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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 9/06, 4/12, 11/19

TexChain1
9/06: Beautifully shot but slow in pace, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a true horror picture with a great knack for sheer depravity and terror.

What's conceived as a nightmare, it can easily be reality somewhere in the country. Conventional cinema rules aren't followed but are rather done by instinct. When the action starts, it's effective as Leatherface coming alive.

All in all, no Best Horror Film list is complete without the inclusion of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

4/12: Does this story interest you: a family of mental retards is into cannibalism and graverobbing and one guy with a dead person's face is running all over the place with a chainsaw?

Well, it's a simple premise that became a big moneymaker for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. There's no question that low IQ, especially of the backwoods variety, breeds criminality, and what occurred in the film makes perfect sense to me.

All in all, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre rightfully belongs in the Horror Cinema Hall of Fame.

11/19: A sleeper hit in 1974 with many theatrical reissues, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre mostly succeeds because of Leatherface running around with his power tool of choice.

I admit it's slow-paced (Paul A. Partain as Franklin is the only one who gets the show going) and low in IQ with a terrible script, and not much happens for a while. Finally, the last thirty minutes puts the stamp on it as a straight-up horror movie without lots of gore or blood despite the nonstop screaming.

Yes, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is well-shot for an independent movie, but I caution anyone from reading too much into its far-reaching influence. It's just a slasher movie about a family of mentally retarded cannibals, nothing more. That being said, Tobe Hooper has almost never directed a good horror movie again although The Funhouse merits attention.

All in all, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the Night of the Living Dead of the 70's.