Tobe Hooper’s ‘TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE’ (1974) – 50 Years Later

Several movies are iconic to me. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of those movies that’s held my attention. I always wanted to be Leatherface and have a chainsaw, so my mom bought me a toy chainsaw. I was a terror and harrassed my entire family with it. Why do I like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre so much? It’s because I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and this stuff happened around here. I always told myself that the Sawyer family could have lived in my hometown.

Let’s get to the review.

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface

Synopsis

Five teens on a road trip have terrifying thoughts after picking up a really weird man who intruded on their safety. The teens find a house they beleive to be abandoned, and they were dead wrong. Instead of a quiet tour, they meet Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) in a secret room of unthinkable horrors. One by one the friends become victims of the Sawyer family. Led by Drayton Sawyer (Jim Siedow), the surviving teens, there are more horrors waiting for them. Sally (Marilyn Burns) is tortures by the family including a creepy Grandpa (John Dugan) who has been dead for years but is still somehow alive. Will Sally make it through the night?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre deserves all the best recognition. Some people would disagree, but the truth is out there. It was the first movie with jump scares, where you never knew what would happen next. I wouldn’t say I like jump scares, but I will admit that Leatherface was the only slasher that inspired me to realize none of this is real. That made me a fan because I felt safe while watching it with my grandma and cousin, who were also horror junkies. I was destined to be here on this road of horror fandom; it’s in my blood. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was just thrilling to me. The movie reminds me of haunted hayrides my family used to take me to. It’s the same vibe to be attacked by dudes with chainsaws. I learned the tricks and persona, so I became a haunter.

Never let her go

It’s hard to accept that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre used the abandoned house to make the scenes uncomfortable. I love that all the characters have a different vibe, even if they want the same thing. The movie was so terrifying that the legend is that there were paramedics on alert for people passing out. It was the first movie of its kind. Before Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, there was Leatherface ripping people apart. The ending was initially predictable, but then the whole scene takes a swift shot at Sally. The ending is iconic for the pure rage of Leatherface. No remake could ever capture Gunnar Hansen’s energy.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is top-tier for me, and few movies reach that point. I like the remakes, but they could never compete; it’s that simple. The setting, the scares, and the pure maniacal idea of Leatherface. Texas Chainsaw Massacre made me feel love for a different kind of icon. Although I started watching Slashers all these years ago, My top five movies reached the top alongside Art The Clown. Texas Chainsaw Massacre has started a line of slashers in many movies. What can be simply said is that I love the idea of Leatherface, a crazy hillbilly I focus my haunting character and the biggest inspiration is Leatherface.

Thank you for all these years.

 

About Craig Lucas

I hail from rural PA where there isn't much to do except fixate on something. Horror was, and still is my fixation. I have 35 years of horror experience under my belt, I love the horror community and it loves me.

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