Friday, September 19, 2014

My Review of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

        So with the 40th anniversary DVD of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) being released earlier in the week, I thought it would be fitting to review the film itself. So without further ado...





A white film poster of a man holding a large chainsaw, with a screaming woman fastened to a wall behind him. The writing on the poster says, "Who will survive and what will be left of them?"; "America's most bizarre and brutal crimes!"; "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"; "What happened is true. Now the motion picture that's just as real. "

        Sally Hardesty (played by Marilyn Burns) hears that the Texas cemetery where her grandfather is buried has been vandalized, she gathers her wheelchair-bound brother Franklin (played by Paul A. Partain) and several other friends together to see if grandpa's remains are still in one piece. While in the area, Sally and her friends decide to visit grandfather's old farmhouse. Unfortunately, a family of homicidal slaughterhouse workers who take their job home with them have taken over the house next door. Included amongst the brood is Leatherface (played by Gunnar Hansen), a chainsaw-wielding human horror show who wears a face mask made out of human skin. Sally's friends are rapidly exterminated one-by-one by the next-door neighbors, leaving only Sally left to fight off Leatherface and his clan.

     

        This movie is simply amazing. The film has true horrors and very violent ones at that. It's not like traditional horror movies today where no one cares about the characters and the story having countless pop culture references. The movie is true to the core. The performances in the film are also the best out of any horror movie (outside of Linda Blair in The Exorcist). Leatherface is the true face of horror and fans of franchises like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween can thank Tobe Hopper for creating an influential character. The movie also feels real (it is based off of actual murders) and it's not watered down to make people happy. Some scenes can be uncomfortable but it's a harsh reality that there are people like this in our world. Overall this film is a classic and it is my favorite horror film of all-time. I give The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) a 10 out of 10.

        So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.

                                                                                                                           Jonah Sparks

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