When “The Hills Have Eyes” remake came out in the theaters, I found it hard to watch. I still recommended it, but with strong reservations. It’s not your typical fun horror film. “The Hills Have Eyes” is a visceral journey into raw horror and tension.

Of course, that was what the filmmakers intended. In general, I liked director Alexandre Aja’s debut “High Tension” last year a little bit more. Like “High Tension,” “The Hills Have Eyes” features an unspeakable terror happening to a family in the middle of nowhere. In many ways, “The Hills Have Eyes” is even more violent.

But if the theatrical R-rated release was just too tame for you, the unrated DVD is now out, featuring deleted footage and shots from the original film. Unlike the glut of unrated DVDs that flood the video store every year, this film earns its unratedness. It’s not just a couple lines thrown back in. There are some serious gore moments you never experienced in the film. I have no doubt that, if put in front of the MPAA board, this would easily garner an NC-17 rating.

However, in some ways, this is the better version of the film. Already the theatrical release didn’t pull any punches. It was visceral and hard core. This version just takes everything a little farther. It’s still not a movie for the kiddies, but for the rape-murder-revenge crowd, it’s a doozie.

“The Hills Have Eyes” is easier to watch on video than it was in the theater. Maybe this is because at home you don’t have the immersion experience that the theatre offers. Maybe its because I already saw it before. This time around, however, I had a chance to enjoy the revenge aspect of the film. Knowing when things are coming helps soften them a bit.

The DVD comes with an excellent collection of special features. There are two commentary tracks, one featuring Aja, art director and co-screenwriter Gregory Levasseur and producer Marianne Maddalena. The second features Wes Craven and Peter Locke. Both commentaries are especially insightful, using the roundtable discussion format to explore multiple aspects of the film.

There are also several featurettes on the DVD, including “Surviving the Hills: Making of The Hills Have Eyes.” This documentary is excellent, going beyond the standard behind-the-scenes feature you find on most DVDs. It details how different sequences were put together, shows how the make-up and mutant effects were created and opens the door to the production. It’s easily one of the best behind-the-scenes docos I’ve seen on a DVD in a while.

In addition to the Finalist’s music video “Leave the Broken Hearts,” there’s also an extensive video production diary that serves as the fly-on-the-wall focus more commonly seen on DVDs.

Probably one of the more revealing aspects of the excellent behind-the-scenes information is that it allows you to get out of the movie a bit. You get to see the actors between takes of the most horrific of the scenes, reminding you that it is just a movie after all.



Specifications: Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1). Spanish language track. French and Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.