Watch The House by the Lake For Free

So much average

Excellent but underrated film

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

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.

June 2014: This movie is currently available on Comcast/Xfinity On Demand (as part of the "Fearnet" free movies) as DEATH WEEKEND.The Comcast version is slightly different than the Vestron Video version available on VHS in the United States. First, the American International logo is missing at the beginning, and is replaced by "A Cinepix Video Presentation." More significantly, the climactic throat-slashing scene is more explicit than in the Vestron Video release. Here, we see a longer shot of Diane wielding the piece of glass; two lingering shots of Runt's slashed throat, including Runt grasping his throat as blood spurts through his fingers; and Diane being splattered with blood. All of these shots are missing from the Vestron version.

i wouldn't call this movie a horror movie in the usual sense.it's certainly a thriller,and it is terrifying.it's a lot like deliverance but it takes place an isolated area,with no none around for miles,except the psychopaths and their victims.this is a very disturbing movie,with lots of very coarse,and crude sexual language and strong sexual references.but the most disturbing thing is that the events could happen as they did in the movie.it's very authentic.the performances are terrific from everyone and the intensity is through the roof in this one.if you're squeamish or don't like strong language or sexual references,you might want to avoid this movie.once it gets going,it doesn't let up.but for me,Death Weekend is an 8/10

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...