31 Days of Horror: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
I’d never watched this classic, so I thought tonight I’d rectify that.
You know, I understand why classic horror movies are considered to be classics. They set the framework for the films that followed. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead. Each of these iconic films spawned franchises that are still pumping out films to this day.
I’d never seen The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) before. So, for Day 11 of the 31 Days of Horror, I decided to rectify this.
The film begins with John Larroquette (yes, the same guy from Night Court) narrating a very long block of text stating that the film we’re about to watch is an account of the “tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin.”
Like any decent journalist, I had to see if the movie was actually inspired by a massacre like the one I’d just watched. Turns out: eh, yes and no. Sadistic serial killers like Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley served as inspiration, but Leatherface is pure fiction.
The film starts with graverobbing in Texas causing five youths to travel to the graveyard to see if Sally and Franklin’s grandfather had been exhumed. The five plan to leave when they pick up a crazy hitchhiker. Lesson number one: Don’t pick up hitchhikers. If you do, don’t give them your pocketknife. The youths ditch the hitchhiker and proceed to stop at a BBQ and gas station. Turns out Franklin’s and Shelly’s father owns a house that conveniently is next door neighbors to a family of cannibalistic killers.
Like flies to a bug zapper each of them enters the crazy killer’s house. Lesson number two: don’t trespass into another person’s house. The last person alive, the final girl is Sally, played by Madilyn Burns. Burns was such a great actress. Her screams were iconic.
Overall, I thought the film was pretty good. Being 49 years old, it’s aged well. Director Tobe Hooper was a master at building tension in the film. The chase scenes were pretty good. While there wasn’t too much blood and gore, I felt that it made it a bit scarier.
Compared to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), it’s the superior film. After all, there’s a reason why it’s considered a classic.
Ranking for 31 Days of Horror (1 being the best):
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