PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

kdl234 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.

thechooper This is a lesser-known entry into the backwoods brutality genre of films started by the classic DELIVERANCE. Derivative exploitation, but pretty good nonetheless. Please note that a majority of the reviews listed for this film (also known as THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE) are littered with errors in the who, what and where of the storyline... so let me set the record straight, at least based on my own viewing of the rare Japanese VHS release. Fashion model Diane (BRENDA VACCARO) accompanies her playboy-swinger-dentist friend Harry (CHUCK SHAMATA) to his country house to join several others for a weekend-long party. On the way, he allows her to take the wheel of his souped-up Corvette and she challenges a gang of hillbilly hoodlums into a dangerous road chase, which ends with the four miscreants crashing their hot rod Camaro off the road and into a creek bed. The Vette leaves them in the dust... speeding away. The menacing gang leader Lep (veteran DON STROUD) swears vengeance on the pair, especially the woman driver. Up at the house, Diane is observed by Harry (the voyeur) via a two-way mirror taking off her clothes and nude in the shower. Nice guy this Harry. Not surprisingly, Diane soon discovers that there are no other guests coming up to the lake for the big "party" weekend. She also realizes that sleazy Harry just wants a quickie sex romp and another notch on his belt. Meanwhile, the psychotics in the Camaro are causing havoc all over town, nearly killing a local man of the law, in search of the two in the black Corvette. Of course, the vicious thugs eventually arrive at the lake house, terrorizing Diane and Harry, and really begin messing up the place. Two of the gang members even take Harry's expensive speedboat for a spin out on the lake and kill some drunken hicks in a rowboat, who were actually on their way to help the endangered couple. When Harry the dentist is revealed to be a bit of a wimp, the chaos really begins to ramp up. Diane in desperation, takes matters into her own hands and begins to exact her revenge, but not before she is sexually assaulted by Lep, the crazed ringleader... and dry-humped by one the creepy gang flunkies while locked in one of the rooms of the house. Strangely enough, the ending of this film has a bit of an ambiguous tone. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I'm talking about. Recommended backwoods brutal shocker that is destined for Z-Grade glory. ///thechooper

Coventry "Death Weekend" – or "House by the Lake", which actually is a much more appropriate title in case you know a bit about the sub genre – is another obscure and unscrupulous rip-off of Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left", filmed without much of a budget but containing loads of extremely brutal and sadistic images. A stone-cold cult favorite, in other words, and a must-have for avid collectors of this genre even though the film itself features absolutely no originality or interesting story lines. The movie is pretty much identical to "House on the Edge of the Park", "Straw Dogs", "Night Train Murders", "I spit on your Grave" and "Last House on the Beach", yet all of them are worth tracking down since they represent pure terror and formidably portray the darkest side of human behavior and abuse of physical power. A wealthy dentist (who made a second profession out of luring gorgeous women to his remote mansion) and his love for the weekend encounter four savage macho men on their way to his...house by the lake. Frustrated by losing a car race, the four brutes track the couple down and invade the house. With no living soul around for miles, they can extendedly torture the dentist, demolish his house and sexually humiliate the female guest. It even takes one casualty before strong-minded Diane turns to deadly revenge. Of course, there isn't any fancy camera-work or sublime acting to enjoy here, but director William Fruet ("Funeral Home", "Spasms") maintains the disturbing tone and raw atmosphere throughout the entire movie. The lake area, with its primitive appeal and natural death traps, forms an excellent location for an exploitation movie like this and the fast car race at the opening of the film is rudimentary exciting. Diane's vengeance when approaching the climax is marvelous, with some of the coolest deaths ever (including a top-five grossest throat slit!). "House by the Lake" also has a fairly good soundtrack and it's interesting to know that one of the main producers was Ivan Reitman ("Ghostbusters", "Junior"), who also started his career as an exploitation filmmaker. Highly recommended!

ray-100 Rich playboy (Chuck Shamata) and his 'supposed weekend fling' (Brenda Vaccaro) embark in some road rage with four thugs. The thugs track them down at their weekend mansion, then a weekend of terror begins.A well acted and directed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Not as violent as other similar titles such as 'Last House on the Left', 'Fight for your Life', and 'Late Night Trains' but far more exciting.A film well worthy of a re-release.