Skip to main content

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A retrospective by Brooks Rich

Let's kick off the spooky season with a bona fide classic. I love the horror genre, but not much really scares or creeps me out. Most horror films I just watch and enjoy. However, 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is one of those that really gets under my skin, and not just because the Sawyer family are eating people. The way Tobe Hooper shoots the film gives it an almost documentary feel.

If you have never seen 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' you should probably fix that immediately. Do I need to explain what it's about? A group of '70s kids is driving across Texas in a van and runs afoul of the Sawyer family, including the man himself, Leatherface. It's a classic of the horror genre and one of the pioneers of the '70s and '80s horror boom. The film has a reputation for being sickeningly bloody and violent, but that is not true. It's essentially a bloodless film, which makes it even more horrifying. Most of the violence is left to your imagination, which is always worse.

There is a great moment right before all hell breaks loose when the hapless, soon-to-be victims are at the Sawyer farm. Things have slowed down, and the film even gets a little boring. '70s films were deliberately paced sometimes. All of a sudden, Leatherface appears, and it is terrifying. It's one of the greatest jump scares in film history. It gets me every time, even when I see it coming; it still creeps me out.

The face of the franchise is obviously the man with the chainsaw and the mask, Leatherface. At this point, Leatherface has become a horror icon. He's right up there with the big three '80s horror icons: Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers. In fact, Leatherface came before them, as Michael didn't show up until 1978. Leatherface is the face of the franchise and appears in every film. To be fair, the quality goes up and down. Like most franchises, the first one is the best, and I think the first incarnation of Leatherface is the most terrifying. At one point, the films became more akin to very black comedies. The sequel is kind of fun if you know what's going on in its insane world.

My favorite of the series is the first one. I know some people like the remake of the early 2000s, but there is something special about the original. For me, it's because it does get under my skin. This movie creeps me out. Leatherface might be an icon now, but his original appearance is unnerving. I credit Tobe Hooper and actor Gunnar Hansen for that. This film is a masterpiece of the horror genre, and I watch it every year around this time.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgotten Film Friday: Absolute Power

Clint Eastwood stars as Luther Whitney, a jewel thief who works in the Washington DC area. One night while he is stealing from a mansion he is forced to hide in a secret compartment with a two way mirror. From there he observes a sexual rezendevous with the wife of a powerful man and the President of the United States Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman) Suddenly the president gets aggressive and while defending herself the woman is shot to death by two Secret Service agents. Luther manages to get away with a letter opener the woman stabbed the president with. At first Luther plans to flee the country. But when he is disgusted by a statement the president makes, Luther decides to expose the crime. I miss these kind of films. The nineties was a great time for thrillers exactly like this. They are not the flashiest films but they are also not obsessed with big action scenes. It's all plot and character with them. Sure this plot might be a little out there but Eastwood makes it work. He's...
Post a Comment
Read more

John Candy month: Summer Rental

 A retrospective by Brooks Rich Air traffic controller Jack Chester (John Candy) is given paid time off when he nearly causes two airline disasters. He takes his family down to Florida for a vacation. Hijinks ensue because its '80s comedy and Candy ends up challenging a pompous Richard Crenna to a yacht race to close out the summer.  This is a movie that has been forgotten to time in the grand scheme of Candy's career. Even with Carl Reiner directing it does have the same name recognition as some of Candy's other works. But I think it's a solid entry in his filmography. He plays a great everyman who we have no problem rooting for. The slobs versus snobs relationship he has with Crenna works like a charm and he genuinely seems like a good father and husband. Candy was always great at playing both the everyman and the aloof goofball. Sometimes he'll even play both. His character of Jack Chester in this is a good example of that. At times Jack is the goofy comic relief...
Post a Comment
Read more