The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

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🎙️ EPISODE 373: 10.26.21 Not to be confused with Tobe Hooper's masterpiece, 1990's TV movie I'm Dangerous Tonight... wait, what's that? No one would ever get these films confused? Well, says you, I say. SAYS YOU. I SAY. This is my movie website and don't forget it. So I watched the dang Texas Chain Saw Massacre and, ahahahahahah!!!!?!!!!!!! ...ahhahahhhahahhh!!!!!! This movie is horrifying and weird and oddly quaint in tiny moments and I genuinely can't believe that it ever got made, to be honest. When the chase for the Final Girl began with over thirty minutes left (well over 1/3 of the film's total runtime), I knew I was in for some wild shit, but I honestly don't think I was expecting that.

It's quite the barrage, tasteless in every which way, but — because of when it was made, I suppose — it really never reeks of gore for gore's sake. This was made well before the phrase "torture porn" came into existence, and you can sense that (although I suppose watching a lady get dropped onto a meathook is still watching a lady get dropped onto a meathook at the end of the day).

It has amazing cinematography and sound design for such a small, shoestring production, and, through some combination of the mostly unknown local cast, its screenplay, the performances and dialogue — primarily in the setup to the frantic finish — it all felt really authentic. And I also can't believe that it's pro-vegetarian message, which I definitely felt, was purposeful...


And the character of Franklin was instantly a favorite for me, and not just because that's my dog's name. I mean, check out this acting...

Ultimately, even though I'm mostly in the dark in regards to a lot of it, I know this is one of those landmark pictures that has been analyzed to death. It feels silly for me — a damn newbie! — to punch above my weight so to speak by needlessly expounding here. (In addition, I don't think this is a horror franchise I am going to do a deep dive with anytime soon, although I might watch Part 2, the only other one helmed by Hooper ¹.) Let me finish by simply stating that I liked and appreciated it, it freaked me the heck out and I can definitely recommend it if you (hey, like me from the other day!) still haven't seen it yet. It's a'classic! (perhaps)

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FOOTNOTES:

1. The funniest (funniest?) thing is that I'm not sure I really knew who Hooper was when I reviewed I'm Dangerous Tonight, which IS a dumb made-for-TV movie starring Mädchen Amick and Anthony Perkins, but which I also legitimately enjoyed. There are plenty of other entries in the Hooper filmography which really intrigue me and are all over the map in terms of genre, and I would love to do a serious chronological viewing at some point. [BACK]

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 372 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 374 ⫸

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