The abyss – David Hess and the commentary track extract nobody talks about

[loganberrybunny]

Content warning: explicit, sexualised, threatening language.

I don't as a rule use content warnings here, but I'm making an exception today. We've already seen that in the relaxed setting of a 2000s DVD commentary booth, the male villain cast of The Last House on the Left – David Hess, Marc Sheffler and Fred Lincoln –are not always shy of saying things they might otherwise be wary of uttering in public. Considering what Hess in particular does say elsewhere, that's quite a challenge.

Sadly, he outdoes himself here, with the other two playing bit parts. As far as I can tell, this extract has never been reproduced online until now. It begins at 44:53 on my Metrodome Region 2 DVD (46:12 on the Arrow Blu-ray), as Krug is undoing Mari's trousers immediately prior to raping her. David Hess talks about Sandra: 

I gotta tell the story of what happened here, when... this we also did a few times. And finally, apropos of what Marc did, I whispered in her ear and I said, I said to her, I said, 'I will put my fucking dick in your cunt if you don't do this right.' I swear to God. 'I will fuck the living shit outta you,' I told her. And now watch what goes on here [in the film], now watch her face. 'Cause I ripped her pants off! Look at the reaction on that—she actually—she didn't know whether I was screwin' her or not, I don't think. 

This tale of degradation and cruelty from Hess is followed by Lincoln joking offensively with him back and forth for several lines. Then Sheffler, who has not spoken in the exchange up until now, says of Sandra that: 

her being was violated, not just her body. 

This is perhaps the only worthwhile comment any of the men make in this entire section of the commentary track, showing some actual understanding of how severely Sandra was being abused. Almost at once, though, it's back to Hess: 

It's terrible the way we manipulated Sandra, it's just so… but she asked to be manipulated, buddy. She did! 

After Hess's display of apparent remorse – the only time Sandra's name is uttered – undercut immediately with victim-blaming, Sheffler brings this section to a merciful end with a line that lands like a verbal shrug: 

Look, we were out there makin' a movie, you know. You do what you do. 

I don't think there's any need to dignify all this with further editorial comment. What it does do, however, is to emphasise even more strongly the truly extraordinary resilience and courage that Sandra showed in completing Last House, and in giving a performance which is widely considered the most emotionally affecting in the film.

David Hess gloried in his extreme abuse of a frightened young woman.

Sandra Peabody chose the quiet dignity of "No comment."

An audio-only extract from this section of the commentary track, containing the whole of Hess's initial quotation, was uploaded to YouTube in 2012 by user servomoore. I have chosen not to link it directly, but searching for "David Hess servomoore" (without the quotes) will bring it up.