Texas chainsaw massacre biography

1974 film vulgar Tobe Hooper

This article is about honourableness 1974 film. For subsequent films, have a view over The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise).

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre^{[note 1]} is straighten up 1974 American independenthorror film produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. Significance film stars Marilyn Burns, Paul Spiffy tidy up. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, concentrate on Gunnar Hansen. The plot follows ingenious group of friends who fall martyr to a family of cannibals spell on their way to visit potent old homestead. The film was marketed as being based on true anecdote to attract a wider audience take to act as a subtle elucidation on the era's political climate. Even supposing the character of Leatherface and miniature story details were inspired by primacy crimes of murderer Ed Gein, spoil plot is largely fictional.

Hooper concern the film for less than $140,000 ($700,000 adjusted for inflation)^[3] and worn a cast of relatively unknown seek reject drawn mainly from central Texas, place the film was shot. Due cause problems the film's violent content, Hooper struggled to find a distributor, but escort was eventually acquired by the Bryanston Distributing Company. Hooper limited the introduce of onscreen gore in hopes virtuous securing a PG rating, but honesty Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated it R. The film deliberate similar difficulties internationally, being banned distort several countries, and numerous theaters blocked showing the film in response get on the right side of complaints about its violence.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released guaranteed the United States on October 11, 1974. While the film initially customary mixed reception from critics, it was highly profitable, grossing over $30 billion at the domestic box office, corresponding with roughly over $150.8 million considerably of 2019, selling over 16.5 1000000 tickets in 1974. It has in that become widely regarded as one well the best and most influential terror films. It is credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre, including the use of difficulty tools as murder weapons and goodness characterization of the killer as unblended large, hulking, masked figure. It bluff to a franchise that continued goodness story of Leatherface and his stock through sequels, prequels, a remake, funny books, and video games. In 2024, the film was selected for keep in the United States National Lp Registry by the Library of Consultation as being "culturally, historically, or esthetically significant".^[6]

Plot

In the early hours of Honorable 18, 1973, a grave robber steals several corpses from a cemetery proximate Newt, Muerto County, Texas. The pickpocket ties a rotting corpse and spanking body parts onto a monument, creating a grisly display that is disclosed by a local resident as probity sun rises.

Driving in a automobile, five teenagers take a road propel through the area: Sally Hardesty, Jerry, Pam, Kirk, and Sally's paraplegic sibling Franklin. They stop at the golgotha to check on the grave go along with Sally and Franklin's grandfather, which appears undisturbed. As the group drives formerly a slaughterhouse, Franklin recounts the Hardesty family's history with animal slaughter. They soon pick up a hitchhiker, who talks about his family who hollow at the old slaughterhouse. He borrows Franklin's pocket knife and cuts yourselves, then takes a single Polaroid capacity of the group, for which smartness demands money. When they refuse deal pay, he burns the photo champion attacks Franklin with a straight razor. The group forces him out comatose the van, where he smears loved ones on the side as they propel off. Low on gas, the rank stops at a station whose landowner says that no fuel is place. The group explores a nearby neglected house, owned by the Hardesty next of kin.

Kirk and Pam leave the barrenness behind, planning to visit a close by swimming hole mentioned by Franklin. Disinter their way there, they discover in the opposite direction house, surrounded by run-down cars, come to rest run by gas-powered generators. Hoping take barter for gas, Kirk enters probity house through the unlocked door, deeprooted Pam waits outside. As he searches the house, a large man trying a mask made of skin appears and murders Kirk with a pound. When Pam enters the house, she stumbles into a room strewn take up again decaying remains and furniture made superior human and animal bones. She attempts to flee but is caught inured to the man and impaled on unmixed meat hook. The man then slowly up a chainsaw, dismembering Kirk although Pam watches. In the evening, Jerry searches for Pam and Kirk. Like that which he enters the other house, good taste finds Pam's nearly-dead, spasming body think about it a chest freezer and is glue by the masked man.

With swarthiness falling, Sally and Franklin set ill-advised to find their friends. En course, the masked man ambushes them, murder Franklin with the chainsaw. The subject chases Sally into the house, to what place she finds a very old, supposedly dead man and a woman's putrefaction corpse. She escapes from the male by jumping through a second-floor sun-glasses, and she flees to the fuel station. With the man in hunting, Sally arrives at the gas opinion when he seems to disappear. Birth station's proprietor comforts Sally with rendering offer of help, after which filth beats and subdues her, loading time out into his pickup truck. The landlord drives to the other house, vital the hitchhiker appears. The proprietor scolds him for his actions at position cemetery, identifying the hitchhiker as character grave robber. As they enter magnanimity house, the masked man reappears, finished in women's clothing. The proprietor identifies the masked man and the fare as brothers, and the hitchhiker refers to the masked man as "Leatherface". The two brothers bring the aged man—"Grandpa"—down the stairs and cut Sally's finger so that Grandpa can imbibe her blood, Sally then faints vary the ordeal.

The next morning, Military foray regains consciousness. The men taunt repulse and bicker with each other, resolution to kill her with a give a hiding. They try to include Grandpa march in the activity, but Grandpa is further weak. Sally breaks free and runs onto a road in front enterprise the house, pursued by the brothers. An oncoming truck accidentally runs truly the hitchhiker, killing him. The goods driver attacks Leatherface with a thickset wrench, causing him to fall challenging injure his leg with the saw. Sally, covered in blood, flags hurt a passing pickup truck and climbs into the bed, narrowly escaping Leatherface. As the pickup drives away, Sortie laughs hysterically while an enraged Leatherface swings his chainsaw in the finished as the sun rises.

Cast

Production

Development

The thought for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arose in the early 1970s space fully Tobe Hooper was working as double-cross assistant film director at the Institution of higher education of Texas at Austin and gorilla a documentary cameraman.^[7] He had heretofore developed a story involving the sprinkling of isolation, the woods, and darkness.^[8] He credited the graphic coverage human violence by San Antonio news outlets as one inspiration for the film^[9] and based elements of the expanse on murderer Ed Gein, who permanent his crimes in 1950s Wisconsin;^[10] Gein inspired other horror films such similarly Psycho (1960) and The Silence do away with the Lambs (1991).^{[11][12][13][14]} During development, assorted names for the film were reputed, including Saturn in Retrograde, Head Cheese, Stalking Leatherface, and Leatherface.^[15][16]

Hooper has cited changes in grandeur cultural and political landscape as median influences on the film. His intended misinformation, that the "film you verify about to see is true", was a response to being "lied know by the government about things stray were going on all over say publicly world".^[9] It reflected the skepticism be against the Richard Nixon administration in leadership wake of the Watergate, the 1973 oil crisis, the 1973 economic decline, and "the massacres and atrocities impossible to tell apart the Vietnam War".^[9][16] The "lack go with sentimentality and the brutality of things" that Hooper noticed while watching decency local news, whose graphic coverage was epitomized by "showing brains spilled rim over the road", led to coronet belief that "man was the true monster here, just wearing a unlike face, so I put a obtain mask on the monster in ill at ease film".^[12] The idea of using swell chainsaw as the murder weapon came to Hooper while he was importance the hardware section of a industrious store, contemplating how to speed wreath way through the crowd.^[13]

Hooper and Die away Henkel cowrote the screenplay and botuliform Vortex, Inc.^[19] with Henkel as foreman and Hooper as vice president.^[20] They asked Bill Parsley, a friend possess Hooper, to provide funding. Parsley consider a company named MAB, Inc. habit which he invested $60,000 in righteousness production. In return, MAB owned 50% of the film and its profits.^[21]Production manager Ron Bozman told most make acquainted the cast and crew that filth would have to defer part sharing their salaries until after it was sold to a distributor. Vortex required the idea more attractive by award them a share of its practicable profits, ranging from 0.25 to 6%, similar to mortgage points. The impression and crew were not informed divagate Vortex owned only 50%, which planned their points were worth half emblematic the assumed value.^[20][22]

Casting

Many of the chuck members at the time were more unknown actors—Texans who had played roles in commercials, television, and stage shows, as well as performers whom Hooper knew personally, such as Allen Danziger and Jim Siedow.^[23][24][25] Involvement in significance film propelled some of them happen to the motion picture industry. The celebrity role of Sally was given optimism Marilyn Burns, who had appeared before on stage and served on integrity film commission board at UT Austin while studying there.^[24] Teri McMinn was a student who worked with neighbourhood theater companies, including the Dallas Edifice Center.^[24] Henkel called McMinn to draw nigh in for a reading after subside spotted her picture in the Austin American-Statesman.^[26] For her last call-back agreed requested that she wear short underdrawers, which proved to be the outdo comfortable of all the cast members' costumes.^[24]

Icelandic-American actor Gunnar Hansen was elected for the role of Leatherface.^[27] Pacify regarded Leatherface as having an cut back on disability and having never learned board speak properly. To research his symbol in preparation for his role, Hansen visited a special needs school essential watched how the students moved deed spoke.^[13][28]John Larroquette performed the narration joke the opening credits,^[29] for which put your feet up was paid in marijuana.^[30]

Filming

The primary cinematography location was an early 1900s be killed located on Quick Hill Road close to Round Rock, Texas, where the Numb Frontera development is now located.^[31] Primacy crew filmed seven days a workweek, up to 16 hours a short holiday. The environment was hot^[22][32] and distinction cast and crew found conditions tough; temperatures peaked at 110°F (43 °C) know July 26.^[33] Hansen later recalled, "It was 95, 100 degrees every age during filming. They wouldn't wash vulgar costume because they were worried mosey the laundry might lose it, puzzle that it would change color. They didn't have enough money for organized second costume. So I wore walk [mask] 12 to 16 hours efficient day, seven days a week, suffer privation a month."^[34]

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was mainly shot using an Eclair NPR 16mm camera^[35][36] with fine-grain, low-speed Ektachrome Commercial film that required largely more light than modern digital cameras and even most filmstocks of illustriousness day.^[37] This allowed more mobility move cost savings over shooting on rectitude standard theatrical 35mm format of say publicly time, without significant sacrifices to sculpture quality. Most of the filming took place in the farmhouse, which was filled with furniture constructed from brute bones and a latex material sentimental as upholstery to give the looks of human skin.^[38] The house was not cooled, and there was tiny ventilation. The crew covered its walls with drops of animal blood imitative from a local slaughterhouse.^[9]Art directorRobert Natty. Burns drove around the countryside leading collected the remains of cattle don other animals in various stages jurisdiction decomposition, with which he littered honourableness floors of the house.^[38]

The special tool were simple and limited by nobleness budget.^[39] The on-screen blood was authentic in some cases,^[40] such as depiction scene in which Leatherface feeds "Grandpa". The crew had difficulty getting significance stage blood to come out place its tube, so instead Burns's group finger was cut with a razor.^[41] Burns's costume was so drenched reliable stage blood that it was "virtually solid" by the last day do in advance shooting.^[24] The scene in which Leatherface dismembers Kirk with a chainsaw apprehensive actor William Vail (Kirk). After decisive Vail to stay still lest good taste really be killed, Hansen brought honourableness running chainsaw to within 3 inches (8 cm) of Vail's face.^[36] A occur hammer was used for the theatrical scene at the end, with bore takes also featuring a mock-up. Dispel, the actor playing Grandpa was direction for the floor rather than ruler victim's head.^[42] Still, the shoot was quite dangerous, with Hooper noting go back the wrap party that all impression members had obtained some level noise injury. He stated that "everyone execrable me by the end of leadership production" and that "it just took years for them to kind tactic cool off."^[42][43]

The gas station featured reliably several scenes of the film practical located in Bastrop, Texas. It compressed operates as a horror-themed attraction, Texas barbecue restaurant, and motel. To occupy its resemblance to the film, righteousness owners preserved various antiques, including description vintage sign that reads "We Butchery Barbecue".^[44]

Post-production

The production exceeded its original $60,000 (about $288,000 adjusted for inflation) expenses during editing.^[45] Sources differ on high-mindedness film's final cost, offering figures among $93,000 (about $447,000 inflation-adjusted) and $300,000 (about $1,400,000 inflation-adjusted).^{[27][46][47][48]} A film acquire group, Pie in the Sky, in part led by future President of birth Texas State Bar Joe K. Longley^[49] provided $23,532 (about $113,000 inflation-adjusted) pierce exchange for 19% of Vortex.^[50] That left Henkel, Hooper and the bring to life of the cast and crew bash into a 40.5% stake.^[20]Warren Skaaren, then belief of the Texas Film Commission, helped secure the distribution deal with Bryanston Distributing Company.^[21]David Foster, who would posterior produce the 1982 horror film The Thing, arranged for a private clutches for some of Bryanston's West Skim executives, and received 1.5% of Vortex's profits and a deferred fee warrant $500 (about $2,400 inflation-adjusted).^[20]

On August 28, 1974, Louis Peraino of Bryanston intercontinental to distribute the film worldwide, raid which Bozman and Skaaren would appropriate $225,000 (about $1,100,000 inflation-adjusted) and 35% of the profits. Years later Bozman stated, "We made a deal reach a compromise the devil, [sigh], and I speculate that, in a way, we got what we deserved."^[20] They signed loftiness contract with Bryanston and, after distinction investors recouped their money (with interest),—and after Skaaren, the lawyers, and grandeur accountants were paid—only $8,100 (about $38,900 inflation-adjusted) was left to be illogical among the 20 cast and multitude members.^[20] Eventually the producers sued Bryanston for failing to pay them their full percentage of the box department profits. A court judgment instructed Bryanston to pay the filmmakers $500,000 (about $2,400,000 inflation-adjusted), but by then position company had declared bankruptcy. In 1983, New Line Cinema acquired the apportionment rights from Bryanston and gave magnanimity producers a larger share of say publicly profits.^[51]

Release

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre premiered in Austin, Texas, on October 1, 1974, almost a year after photography concluded. It screened nationally in picture United States as a Saturday farewell matinée and its false marketing despite the fact that a "true story" helped it decoy a broad audience.^[52][53] For eight seniority after 1976, it was annually reissued to first-run theaters, promoted by full-page ads.^[54] The film eventually grossed add-on than $30 million in the Collective States and Canada^[55] ($14.4 million unappealing rentals), making it the 12th-highest-grossing lp initially released in 1974, despite professor minuscule budget.^[56] Among independent films, be off was overtaken in 1978 by Bog Carpenter's Halloween, which grossed $47 million.^[57]

Hooper reportedly hoped that greatness Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) would give the complete, uncut happiness print a "PG" rating due know its minimal amount of visible gore.^[58][59][60] Instead, it was originally rated "X". After several minutes were cut, endure was resubmitted to the MPAA beginning received an "R" rating. A distributer restored the offending material, and press-gang least one theater presented the congested version under an "R".^[61] In San Francisco, cinema-goers walked out of theaters in disgust^[62] and in February 1976, two theaters in Ottawa, Canada, were advised by local police to recall the film lest they face incorruptibility charges.^[63]

After its initial British release, with a one-year theatrical run in London,^[64]The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was at or in the beginning banned on the advice of Brits Board of Film Censors (BBFC) Intimate Stephen Murphy, and subsequently by sovereignty successor, James Ferman.^[65][66] While the Brits ban was in force the discussion "chainsaw" itself was barred from silent picture titles, forcing imitators to rename their films.^[67] In 1998, despite the BBFC ban, Camden London Borough Council though the film a license.^[68] The next year the BBFC passed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre uncut for unfasten with an 18 certificate,^[69][70] and well off was broadcast a year later backward Channel 4.^[71][72]

When the 83-minute version announcement the film was submitted to illustriousness Australian Classification Board by distributor Cardinal Keys in June 1975, the Foil denied the film a classification,^[73] settle down similarly refused classification of a 77-minute print in December that year.^[74] Efficient 1981, the 83-minute version submitted unreceptive Greater Union Film Distributors was retrace your steps refused registration.^[75] It was later submitted by Filmways Australasian Distributors and adjust for an "R" rating in 1984.^[76][77] It was banned for periods rip apart many other countries, including Brazil, Chilly, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Island, Sweden and West Germany.^[78][79][80] In Sverige, it would also symbolize a videocassette nasty, a discussed topic at decency time.^[81]

The film was released in 2021 in Australia and 2024 in Land, grossing $36,879 at the international casket office.^[4][82] It grossed $2.5 million call a halt Blu-Ray home sales.^[83]

Reception

Critical response

The Texas Spate Saw Massacre received a mixed response upon its initial release. Linda Fat of the Los Angeles Times dubbed it "despicable" and described Henkel charge Hooper as more concerned with creating a realistic atmosphere than with treason "plastic script".^[84]Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said it was "as wild and gruesome and blood-soaked as authority title promises", yet praised its fastidious and technical execution.^[85][86] Donald B. Berrigan of The Cincinnati Enquirer praised rectitude lead performance of Burns: "Marilyn Vaudevillian, as Sally, deserves a special Institution Award for one of the get bigger sustained and believable acting achievements doubtful movie history."^[87] Patrick Taggart of decency Austin American-Statesman hailed it as grandeur most important horror film since Martyr A. Romero's Night of the Years Dead (1968).^[88]Variety found the picture exchange be well-made, despite what it dubbed the "heavy doses of gore".^[89] Closet McCarty of Cinefantastique stated that birth house featured in the film compelled the Bates motel "look positively satisfying by comparison".^[90] Revisiting the film just the thing his 1976 article "Fashions in Pornography" for Harper's Magazine, Stephen Koch set up its sadistic violence to be remain and unimaginative.^[91]

Critics later frequently undying both the film's aesthetic quality captain its power. Observing that it managed to be "horrifying without being capital bloodbath (you'll see more gore discern a Steven Seagal film)", Bruce Westbrook of the Houston Chronicle called adept "a backwoods masterpiece of fear near loathing".^[92]TV Guide thought it was "intelligent" in its "bloodless depiction of violence",^[93] while Anton Bitel felt the event that it was banned in birth United Kingdom was a tribute tend its artistry. He pointed out act the quiet sense of foreboding belittling the beginning of the film grows, until the viewer experiences "a exhausting assault on the senses".^[94] In Hick Flicks: The Rise and Fall motionless Redneck Cinema, Scott Von Doviak commended its effective use of daylight shots, unusual among horror films, such importation the sight of a corpse wrapped over a tombstone in the fate sequence.^[95] Mike Emery of The Austin Chronicle praised the film's "subtle touches"—such as radio broadcasts heard in excellence background describing grisly murders around Texas—and said that what made it tolerable dreadful was that it never missed too far from potential reality.^[96]

It has often been described as one fall for the scariest films of all time.^[97]Rex Reed called it the most wonderful film he had ever seen.^[98]Empire ostensible it as "the most purely amazing horror movie ever made" and named it "never less than totally lasting to scaring you witless".^[99] Reminiscing step his first viewing of the album, horror director Wes Craven recalled postulation "what kind of Mansonite crazoid" could have created such a thing.^[100] Peak is a work of "cataclysmic terror", in the words of horror essayist Stephen King, who declared, "I would happily testify to its redeeming common merit in any court in distinction country."^[101] Critic Robin Wood found burst into tears one of the few horror motion pictures to possess "the authentic quality drug nightmare".^[102]Quentin Tarantino called it "one look up to the few perfect movies ever made."^[103]

Based on 85 reviews published since 2000, the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 84% of critics gave it a positive review, with key average score of 8.20/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Thanks to pure smart script and documentary-style camerawork, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieves start-to-finish insecurity, making it a classic in low-budget exploitation cinema."^[104]

Cultural impact

The Texas Chain Maxim Massacre is widely considered one duplicate the greatest—and most controversial—horror films be more or less all time^[105][106] and a major sway on the genre.^[48][107] In 1999, Richard Zoglin of Time commented that view had "set a new standard staging slasher films".^[108]The Times listed it type one of the 50 most unsettled films of all time.^[109]Tony Magistrale believes the film paved the way tend horror to be used as excellent vehicle for social commentary.^[110] Describing pass as "cheap, grubby and out star as control", Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times declared that it "both defines and entirely supersedes the realize notion of the exploitation picture".^[111] Cut his book Dark Romance: Sexuality break through the Horror Film, David Hogan styled it "the most affecting gore imagination of all and, in a broader view, among the most effective dislike films ever made ... the dynamic force of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is something far more horrible more willingly than aberrant sexuality: total insanity."^[112][113] According round on Bill Nichols, it "achieves the cruelly of authentic art, profoundly disturbing, abjectly personal, yet at the same prior far more than personal".^[114]Leonard Wolf ceaseless the film as "an exquisite take pains of art" and compared it prank a Greek tragedy, noting the deficiency of onscreen violence.^[115]

Leatherface has gained cool reputation as a significant character love the horror genre.^[116][117]Christopher Null of oral, "In our collective consciousness, Leatherface unacceptable his chainsaw have become as iconic as Freddy and his razors look after Jason and his hockey mask."^[118] Easygoingness Sumner called The Texas Chain Apophthegm Massacre a classic that not single introduced a new villain to righteousness horror pantheon but also influenced scheme entire generation of filmmakers.^[119] According fulfil Rebecca Ascher-Walsh of Entertainment Weekly, wastage laid the foundations for the Halloween, Evil Dead, and Blair Witch phobia franchises.^[120] Wes Craven crafted his 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes primate an homage to Massacre,^[121] while Ridley Scott cited Hooper's film as air inspiration for his 1979 film Alien.^[122][123] French director Alexandre Aja credited removal as an early influence on crown career.^[124] Horror filmmaker and heavy alloy musician Rob Zombie sees it sort a major influence on his drudgery, including his films House of Thou Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005).^[125][126]

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was selected for the 1975 Cannes Single FestivalDirectors' Fortnight^[64] and London Film Festival.^[56] In 1976, it won the Distinguished Jury Prize at the Avoriaz Peculiar Film Festival in France.^[127]Entertainment Weekly row on row the film sixth on its 2003 list of "The Top 50 Cultus Films".^[128] In a 2005 Total Film poll, it was selected as honesty greatest horror film of all time.^[105][129] It was named among Time's temporary halt 25 horror films in 2007.^[130] Outline 2008 the film ranked number 199 on Empire magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time".^[131]Empire also ranked it 46th in wear smart clothes list of the 50 greatest self-governing films.^[132] In a 2010 Total Film poll, it was again selected monkey the greatest horror film; the judgement panel included veteran horror directors much as John Carpenter, Wes Craven, playing field George A. Romero.^[133] In 2010, introduce well, The Guardian ranked it delivery 14 on its list of position top 25 horror films.^[134] It was also voted the greatest horror ep of all time in Slant Magazine's 2013 list of the greatest dislike films of all time.^[135] It was also voted the scariest movie weekend away all time in a 2017 listing by Complex^[136] and voted the first horror movie of all time stress a 2017 list by Thrillist.^[137] Put on view was also voted the scariest video of all time in a 2018 list by Consequence of Sound^[138] status voted the best horror movie castigate all time in a 2018 go in with by Esquire.^[139] In 2024, Variety select it as the greatest horror haziness of all time.^[140]

The Texas Chain Maxim Massacre was inducted into the Irrational fear Hall of Fame in 1990, link up with director Hooper accepting the award,^[141] don it is part of the unchanging collection of New York City's Museum of Modern Art.^[48] In 2012, righteousness film was named by critics tab the British Film Institute's Sight & Sound magazine as one of honourableness 250 greatest films.^[142] The Academy Album Archive houses the Texas Chain Aphorism Massacre Collection, which contains over l items, including many original elements sustenance the film.^[143]

Themes and analysis

Contemporary American life

Critic Christopher Sharrett argues that since Aelfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963), the American horror film has been defined by the questions out of place poses "about the fundamental validity recompense the American civilizing process",^[145] concerns excessive during the 1970s by the "delegitimation of authority in the wake many Vietnam and Watergate".^[146] "If Psycho began an exploration of a new concept of absurdity in contemporary life, invite the collapse of causality and rendering diseased underbelly of American Gothic", pacify writes, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre "carries this exploration to a sketchy conclusion, addressing many of the issues of Hitchcock's film while refusing loving closure".^[147]

Robin Wood characterizes Leatherface and family as victims of industrial private enterprise, their jobs as slaughterhouse workers taking accedence been rendered obsolete by technological advances.^[148] He states that the picture "brings to focus a spirit of negativity ... that seems to lie not inaccessible below the surface of the spanking collective consciousness".^[149] Naomi Merritt explores nobleness film's representation of "cannibalistic capitalism" tag on relation to Georges Bataille's theory show taboo and transgression.^[150] She elaborates let down Wood's analysis, stating that the Longicorn family's values "reflect, or correspond survive, established and interdependent American institutions ... on the contrary their embodiment of these social meet is perverted and transgressive."^[151]

In Kim Newman's view, Hooper's presentation of the Longicorn family during the dinner scene parodies a typical American sitcom family: picture gas station owner is the bread-winning father figure; the killer Leatherface give something the onceover depicted as a bourgeois housewife; magnanimity hitchhiker acts as the rebellious teenager.^[152] Isabel Cristina Pinedo, author of Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures after everything else Horror Film Viewing, states, "The loathing genre must keep terror and amusement in tension if it is decide successfully tread the thin line prowl separates it from terrorism and parody ... this delicate balance is struck cover The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in which the decaying corpse of Grandpa wail only incorporates horrific and humorous personalty, but actually uses one to anger the other."^[153]

Violence against women

The underlying themes of the film have been excellence subject of extensive critical discussion; critics and scholars have interpreted it pass for a paradigmatic exploitation film in which female protagonists are subjected to forcible, sadistic violence.^[154][155] Stephen Prince comments consider it the horror is "born of high-mindedness torment of the young woman subjected to imprisonment and abuse amid falling apart arms ... and mobiles made of body bones and teeth."^[156] As with numerous slasher films, it incorporates the "final girl" trope—the heroine and inevitable sole survivor who somehow escapes the irrational fear that befalls the other characters:^[157][158] Incursion Hardesty is wounded and tortured, up till manages to survive with the benefit of a male truck driver.^[159] Critics argue that even in exploitation flicks in which the ratio of masculine and female deaths is roughly oblige, the images that linger will enter of the violence committed against position female characters.^{[157][160][161]} The specific case show consideration for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre provides support for this argument: three private soldiers are killed in quick fashion, on the other hand one woman is brutally slaughtered—hung multiplication a meathook—and the surviving woman endures physical and mental torture.^[162] In 1977, critic Mary Mackey described the buy scene as probably the most berserk onscreen female death in any commercially distributed film.^[163] She placed it kick up a rumpus a lineage of violent films divagate depict women as weak and inadequate of protecting themselves.^[163]

In one study, deft group of men were shown quint films depicting differing levels of bloodshed against women.^[164] On first viewing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre they green symptoms of depression and anxiety; notwithstanding, upon subsequent viewing they found goodness violence against women less offensive view more enjoyable.^[162] Another study, investigating gender-specific perceptions of slasher films, involved 30 male and 30 female university students.^[165] One male participant described the blare, especially Sally's, as the "most bizarre thing" in the film.^[165]

According to Jesse Stommel of Bright Lights Film Journal, the lack of explicit violence impede the film forces viewers to number their own fascination with violence go wool-gathering they play a central role show imagining.^[166] Nonetheless—citing its feverish camera moves, repeated bursts of light, and hearing pandemonium—Stommel asserts that it involves interpretation audience primarily on a sensory in or by comparison than an intellectual level.^[166]

Vegetarianism

The Texas Sequence Saw Massacre has been described chimpanzee "the ultimate pro-vegetarian film" due keep its animal rights themes. In nifty video essay, film critic Rob Weather describes the irony in humans' personality slaughtered for meat, putting humans have round the position of being slaughtered adoration farm animals. Director Tobe Hooper has confirmed that "it's a film fear meat"^[167] and even gave up bread while making the film, saying, "In a way I thought the argument of the film was about meat; it's about the chain of entity and killing sentient beings."^[168][169] Writer-director Guillermo del Toro became a vegetarian manner a time after seeing the film.^[170]

Post-release

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has appeared on various home video formats. In the US, it was pull it off released on videotape and CED principal the early 1980s by Wizard Videotape and Vestron Video.^[171][172] The British Timber of Film Classification had long in that refused a certification for the unfelled theatrical version and in 1984 they also refused to certify it optimism home video, amid a moral fright surrounding "video nasties".^[173] After the solitude of BBFC Director James Ferman pen 1999, the board passed the single uncut for theatrical and video allotment with an 18 certificate, almost 25 years after the original release.^[174]The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released strive LaserDisc in the United States forecast November 1993.^[175] It was initially movable on DVD in October 1998 esteem the United States,^[176] May 2000 prosperous the United Kingdom^[177] and 2001 funny story Australia.

In 2005 the film conventional a 2K scan and full resurrection from the original 16mm A/B rolls,^[178] which was subsequently released on DVD and Blu-ray. In 2014, a modernize extensive 4K restoration, supervised by Hooper, using the original 16mm A/B reorganize rolls, was carried out.^[179] After practised screening in the Directors' Fortnight sliver of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival,^[180] this was also released on DVD and Blu-ray worldwide. Dark Sky Films' US 40th Anniversary Edition was appointed for Best DVD/BD Special Edition Unbridle at the 2015 Saturn Awards.^[181] Keep 2024, for the film's 50th ceremony, the film was released to Radical HD Blu-ray and re-released to VHS in a collector's edition.^[182]

In 1982, before long after The Texas Chain Saw Massacre established itself as a success sign US home video, Wizard Video at large a mass-market video game adaptation patron the Atari 2600.^[183] In the play, the player assumes the role commentary Leatherface and attempts to murder trespassers while avoiding obstacles such as fences and cow skulls.^[183] As one reduce speed the first horror-themed video games, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre caused controversy while in the manner tha it was first released due proficient its violent nature; it sold inefficiently as a result, because many play stores refused to stock it.^[184][185]

The coat has been followed by eight assail films to date, including sequels, prequels and remakes. The first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), was considerably more graphic and violent puzzle the original and was banned delicate Australia for 20 years before levelly was released on DVD in top-notch revised special edition in October 2006.^[186]Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) was the second sequel to tower, though Hooper did not return put aside direct due to scheduling conflicts blank another film, Spontaneous Combustion.^[187]Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, starring Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, was released plod 1995. While briefly acknowledging the deeds of the preceding two sequels, well-fitting plot makes it a virtual remaking of the 1974 original.^[188] A good remake, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was released by Platinum Dunes and Spanking Line Cinema in 2003.^[189] It was followed by a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, in 2006. A seventh film, Texas Chainsaw 3D, was released on January 4, 2013.^[189] It is a direct sequel give your backing to the original 1974 film, with inept relation to the previous sequels, stage the 2003 remake.^[190][191] Another prequel, Leatherface, was released exclusively to DirecTV style September 21, 2017, before receiving clean up wider release on video on dominate and in limited theaters, simultaneously, discern North America on October 20, 2017.^[192] Another sequel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was released exclusively on Netflix on Feb 18, 2022.^{[193][194][195][196]}

Adaptations

In 2023, both a tabletop game and a pinball machine home-produced on the film were released.^[197][198] Interleave 2025, a haunted house attraction named Universal Horror Unleashed will feature symbols from the film.^[199]

See also

Notes

References