of the trip is to enjoy his latest conquest.On their way in their car the couple come across four hillbillies who start hassling the couple and chasing them in their car.Vaccaro manages to leave 'em behind.The enraged goons vows to extract revenge.The orgy of mindless violence begins in the dentists mansion...William Fruet's "Death Weekend" is an ugly and brutal rape and revenge flick inspired by "Straw Dogs" and "Last House on the Left".The most surprising fact is that it was banned as the video nasty in UK.The acting is great,the atmosphere is suitably sleazy and there is enough violence to keep fans of grimy exploitation flicks entertained.Give this one a look.9 out of 10.
A Feminist "Straw Dogs"
artzau11 February 2006
I'd never heard of William Fruet when I saw this film with Brenda Viccaro and Don Stroud back in '76 when it was released but I was struck by the resemblance to Sam Peckinpah's Straw dogs in both the story line and the violent action. None of the other faces have stuck with me to any great extent but, as other reviewers here have noted, Viccaro and Stroud stand out in their respective performances. Yes, the story will appeal to the more politically correct shoot'em/beat'em up fan (if indeed any exist), as the final message is that an independent woman will take no guff off a bunch of nasty, randy dudes and there is truth to the old adage, "Hell hath no fury like a woman...pi**ed." Stroud and Viccaro do indeed make the film. The sleaze ball orthodontist who just wants to have an orgy for the weekend and gets his come-upence from a pack of even sleazier balls, veteran character actor Chuck Shamata is the only other character I can remember. But, like the earlier Peckinpah classic, Straw Dogs, this film does stick in the memory.
An unexceptional rape/revenge movie.
BA_Harrison23 April 2008
Harry (Chuck Shamata), a rich lothario dentist, invites model Diane (Brenda Vaccaro, who, at 37, is perhaps a little too old for the part) to spend the weekend with him at his remote lake-side mansion. On their way to the house, the couple have a run-in with four loutish locals who attempt to force their car off the road. After a high speed chase along winding dirt tracks, Brenda (who is at the wheel) succeeds in forcing the thugs to crash into a river. Peeved at having been bested by a woman, head thug Lep (Don Stroud) vows to find the couple and make them pay.
Tracking them to their weekend retreat, the gang terrorise the couple before finally killing Harry and raping Brenda. However, the feisty model eventually gets her revenge; she manages to escape from the house and proceeds to bump off her tormentors one-by-one.
Death Weekend, a violent rape/revenge thriller in the same vein as the infamous The Last House on the Left, contains all of the ingredients one might expect from such a filma pretty protagonist, a gang of thoroughly vile bad guys, and violent retributionbut, thanks to particularly poor pacing and not enough in the way of graphic nastiness, winds up being less effective than many a movie from the same genre.
My main gripe with Death Weekend is that it takes ages to get going (an hour passes before the gang begin to kill and rape); whilst this admittedly gives us plenty of time to get to really hate Lep and Co. (a nasty bunch made all the more repulsive thanks to the way that they continually delight in mocking their victims with high pitched laughter), it doesn't leave enough time for a truly satisfying finalé.
Not only does Brenda dispatch all of the thugs in very quick succession, but she also does so in a fairly bloodless manner. Being a gore-hound, I wanted her to get real nasty, but instead of buckets of gore, we get a tame throat slashing, an immolation, a drowning, and death by car.
Death Weekend will definitely be of interest to fans of gritty, 'grindhouse' cinema, but I certainly wouldn't class it as essential viewing.
Tracking them to their weekend retreat, the gang terrorise the couple before finally killing Harry and raping Brenda. However, the feisty model eventually gets her revenge; she manages to escape from the house and proceeds to bump off her tormentors one-by-one.
Death Weekend, a violent rape/revenge thriller in the same vein as the infamous The Last House on the Left, contains all of the ingredients one might expect from such a filma pretty protagonist, a gang of thoroughly vile bad guys, and violent retributionbut, thanks to particularly poor pacing and not enough in the way of graphic nastiness, winds up being less effective than many a movie from the same genre.
My main gripe with Death Weekend is that it takes ages to get going (an hour passes before the gang begin to kill and rape); whilst this admittedly gives us plenty of time to get to really hate Lep and Co. (a nasty bunch made all the more repulsive thanks to the way that they continually delight in mocking their victims with high pitched laughter), it doesn't leave enough time for a truly satisfying finalé.
Not only does Brenda dispatch all of the thugs in very quick succession, but she also does so in a fairly bloodless manner. Being a gore-hound, I wanted her to get real nasty, but instead of buckets of gore, we get a tame throat slashing, an immolation, a drowning, and death by car.
Death Weekend will definitely be of interest to fans of gritty, 'grindhouse' cinema, but I certainly wouldn't class it as essential viewing.
Being a "heavy" must be an occupational hazard
newslogger4417 August 2022
I often wonder how casting directors for violent films of this type go about selecting ideal candidates for the "heavies".
WANTED: Men wanted for film role. Must be physically unattractive, capable to convincingly simulating a surly, juvenile, loutish demeanor, fake drunkenness, have the ability to portray a threatening and even murderous intent toward females, children, law officers, indeed ANYONE who dares to cross them.
Then one wonders exactly WHO would WANT to apply for such a role, undoubtedly anticipating a negative reaction by family members, friends, secondary employers, etc., who see them onscreen and think, "Good grief, I wonder if this guy is (or was) a real criminal or social outcast; otherwise why on earth would he sign up for such a negative role? Maybe he needs the money?".
Certainly, while some of the top-tier actors can and have routinely switched back and forth from being a bad-ass to a hero with apparent ease, such as Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, etc., but in "The House by the Lake", I cannot imagine that Don Stroud's toady, slime-ball accomplices would dare show their undisguised faces in public without fearing that somebody might recognize them and throw a punch or two--or worse.
WANTED: Men wanted for film role. Must be physically unattractive, capable to convincingly simulating a surly, juvenile, loutish demeanor, fake drunkenness, have the ability to portray a threatening and even murderous intent toward females, children, law officers, indeed ANYONE who dares to cross them.
Then one wonders exactly WHO would WANT to apply for such a role, undoubtedly anticipating a negative reaction by family members, friends, secondary employers, etc., who see them onscreen and think, "Good grief, I wonder if this guy is (or was) a real criminal or social outcast; otherwise why on earth would he sign up for such a negative role? Maybe he needs the money?".
Certainly, while some of the top-tier actors can and have routinely switched back and forth from being a bad-ass to a hero with apparent ease, such as Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, etc., but in "The House by the Lake", I cannot imagine that Don Stroud's toady, slime-ball accomplices would dare show their undisguised faces in public without fearing that somebody might recognize them and throw a punch or two--or worse.
70s sleaze
jj_hansell12 January 2021
Sleaze, but pretty entertaining. You have to overlook a lot of things, like these dudes are nearing middle age, way past the time when you spend your leisure time hot-rodding around the countryside with a case of beer. I first saw this when I was 16 or so, and naturally I enjoyed seeing Brenda Vaccaro naked, not realizing until viewing this movie several years later that the nude female I had lusted after was actually a body double, Harry the dentist is a hoot, a completely emasculated man who does nothing about his home being invaded, and when he finally hatches a plan it consists of grabbing a shotgun from upstairs, which is immediately taken away from him, at which point he's reduced to throwing records at the bad guys. Fun stuff, if you're in the mood for some retro cinematic sleaze.
Sadism, slobbering morons and a constant threat of rape, with only one decent character in the picture...
moonspinner551 September 2015
Savvy model Brenda Vaccaro, on a weekend date with a dentist she hardly knows, runs a car full of drunken thugs off the road; they vow revenge. Repugnant, unpleasant Canadian-made B-movie, though admittedly well-made and well-acted of its type, slipped by virtually unnoticed in 1976, this due in part to several films with similar scenarios already in circulation (and more were to follow). By having Vaccaro's date (a wealthy womanizer--and Peeping Tom to boot!) turn out to be as loathsome as the surly gang who invades the house by the lake, writer-director William Fruet seems to be making an ironic point on the thin line between rich creeps and poor creeps. Either way, it's still 75 minutes of watching creeps...and waiting for La Vaccaro to turn the tables on them. *1/2 from ****
It began with a rape... and ended with a massacre!
ray-1002 April 2002
Rich playboy (Chuck Shamata) and his 'supposed weekend fling' (Brenda Vaccaro) embark in some road rage with four thugs. The thugs track them down at their weekend mansion, then a weekend of terror begins.
A well acted and directed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Not as violent as other similar titles such as 'Last House on the Left', 'Fight for your Life', and 'Late Night Trains' but far more exciting.
A film well worthy of a re-release.
A well acted and directed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Not as violent as other similar titles such as 'Last House on the Left', 'Fight for your Life', and 'Late Night Trains' but far more exciting.
A film well worthy of a re-release.
Health Warning
Critical Eye UK9 December 2001
Devoid of the directorial brio that graced Russ Meyer's off-the-wall essays in violence, 'Death Weekend' remains an inglorious example of cinema at its ugliest.
Vicious, joyless, witless and pointless, it is one long contrivance of outrage, a uni-dimensional affair which having discovered the Newtonian principle of the greater the action, the greater the reaction, proceeds to exploit it with tedious predictability.
There are no insights into the human condition, though a great many into the minds of those responsible. Stroud, who until this dross had the potential to be a cinema headliner, must look back now and wonder if his career wasn't buried along with so much else at The House by the Lake. As for Fruett, consignment to the world of TV episodes seems charitable.
See it and be demeaned.
Vicious, joyless, witless and pointless, it is one long contrivance of outrage, a uni-dimensional affair which having discovered the Newtonian principle of the greater the action, the greater the reaction, proceeds to exploit it with tedious predictability.
There are no insights into the human condition, though a great many into the minds of those responsible. Stroud, who until this dross had the potential to be a cinema headliner, must look back now and wonder if his career wasn't buried along with so much else at The House by the Lake. As for Fruett, consignment to the world of TV episodes seems charitable.
See it and be demeaned.
'It was Thanksgiving weekend, and Diane had nothing to be thankful for...'
Nightman8528 December 2005
Solidly-done, low-budget thriller from Canada is a great tale of survival.
In route to their weekend get away, a woman and her gentleman friend anger a gang of thugs and end up paying for it.
Death Weekend is a little known thriller, which is a shame since it's a good entry in the vengeance/exploitation genre. While Death Weekend isn't as violent or disturbing as Last House on the Left (1972) or I Spit on Your Grave (1978), it does possess a powerful tension and makes for a pretty strong watch. Director William Fruet gives this film tight action and dark, suspenseful atmosphere. It does have the occasional burst of shocking violence - especially during the terrifically intense climax.
The films two stars are a strong point as well. Brenda Vaccaro is great as a victim trying to survive. She is an excellent actress and shows it well in this film. Also excellent is villain Don Stroud. Stroud has a powerful kind of presence in this film as the ruthless, but not unattractive leader of the gang.
Death Weekend is a nicely edgy shocker that deserves a wider audience. For thriller, exploitation fans it's worth finding!
*** out of ****
In route to their weekend get away, a woman and her gentleman friend anger a gang of thugs and end up paying for it.
Death Weekend is a little known thriller, which is a shame since it's a good entry in the vengeance/exploitation genre. While Death Weekend isn't as violent or disturbing as Last House on the Left (1972) or I Spit on Your Grave (1978), it does possess a powerful tension and makes for a pretty strong watch. Director William Fruet gives this film tight action and dark, suspenseful atmosphere. It does have the occasional burst of shocking violence - especially during the terrifically intense climax.
The films two stars are a strong point as well. Brenda Vaccaro is great as a victim trying to survive. She is an excellent actress and shows it well in this film. Also excellent is villain Don Stroud. Stroud has a powerful kind of presence in this film as the ruthless, but not unattractive leader of the gang.
Death Weekend is a nicely edgy shocker that deserves a wider audience. For thriller, exploitation fans it's worth finding!
*** out of ****
Still Powerful
carey656727 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Death Weekend is a Powerful atmospheric Film. Its a Basic story of a Rich Dentist who loves himself and his money too much. He Brings a fashion Model with him to his country getaway house for the weekend but the pair both have to fight for survival after 4 thugs follow them back to their secluded isolated Country Retreat and hold them captive. The film is Entertaining showing the interaction between The Thugs and the couple. Chuck Shamata plays the dentist who just loves his materialistic possessions and money so much. He has a beautiful house filled with expensive collectibles and furniture. His ego is that of a man who cares for no one but himself and this is evident later in the film when his partner's life and well being is threatened by the thugs who want to rape her and bash her around. The dentist only gets upset and tries to act when his house and possessions are threatened by destruction.
Don Stroud , a Favourite actor of mine has one of his finest hours on film as the leader of the thugs named "Lep". He is really Mean and Violent towards anyone , even his own gang and plays his character with lots of Coolness and Menace. To me , he is a Very bad person but he also shows us in a rare scene or two that he has some feeling towards the fashion model and his behaviour towards her is maybe not purely for the purpose of committing rape.While they are alone in the garden shed after she tries to escape , He stops trying to Rape her after she stops resisting him with her fists and arms , he stops the rape.Then he gently tries to touch her face and kiss her as they are both standing up. She rejects him with a slap in the face and then he hits her but its an interesting scene.A few images of This scene is also cut to at the end of the film after she kills "Lep" by running over him with a car. There is a quick shot of Lep smiling at her in the grassy field and then another cut to the kiss he tried to give her in the shed after she stopped fighting with him. I felt the Director was trying to say something about Lep's character and that he was not entirely all bad as a person. Maybe just a bit lonely and in need of good woman that he wanted to love. Maybe he didn't have to die. The Film has plenty of good scenes. I really liked watching the 4 thugs drink all the alcohol in the house and run amok. They get drunk ,Throw Beer on each other and all around the place ,Act Stupid , Make a Mess ,Vomit , fart and make total idiots of themselves as they totally intimidate and show no respect for the dentist's house.Lep questions the dentist's vast materialism with his house and possessions and labels it all crap. This is funny and it builds to a very dramatic scene where Stroud and his men no longer show any restraint and totally go crazy and start trashing the whole house and furniture to bits. They smash and destroy everything they can yelling , screaming and laughing. Its very funny to see these four morons totally lose it and shows they enjoy acting crazy.
My Girlfriend watched this film with me and had a real hate for Don Stroud's Lep Character and the 3 other men in his gang. She couldn't wait to see them get killed by the Fashion model. They play very evil, sleazy men and act like filthy animals. The Director really portrayed the thugs as very low class human beings. Actually some of the worst thugs i've seen on film ever. Their behaviour is so low life.
Death Weekend is a real 70s Classic. A great Well Paced Thriller with some good Performances. The film is sleazy with its characters but there is no graphic nudity or rape scenes. Overall Well Directed.
Stroud and Brenda Vaccaro are Great and Carry this film....
Don Stroud , a Favourite actor of mine has one of his finest hours on film as the leader of the thugs named "Lep". He is really Mean and Violent towards anyone , even his own gang and plays his character with lots of Coolness and Menace. To me , he is a Very bad person but he also shows us in a rare scene or two that he has some feeling towards the fashion model and his behaviour towards her is maybe not purely for the purpose of committing rape.While they are alone in the garden shed after she tries to escape , He stops trying to Rape her after she stops resisting him with her fists and arms , he stops the rape.Then he gently tries to touch her face and kiss her as they are both standing up. She rejects him with a slap in the face and then he hits her but its an interesting scene.A few images of This scene is also cut to at the end of the film after she kills "Lep" by running over him with a car. There is a quick shot of Lep smiling at her in the grassy field and then another cut to the kiss he tried to give her in the shed after she stopped fighting with him. I felt the Director was trying to say something about Lep's character and that he was not entirely all bad as a person. Maybe just a bit lonely and in need of good woman that he wanted to love. Maybe he didn't have to die. The Film has plenty of good scenes. I really liked watching the 4 thugs drink all the alcohol in the house and run amok. They get drunk ,Throw Beer on each other and all around the place ,Act Stupid , Make a Mess ,Vomit , fart and make total idiots of themselves as they totally intimidate and show no respect for the dentist's house.Lep questions the dentist's vast materialism with his house and possessions and labels it all crap. This is funny and it builds to a very dramatic scene where Stroud and his men no longer show any restraint and totally go crazy and start trashing the whole house and furniture to bits. They smash and destroy everything they can yelling , screaming and laughing. Its very funny to see these four morons totally lose it and shows they enjoy acting crazy.
My Girlfriend watched this film with me and had a real hate for Don Stroud's Lep Character and the 3 other men in his gang. She couldn't wait to see them get killed by the Fashion model. They play very evil, sleazy men and act like filthy animals. The Director really portrayed the thugs as very low class human beings. Actually some of the worst thugs i've seen on film ever. Their behaviour is so low life.
Death Weekend is a real 70s Classic. A great Well Paced Thriller with some good Performances. The film is sleazy with its characters but there is no graphic nudity or rape scenes. Overall Well Directed.
Stroud and Brenda Vaccaro are Great and Carry this film....
Another cool 70's Rape & Revenge flick!!
Coventry3 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Death Weekend" or "House by the Lake", which actually is a much more appropriate title in case you know a bit about the sub genre is another obscure and unscrupulous rip-off of Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left", filmed without much of a budget but containing loads of extremely brutal and sadistic images. A stone-cold cult favorite, in other words, and a must-have for avid collectors of this genre even though the film itself features absolutely no originality or interesting story lines. The movie is pretty much identical to "House on the Edge of the Park", "Straw Dogs", "Night Train Murders", "I spit on your Grave" and "Last House on the Beach", yet all of them are worth tracking down since they represent pure terror and formidably portray the darkest side of human behavior and abuse of physical power. A wealthy dentist (who made a second profession out of luring gorgeous women to his remote mansion) and his love for the weekend encounter four savage macho men on their way to his...house by the lake. Frustrated by losing a car race, the four brutes track the couple down and invade the house. With no living soul around for miles, they can extendedly torture the dentist, demolish his house and sexually humiliate the female guest. It even takes one casualty before strong-minded Diane turns to deadly revenge. Of course, there isn't any fancy camera-work or sublime acting to enjoy here, but director William Fruet ("Funeral Home", "Spasms") maintains the disturbing tone and raw atmosphere throughout the entire movie. The lake area, with its primitive appeal and natural death traps, forms an excellent location for an exploitation movie like this and the fast car race at the opening of the film is rudimentary exciting. Diane's vengeance when approaching the climax is marvelous, with some of the coolest deaths ever (including a top-five grossest throat slit!). "House by the Lake" also has a fairly good soundtrack and it's interesting to know that one of the main producers was Ivan Reitman ("Ghostbusters", "Junior"), who also started his career as an exploitation filmmaker. Highly recommended!
More than just 'The Last House by the Lake'...
The_Void17 September 2006
Anyone who has seen 'The Last House on the Left' will know exactly what to expect from this film, and indeed it's clear that Death Weekend has took a lot of influence from it's illustrious predecessor. In terms of Last House rip-off's, this probably isn't one of the best; but Death Weekend succeeds in drawing the audience into its premise, and overall - this is a hugely enjoyable slice of 'rape and revenge'. Directed by William Fruet and originating from Canada, the film certainly gives the Italian heavyweight nasties a run for their money, and provides a social commentary different to the one portrayed in Wes Craven's earlier famous shocker. The plot is thin and focuses more on characters than plot points. At the start, we are introduced to rich playboy dentist Harry, who takes a different woman home every weekend. This time he's got a model in tow, and the pair run into trouble on the road and end up getting into a car chase with four drunken men. Naturally, the action ends up back at the playboy's mansion, and pretty soon the pair are being held hostage by the unpredictable madmen.
The film was given the alternative title 'The House by the Lake' in an obvious attempt to cash in on Last House on the Left, and although the two are undoubtedly similar, this film plays out along different lines. Craven's film focused on ultra-violence, whereas this one manages a social commentary along the same lines as Dawn of the Dead and pokes fun at consumerism, as the playboy at the centre fears more for his house and material possessions than his own life and that of his companion. It's obvious that director William Fruet was restrained by his budget, but he still manages to implement a great atmosphere, which is more chaotic than many of the film's genre counterparts. This sort of film is obviously put on the back foot from the beginning as many will merely pass it off as another rip-off; but while the film may not be as nasty as some others, Death Weekend still succeeds at doing what it set out to do; namely, delivering a raw film with gratuitous nastiness and violence. The acting isn't up to much, although everyone does an adequate job of portraying their characters, and while this might not be a 'great' genre film; it's certainly a very good one.
The film was given the alternative title 'The House by the Lake' in an obvious attempt to cash in on Last House on the Left, and although the two are undoubtedly similar, this film plays out along different lines. Craven's film focused on ultra-violence, whereas this one manages a social commentary along the same lines as Dawn of the Dead and pokes fun at consumerism, as the playboy at the centre fears more for his house and material possessions than his own life and that of his companion. It's obvious that director William Fruet was restrained by his budget, but he still manages to implement a great atmosphere, which is more chaotic than many of the film's genre counterparts. This sort of film is obviously put on the back foot from the beginning as many will merely pass it off as another rip-off; but while the film may not be as nasty as some others, Death Weekend still succeeds at doing what it set out to do; namely, delivering a raw film with gratuitous nastiness and violence. The acting isn't up to much, although everyone does an adequate job of portraying their characters, and while this might not be a 'great' genre film; it's certainly a very good one.
Death Weekend not on DVD
trnjamesbond5 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
As I watched this bootleg VHS film after downloading it from a P2P site I enjoyed every minute of it, and yes by the way that is probably the only way anyone can actually get a copy of this film. I remember seeing it on television when I was younger, well not that young I was probably in my 20's, and also on Canadian satellite television. But it always stuck with me as a none forgettable film of great acting, very lovable and hated characters at the same time.
I wish I had an actual DVD copy of this film, but it doesn't exist, why this is I do not know. The film gives us an insight of so much rage in a woman after she gets raped, but also is with a dentist than is a cocky jerk in the beginning.
Death Weekend aka House By The Lake is a great film and stands up beside Last House on the Left, and I Spit On Your Grave. I truly don't know why this film has such controversy behind it since all the films I mentioned have been released on DVD. I'm guessing because it's a Canadian rape revenge film that stand above the rest of this sort of genre. What ever the reason I recommend watching this film if you have the means to do so.
I wish I had an actual DVD copy of this film, but it doesn't exist, why this is I do not know. The film gives us an insight of so much rage in a woman after she gets raped, but also is with a dentist than is a cocky jerk in the beginning.
Death Weekend aka House By The Lake is a great film and stands up beside Last House on the Left, and I Spit On Your Grave. I truly don't know why this film has such controversy behind it since all the films I mentioned have been released on DVD. I'm guessing because it's a Canadian rape revenge film that stand above the rest of this sort of genre. What ever the reason I recommend watching this film if you have the means to do so.
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