In 2013, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will turn 40 years old. I find this very hard to believe because this movie hasn’t aged a single day. And although cinema has gone through a major evolution in the past 40 years, most nowadays thrillers don’t come even close to TCM when it comes to atmosphere and “creepyness”. This is horror in the purest possible form and it’ll rank always high on the list of movies that influenced cinema the most. That’s probably why some suckers have decided to remake it… By the end of this year, a new TCM will be shown in theaters and I ask you why ? Is it to satisfy younger fans and blow them away with stunning visuals and sound effects. That isn’t necessary at all. The original still has the ability to impress any public…and how !!!
The most powerful aspect about this movie is without a doubt the choice of the innocent victims. The diabolical family didn’t intend to chase the group of youngsters, they just happened to be there and fell into their hands. It could have been anybody. This form of random terror is usual stuff nowadays but back in 1974, this scared a lot of people. Of course there are many other great elements to find in TCM. For example Leatherface and the rest of his family…( including the Chainsaw ). Never in this movie is really explained what drives them to such madness. Sure you can make up many theories about the fact the closure of the slaughterhouse and such but you’ll never a 100 % sure about the origin of the madness. They’re freaking maniacs and you don’t want to come across them. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one big thrill, in fact. The grave robbing, the terrifying news bulletins and the demonic house …all these elements contribute in making this movie one of the most memorable and important films ever !
TCM is loosely ( better say VERY loosely ) based on a true story. That is to say : Leatherface owes his existence to the horrible serial killer Ed Gein. Without a doubt the most influential psychopath in American history as he was also the base for other horror milestones such as Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector. We have Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel to thank for all the rest of this terrific movie. They’ve created this low budget piece of cinema and by doing that, they changed the horror industry forever. Tobe Hooper continued making good horror during the 70 ( Eaten Alive ) and in the early 80’s he even was a star for a little while ! Steven Spielberg let him direct his production Poltergeist which was a huge success as well.
TCM is coming straight from the best horror decade: The 70’s. Very recently we’ve this discussed this wonderful 10 years of horror here on the message boards of this website. The amount of highlights in this decade is incredible and almost impossible to list…You’ve got The Exorcist, Halloween, Suspiria, The Omen, The Wicker Man, Last house on the Left, Dawn of the Dead and tons of other immortal titles. Texas Chainsaw Massacre sure is one of them. This version will always be superior…even if the make 10 remakes and a 1.000 more rip-offs
Greatest “rewind”-moment : The character of Pam who fall down in the Leatherface house. When she looks around the camera follows her view and you see nothing but human bones ! Terrific piece of horror
