Scene 6 continued...

Phyllis is then surrounded by the gang, as Weasel and Sadie appear from nowhere...They advance on the helpless girl, and Weasel stabs her in the back. She drops to the ground, and blood oozes from the cut etched at the base of her spine. As she tries her best to crawl away in agony, Weasel repeatedly kicks her. She continues to crawl off, fear stretched across her face. The criminals discuss the situation.

We cut to a road, where the Sheriff and his Deputy continue to race to the scene. Suddenly, the squad car comes to a spluttering halt, and we realise that the car has run out of gas. How appropriate.

The three thugs catch up with Phyllis, who has managed to crawl into the heart of the forest. In disgust, Phyllis spits blood in Weasel's face. Losing control he picks her up, and flings her into Krug's arms. With much brutality, the criminals repeatedly stab her to death.
Phyllis's death is the most harrowing moment of the film. Craven got his technical inspiration from the footage that was coming over from Vietnam - and this death has the same repulsive force that occupied those visuals. It was filmed with the hand-held camera, and is shot on particulary grainy stock. In fact, Craven's initial inspiration for the movie came from the real-life horrors that were going on at the time of filming, particulary the aftermath of the Vietnam war. The characters of Krug and his posse also share similarities with the infamous Manson family. The end of Phyllis's murder ends with her disembowlment - a segment of the scene which has appeared heavily cut in every released version of the film. The despicable Sadie reels out the poor girls intestines. Many fans of the film have been trying to uncover the full footage for this scene for many years. However, some of it is feared to be lost. The murder ends when Krug drops her lifeless body to the forest floor.

The increasingly worried Mari continues to pleed with Junior to let her go. She gives him her necklase that her father gave her earlier, but Junior still isn't complying. Finally, Mari tells the junkie that she can get him prescription drugs from her home, since her father is a doctor.
After hearing this, Junior agrees to help her out, and they head towards Mari's home which is across the street. Suddenly, Mari and Junior slam into Krug, who stands with the machete, Weasel and Sadie in tow. Asking if Phyllis got away, Mari is answered as her friends severed hand is flung onto the floor.
The Deputy and Sheriff continue to travel to the scene, now by foot. A car goes by, and they try to hitch a lift. A group of kids who occupy the vehicle give them the finger, and the cops are left eating dust. One of the teenagers in the car was played by Steve Miner, who worked as an associate producer and editing assistant on the movie.
Scene 7: Walking to the Lake...

Continuing the assault of brutality, Krug carves his name into Mari's chest with Weasel's knife, blood flowing everywhere. This is yet another one of those segments which is usually cut heavily. A close-up shot of this atrocity only lasts for a few seconds on most versions of the film, or is absent in others. Weasel is particulary entertained by this display, and spells out his partners name, as he reads it off their victim's body. Craven really tries to make you feel disgusted by these criminals, and they continue to become even more despicable as the movie progresses.
The knife-carving trick was actually an easy one to perform by the effects crew. As David Hess later recalled, the knife was dipped in stage blood, and the actor simply drawed it onto the girl's skin. Simple, but extremely effective.The vile Krug then proceeds to rape Mari - the most difficult to watch (and shoot) segment of the film. Sandra Cassell, who played Mari Collingwood, has often underlined it as one of the most challenging moments of her career. It is very unsettling to witness, and Junior is now absoloutely sickened. As Krug finishes off, a stream of spit leaves his mouth, and slides down Mari's face - the ultimate moment of sheer disgust. The segment of 'Last House' which follows is a real revelation, and is never really covered in this type of movie. The gang show horror at their own actions, as the true reality of the situation washes over them. For a brief moment, they show signs of a conscience. Craven himself, as well as cast members, has revealed that this was in fact improvised and never appeared in the screenplay. What it achieves however, is the fact that these heartless thugs are indeed human, but it doesn't make us feel sorry for them at all. As Mari gets up in a daze, the gang uneasily try to remove blood from their hands, and bits of grass which has stuck to the liquid. Mari walks towards the lake, and the others follow. Mari strolls into the water - she knows what is coming. This whole chapter is full of intensity, and Krug signals for Weasel's gun. As Mari stands dazed in the water, Krug takes aim and fires at her, sending her down beneath the depths. We then cut to a glimpse of the Collingwood family dog as it plays outside. In the distance, we hear the sound of two further gunshots. Krug orders Junior to get the suitcases from the car, and the gang then clean theirselves in the lake. Changing into different clothes, the gang decide to try and find shelter for the night...
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