The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)

The Hills Have Eyes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wes Craven
Produced by	Pete Locke
Written by	Wes Craven
Starring	Martin Speer Virginia Vincent Dee Wallace Susan Lanier Robert Houston Lance Gordon Russ Grieve Michael Berryman
Music by	Don Peake
Cinematography	Eric Saarinen
Edited by	Wes Craven
Production company	Blood Relations Co.
Distributed by	Vanguard Monarch Releasing Corporation
Release date	22 July 1977
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$230,000 (estimated)
Box office	$25 million

The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American exploitation-horror film written, directed, and edited by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. It is about a family that is targeted by a family of savages after being stranded in the Nevada desert. The film was released in cinemas on 22 July 1977 and has since become a cult classic. It was followed by The Hills Have Eyes Part II.

At a run-down gas station in the desert of Nevada, somewhere near Area 51, an old man named Fred (John Steadman) is packing his truck when a ragged and somewhat feral teenage girl named Ruby (Janus Blythe) approaches him. She offers to trade what she has in her bag for food, but the old man refuses. They walked into a small cabin and Fred scolds her for what "they" have done. Ruby says that her family ambushed a nearby airfield because they were hungry and that no one any longer passes by where they live. She pleads with Fred to take her with him, but he refuses and warns Ruby that she could be in danger if "the pack", in particular someone named Jupiter learns what she's doing. She replies that his life will be in danger as well if Jupiter finds out that he's trying to leave. A noise distracts them and Fred orders Ruby to hide.

The Carter family is traveling on vacation towing a travel trailer from Ohio to Los Angeles. Parents Bob (Russ Grieve) and Ethel (Virginia Vincent) are driving, accompanied by their teenage children Bobby (Robert Houston) Brenda (Susan Lanier), eldest daughter Lynne (Dee Wallace), Lynne's husband Doug (Martin Speer), their baby daughter Katie, and their dogs, Beauty and Beast. They stopped at Fred's Oasis for fuel and Fred urges them to stay on the main road as they leave. Fred's truck suddenly explodes, preventing him from leaving. Ignoring Fred's warning, the Carters skid off a desert road and crash. Bob walks back to Fred's Oasis to get help. The dogs become very panicky and start barking at the hills. Beauty then runs off into the hills, where she's slaughtered by someone. Bobby chases after her and finds her mutilated body. Frightened, he runs and falls and knocks himself unconscious.