The Last House on the Left (2009 film)
"The Last House on the Left" was released on March 13, 2009, to 2,402 theaters, but it was not without its dilemmas with the MPAA ratings board. The biggest setback by the board involved the rape scene. In the original cut of the film, the scene was at least one minute longer, but the board forced the scene to be trimmed if the filmmakers wanted an R-rating. There were other minor aspects trimmed as well, like an extended stabbing sequence with Paige. What shocked Craven was when the MPAA told them that this was a "special" film that did not "need" the extension on those scenes. Craven believed that the MPAA viewed the film more as an artistic horror film, which he sees as both a blessing and a curse. In Craven's experience, once the MPAA becomes focused on certain elements they dislike in horror films that they otherwise like, they become determined to see it removed before release. Regardless of the MPAA's appreciation of the edited version of the film, the DVD and Blu-ray copies of the film, which were released on August 18, 2009, contain both a rated and unrated cut. The DVD sales have brought in approximately $20 million in revenue.
Scream queen
Sandra Peabody who portrayed Mari Collingwood in "The Last House on the Left" (1972), Marilyn Burns who portrayed Sally Hardesty in "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), Olivia Hussey who portrayed Jess Bradford in "Black Christmas" (1974), and Jamie Lee Curtis who portrayed Laurie Strode in "Halloween" (1978) were the four actresses of the 1970s that became the seminal examples of the label for the decade. After "The Last House on the Left", Peabody went on to appear in the horror films "Voices of Desire" (1972), "Massage Parlor Murders" (1973), "Case of the Full Moon Murders" (1973), and "Legacy of Satan" (1974). Burns followed her performance in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with roles in "Helter Skelter" (1976) and "Eaten Alive" (1977). In "Halloween", Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of "Psycho" actress Janet Leigh, had her first film role. Portraying Laurie Strode in "Halloween", Curtis established herself as the "ultimate 'scream queen'" and was even referenced as such in the horror film "Scream" (1996) by Randy Meeks. Curtis went on to star in several other horror films after that, two of them being "The Fog" and "", in both of which she appears with Leigh.