The House by the Lake

1977 "They were going to rape her one by one. She was going to kill them....one by one."
6| 1h27m| R| en
Details

Harry is a rich dentist who often brings women up to his rural lakehouse. One weekend, he invites Diane, a former fashion model. On their way to the house, Diane runs a gang of thugs off the road. Humiliated, the thugs track down the couple for revenge.

Director

Producted By

Canadian Film Development Corporation

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped
GazerRise Fantastic!
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
moonspinner55 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 ****
disdressed12 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
artzau 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.
Jonathon Dabell 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.