.com Writer-director Meir Zarchi's controversial story of rape and revenge has lost none of its ability to shock viewers since it first gained notoriety in the late '70s. Camille Keaton (grand-niece of Buster Keaton and, later, Zarchi's wife) stars as a young woman who is terrorized and then brutally assaulted by four men while on vacation. After slowly pulling herself together, she methodically tracks down and butchers each of the perpetrators. Zarchi's film has been consistently accused of celebrating violence against women, and while the rape scenes are graphic, they also lack the voyeuristic qualities that earmark other similarly plotted exploitation films. If anything, Zarchi is guilty of awkward scripting; the dialogue is leaden, and Keaton's transformation from victim to avenger is too swift. But to label him a pornographer is wrong, and while the film is challenging--perhaps more than most audiences can bear--its depiction of the psychology of violence is undeniably powerful. --Paul Gaita Additional Features Elite Entertainment's Millennium Edition DVD presents I Spit on Your Grave in anamorphic widescreen and with optional audio tracks (Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1, the last of which best highlights the film's lonely soundscape). Fans will undoubtedly want to hear Meir Zarchi's commentary track, given that he's remained mostly silent about the film since its release. Zarchi provides a great deal of background information (including the events that inspired the film) and technical detail, as well as a bit of self-aggrandizement about its place in cinema history. His accent is difficult to understand at times, and less devoted viewers may enjoy cult critic Joe Bob Briggs's more lighthearted commentary as an alternative. The extras are rounded out by a wealth of international promotional art and trailers, as well as a collection of reviews, including Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel's damning write-ups, which helped to fan the flames of controversy surrounding the film. --Paul Gaita
B**D
Good
I liked this movie, but it's not good for kids to watch. Played good
S**H
I gave this film five stars not because "I loved it, " as the stars are described
I gave this film five stars not because "I loved it," as the stars are described, but because it's one of the better depictions of what a woman who is attacked by more than one man goes through. Reviewer Lawrence Bernabo writes that the director "pours it on thick, absolutely assuring that things go beyond the tolerance level of anyone who watches this film." There's a what?...a TOLERANCE level to rape? People tolerate it? Damnit, yes they sadly do. That's why the critics hated it so and why countries banned it. It was too real. Possibly too much from a victim's perspective, versus voyeurs and others. Most rape scenes don't show the pain of the woman, let us see her lay there for some time, getting over the shock and pain, take the time to show the victim slowly crawl away, slowly walk away...looking around and wondering if they are following, pausing to stand and look at her house, wondering if they are in there, only to be attacked again, and again. Let us hear her screams. In most rape scenes they are cut off time-wise, or a hand goes over her mouth or she's beaten to shut her up...I think a lot of that is so the audience CAN "tolerate" what they are watching. Oh, but this was too much, I'm sure the critics said. Yes, rapes and assaults ARE "sanitized" so that they get by the TV and movie censors, and so that they aren't hated by critics or banned by entire countries.In this movie, her multiple attackers let her go for a bit frequently, and didn't hold her so well so that she had a chance to fight. Try fighting three men who find you in a deep, deep sleep in your own bed. I could barely wake up until the pain hit. And you'd think anyone raped by three men would have a lot of injuries. Strangely, when you are held down well, before you are awake, you don't get injured, much. Oh, there was internal pain and injuries, but externally....only one bruise on the inside of my thigh. And I have Von Willebrand's disease! Which mean I bleed and bruise easily! So I was very, very surprised at my lack of obvious injuries. And guess what else, women who don't get broken bones and lots of cuts and bruises are less likely to report it because they figure who will believe them. I *WISH* I had had bones broken.Even so, the fierce desire for revenge is blindingly overwhelming. It was near the end of a semester and I didn't return to that school. It took the woman in the movie two weeks to get into action. I was in shock for several months before the rage set in, but by that time I was hundreds of miles from the perpetrators so got a gun, out of fear and rage, and walked around like Jodie Foster did in The Brave One (she wasn't raped, her fiancee was killed...shock and rage also sets in), at night, with a gun, in the worst sections of a city because I wanted to kill a man sooo desperately, any man. If anyone had said anything off color to me, or even had looked at me funny, my reaction would have been instantaneous. Jodie Foster's character did kill. I was enraged that no one, not one person tried anything. Many years later I wondered what the hell my body language must have been saying because gangs of men walked right by me and not one even looked at me. Well that's not true. A few looked at me for a moment, and then looked away. A slender, young woman alone at night and no one took the bait. Damn...it's almost funny now, 35 years later. Either someone was looking out for them, or looking out for me. But you never forget. The pain just ebbs.The write/director of this movie either had an amazing imagine, or he talked with some women who were raped, because he got many things right.
S**S
Great Great horror film
After watching "Last House on the Left","Zombie",and "The Beyond," it's good to finally see a horror film that's taken seriously and done extrememly well. Wes Cravens LHOTL just seems to hold back a lot on the extreme, not to mention being in dire need of a good script, and the Fulci films seem to have good story ideas and a good effort, but in the end, it's executed a little poorly.I Spit on Your Grave is the cure.To keep it short, the story takes us to a summer house rented out by a quient, very kind and really attractive Jennifer (Camille Keaton). She is kidnapped by a few hillbillies, raped, beaten and left for dead. She then plots revenge and goes on to kill each attacker one by one. This film will upset a lot of people. The scenes where Keaton is raped and beaten are pretty intense, mostly because she acts through them with such brilliance, her screams sound so real you'll almost feel like she really was being raped. What also adds to your sympathy for her is her figure. I think it was a concious effort to try to get a very thin and weak looking women to play the part, b/c let's face it, as pretty as Keaton is, curves she has not. It's surprising her character didn't die during this ordeal. What I also liked in this film and as stated by other reviewers is how her wardrobe changes after she is almost killed. She stops wearing skimpy clothing and opts for a more conservative look. I also love the lack of a soundtrack, which may sound like it'll ruin the film but actually adds to its realism and makes it so much better.Even though the revenge plot is what makes the film and is the film it is not without its share of uncredibility. This is the reason I took off one star. For example, unless her main attacker is a real idiot, why would he trust this woman who he has just raped and almost killed to fall for him and want to get naked in the tub with him?? Also, in real life if a woman was in the same situation and was raped, do you think she'd still stay in that summer house for the remainder of the summer instead of going back home knowing full well her attackers are still somewhere nearby? I know in reality some people would be too ashamed to admit what happened to them which is understandable but what exactly kept Keaton's character in that house? Did she not want her money to go to waste or something? Com'on!Besides these flaws which will have you rolling your eyes at the screen, the film is incredible and although may not scare you with dark murky lighting or monsters and such, it's not that type of horror film. What's frightening about it is how easily the attackers were able to get their hands on this woman. It's scary because it shows you just how vulnerable you really are. I'd definitely recommend this film to any true horror fan, you won't regret it. I love this movie!
T**A
I Spit On Your Grave isn't enjoyable, it's mentally scarring.
I Spit On Your Grave isn't enjoyable, it's mentally scarring. Honestly, I'm not sure how to wrap my thoughts around this and cohesively write a review. Everything about this film, is just wrong. But that's the point. Does that necessarily make it a good film? Perhaps, perhaps not. A young woman stays in a remote cabin where she is terrorised and ambushed by a group of men (including the local sheriff). Presumed missing, she returns to seek justice by her own twisted methods. "Twisted" is gently describing this harrowing story. Simply put, this is disgusting. Two horrific rape scenes, elaborate torture set pieces and an eye wincing amount of gore. Clearly it was going for the shock factor, to which it succeeds. Hands down, I've not seen anything quite like this. The amount of comments I was making throughout its runtime..."seriously!? You're going to rape her again!?", "Oh she's going to do it...oh ohhhh...OHHH she did it!!" and "Revenge is a dish best served cold, even if it is a shotgun up the bum!". I'm not a huge fan of the "torture" sub-genre, I believe it is rather divisive but I can see its appeal to genre enthusiasts. However, making something shocking just so that it is memorable and intimidating doesn't make a good "film". You have to encompass every aspect. At the end of the day, it is a glorified B-Movie about revenge. I'll give credit to Sarah Butler, it cannot have been easy to film certain scenes and I thought she did pretty well. Everyone else could've been replaced and it wouldn't have made a difference. The second act was a slog, the interval where we wait for her to reappear seemed to go on forever. She then all of a sudden becomes an expert at torture, I mean some of those contraptions like the bath filled with lye were just too elaborate. Don't get me started on why she would even stay in that cabin alone anyway! Did we need a remake of the 1978 cult film? Who knows, but we've got one and it is brutally savage. Not necessarily my type of genre, but I can appreciate the fan base for these.
"**"
I Spit on Your Grave
Camille Keaton plays an author who decides to escape the mayhem of the city to finish her work in the quiet country. Bad move! She falls victim to a viscious and graphically intense battering and gang rape by four men she is very familiar with. One of which is a mentally challenged grocery delivery boy. The men suspect she will die in the woods, but she doesn't. Too bad for them. The revenge she takes on these four is horrific, explicit, and not for the faint of heart! But the punishments fit the crime! This film broke ground where other cult films only dreamed of treading. I Spit on Your Grave (originally titled "Day of the Woman")is a must have for any horror or cult fan, and very recommended! Not for anyone under 18, or the weak of heart! You are warned! Enjoy this one! I do, over and over!
K**.
Slightly dated now
First off this DVD states that it's a fuller version. Now I last saw this on TV many years ago but, despite the length of time that has passed, I couldn't find any scenes that were different from those I remembered. This DVD offers 3 sound options, 5.1, 2.0 stereo & the original mono soundtrack. As I don't have an external sound system I found the mono version to be the best but that's just my preference. The picture quality is really good, not HD, considering when this was made.If you've never seen this before it's about a young woman who's rented a remote house for the summer next to a river in rural upstate New York I believe to write her next book. On arrival she stops at a petrol station (a couple of pumps & a hut) just outside the local town to fill up. It's run by a 30 something bloke. His two jobless "layabout" mates are also there. After she leaves the 3 of them are like dogs on heat. You'd think they'd never seen an attractive young woman before! Just then the 4th bloke arrives on his bicycle who's a delivery boy for the local store. He's naieve, a virgin & desperate for freinds & the whipping boy for the other three so does what they tell him to do. This lot have a small boat with an outboard motor which they use to check out the garden of the new arrival & find her relaxing in a bikini. This is like a red rag to a bull & they plan to have some "fun" with her. Chasing her down in the woods they carry out this "fun" stripping & repeatedly raping her. Once recovered she decides to take her revenge on each of them, one at a time, in a particularly brutal way but who would argue with that? Not many I suspect.This was, at that time, the ultimate revenge movie. However in 2010 there was a remake starring Sarah Butler which is more graphic than the original as, by then, audience tolerance & censorship levels were much higher than in the late 70's, early 80's & it's the remake which dates the original somewhat.If you've not seen either watch the original first.
わ**ん
これはすごい。
アメリカのリベンジ映画を見ていて思うのは、憎い奴等をあんなにあっさりスカっと殺してしまってあれで溜飲下がるのかなぁということで、私なんかもっとこっぴどく痛めつけないと納得いかないぞといつも底意地悪く思っているのですが、この映画はそのあたり最高に爽快ですね。そうそうやれやれもっとやれ〜と盛り上がること間違いなし。後半の復讐篇のバイオレンス度は半端なし。まぁどうしたって哀しい話なのは変わらないですけど。“ウィークエンド”、未ソフト化ですが“リップスティック”、“鮮血の美学”、そしてこの映画のオリジナル、ソフト名“悪魔のえじき”とレイプリベンジ映画は70年代のあの退廃したムードの中でないと成立しないのではないかと思っていたのですが、この映画は変にスタイリッシュな映像にすることもなく、このシンプル極まりない悲惨なストーリーを淡々としたシーンと過激なバイオレンスの抑揚をつけて悲哀のある空気感で描ききっていると思います。前半のレイプ篇はオリジナルの方がねちっこく悲惨でしたが、まぁ不快感は変わらないですし現代の一般映画ではこれがギリギリレベルでしょう。ただその分、復讐篇に行くまでにヒロインのフツフツ沸き起こる怒りで事件の悲惨度を表現しないといけないと思うのですが、そこがまったくなかったのは残念。恐らくゆったりドキュメントタッチで描いた前半と、突然スプラッターになる後半をスパっと切り替えたかったんだとは思うんですけどね。また折角の小道具のビデオテープをもっとうまい活用をさせてくれなかったのも残念。あれは結構精神的にすごい武器になったと思うんですけどねぇ。だから復讐の場面はこっぴどくて最高でしたが、それでもまだ若干ぬるく感じてしまったのは私のそこ意地悪さのせい?
R**F
maybe THE most underrated and rejected movie of all time
the edition:Elite - Millenium Edition- the uncut version with a running time of 101 minutes.- the film is presented in the correct aspect ratio 1.85 : 1- picture restoration is very good with natural colours and a black black- the extras are superb: there are two audio commentaries which both are very good and interesting.Meir Zarchi tells his story of the film, the background, the people involved and the real-life tragedy which actually inspired this film in a quiet voice. And for the first time in this length! Here I learned that Meir Zarchi hates the title I Spit on Your Grave, with which he had nothing to do and which was only due to the effort to get the movie released (as an exploitation movie that is). Also: that the "director's cut" is 100 minutes with 1 minute cut from some early dialogue. And most important: you learn how deeply serious his approach with this movie was and you can only guess how much the aggressive rejection and destruction of his work must have hurt him. Apart from one interview he never talked about this film in 25 years.Joe Bob Briggs does the other commentary. And this one is passionate in his approach to show how insubstantial the arguments of the critics actually are. And he succeeds in a very lively way to show that there is not one scene in the movie to substantiate the accusation of this film being misogynic.I first saw this movie in the heavily cut version. Didn't know then: quite interesting exploitation movie. Some time passed, but I couldn't forget this film and tried long to find a uncut edition. Then I saw it again 3 times in a row with all the audio commentaries (something I never do otherwise).At first I even believed this myth about very bad acting. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Please show me one actress like Camille Keaton who shows the aftermath of rape in such a hurting and convincing way. Jodie Foster? You must be kidding or you never saw the uncut version of Day of the Woman. Monica Bellucci in Irreversible? Well, she is good, but Irreversible is about the male revenge and not about the suffering (and revenge) of the victim.I mean Keaton may not be a "great actor" and she's not even convincing as a writer of short stories in this film, but looking at her just walking back to the house after she's been beaten and raped is one of the toughest and most convincing and real moments of film history. And the decision of Meir Zarchi not to give you any kind of (musical) relief might be the ultimate reason, why there's such an amount of hate against this film.If you decide to watch this film, DO NOT watch the cut version. It just doesn't make any sense and works against the intentions of this outstanding work of art.
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3 weeks ago
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