Actor Discussion #4: David Hess

[samuelrichardscott]

Thoughts? Best? Worst?

[Jon]

I've only seen him in Last House On The Left and that is the worst film I have ever seen, so I cannot judge him fairly...

[addicted2dvd]

I am not familiar with him at all. I have 3 titles in my collection with him...

- Knight Rider: Season 1 Ep. 21
- Last House on the Left (Didn't like it either)
- Swamp Thing

[Tom]

I also don't know him. I only have him in the one Knight Rider episode

[samuelrichardscott]

I will add a proper reply to this one soon (with a couple of recommendations). All I know is with every reply so far, Jimmy is probably getting more and more angry.

[Jon]

 

[Silence_of_Lambs]

All I know is with every reply so far, Jimmy is probably getting more and more angry.

I'll get Jimmy through the roof then:

David WHO??

Had to check my collection list and only found him in 1 episode of "The Good Wife"

[Jimmy]

All I know is with every reply so far, Jimmy is probably getting more and more angry.

Not at all
This forum isn't known for wandering too far from mainstream stuff. That a majority of people here would know him or more than 2 of his films would be a shock to me...

Sure it make me sad that most people know him for Last House on the Left and not for the great song writer he was (He wrote songs for Elvis Presley and Pat Boone among others, He is the one who record All Shook Up originally, did the beautifull theme for Last House) or that he was a really nice guy in real life.

But like I said that make me sad not angry...

[samuelrichardscott]

I was just kidding Jimmy

I'll post my thoughts as soon as I have five minutes.

[Jon]

Jimmy, I never realised he was that David Hess. I have heard that name in relation to Elvis, I'm sure...

[addicted2dvd]

The music thing don't help me any.

[Jimmy]

Pete can I say I'm surprised it doesn't help you

Jimmy, I never realised he was that David Hess. I have heard that name in relation to Elvis, I'm sure...

He was quite a big name in the music industry before the cinema. He just did the Last House audition because Martin Kove pressured him to do it...

Did you know that he was the director of the new talents research departement in the sixties for Mercury Records, that he won a Grammy Awards in 1970 and that he did work with Werner Fassbinder. Like I said it's sad that most people know him only for Last House...

[samuelrichardscott]

Whilst I know Hess was more successful in the music industry, it isn't something I'm particularly interested in myself so I only really know about his movies. Of course he is mostly known for Last House on the Left and it is something people either love or hate, but it really shows how good he is at invoking terror in people with his characters nasty emotions and that character, along with his Alex in The House on the Edge of the Park are IMO two of the most frightening horrific characters I have watched and I doubt anybody else could've done it better. A little lesser-known, that is also worth a look IMO is Hitch-Hike where he stars with Franco Nero as another nasty character in a 'terror' film. I also dug him in Swamp Thing as Ferret. Hess is also a very likeable man, always heard good things about him whenever he has done appearances, and if you see him or listen to him on extra features, he is very truthful about the successes and failures of characters he has played, problems films he has been in have had and his general experiences, all without sounding like an arrogant git.

Anyway, I definately implore people to check out Hitch-Hike, especially if you didn't like Last House because he plays a reasonably similar character but the viciousness is portrayed quite differently.

[Achim]

I also only know him from The Last House on the Left.

I've only seen him in Last House On The Left and that is the worst film I have ever seen [...]

If that is the worst then you have seen less movies than I thought