The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
by Scott (myself)
I would say this is the "Godfather" if you will of all horror films. Tobe Hooper's 1974 triumph follows five young teenagers on a summer afternoon drive that ends in a violent tradgedy. One of the most outstanding prospects of the film is the atmosphere. Tobe Hooper sets up an eerie atmosphere to the whole movie, and it's kind of hard to explain, but you will feel it when you watch it. It was released in 1974, when this kind of violent bizarre behavior wasn't seen often, so that is why it shocked so many, and it still has the ability to shock you today, even 30 years later. The raw technique of filmmaking also adds to the suspense and atmosphere. This is the definite best of the "chainsaw" series.
***** stars out of ***** stars
To learn about the film, go to IMDB's TCM page.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
by Scott (myself)
Tobe Hooper returns to the chainsaw and the buzzz is back.... quite frankly, the buzz isn't quite enough here. This film falls down on it's face. When watching this you completely forget this is in the chainsaw series. This movie isn't the absolute worst, but isn't the best. Instead of the ordinary farmhouse as the family's lair, this film uses a group of caves to home these homicidal maniacs, but the whole idea of it is kind of lame, but on the upside it does have some good scares and gore.
** 1/2 stars out of ***** stars
To learn about the film, go to IMDB's TCM 2 page.
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
by Scott (myself)
The buzz continues in the third installment of the "chainsaw" series, and this one isn't too bad. This movie follows two friends who are delivering a car from California to Florida and come across Leatherface on their way through Texas after police discover a massive grave site. I simply enjoyed this film, because it had an eerie feeling to it, and it had some good scares. The story follows the original, but is changed a bit and the family is completely re-created. One of the better of the series, but not for the weak stomached.
*** 1/2 stars out of ***** stars
To learn about the film, go to IMDB's TCM 3 page.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Next Generation (1994) (AKA Return of TCM)
by Scott (myself)
The credit I will give this film is that it is better than TCM 2, but of course, it really isn't that wonderful. This film regards prom goers who get in a car crash in the woods and stumble upon the farmhouse and good ol' Leatherface. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this film and the fact that it took place in the Texas woods, which is genuinely a creepy setting. The extent of the family's background is that they are all workers for a CIA agent's cult, which is a bit out there. The acting is a bit ridiculous, and the characters do some pretty stupid things (Example: Renee Zellweger's character jumps out the window onto the roof, and climbs to the top of a television antenna), but it is still a fun movie. This is the kind of movie you want to show at a party or with your friends on a dark stormy night, just for the fun of it because the movie does have it's share of scares.
*** stars out of ***** stars
To learn about the film, go to IMDB's TCM 4: Next Generation page.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
by Scott (myself)
Based loosely on true events (the crimes of Ed Gein), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" begins with five young teens traveling across rural Texas to a Lynnrd Skynnrd concert. In this group of teenagers we have the good girl, Erin (Jessica Biel). The slutty hitchhiker whose character you can't help but like, Pepper (Erica Leerhsen). The cool guy, Andy (Mike Vogel). The jokester guy, Morgan (Jonathan Tucker). And the take charge guy who is the leader of the gang, Kemper (Eric Balfour). The group of five teens are having a good time, when they almost hit a disturbed girl (Lauren German) walking down the road. The get out to offer her a ride, and see that she is in a state of shock. They take her into their van and she begins mumbling about a "bad man" and telling them that they are all going to die. Then, the hitchiker begins to go crazy, puts a gun to her mouth, and pulls the trigger. Sick and puzzled, the teens drive to the nearest hillbilly town, and plan to meet a sheriff at a local mill. After arriving at the mill, there is no sign of a sheriff, and guided by a neglected child of the psychopathic family, Jedidiah (David Dorfman), they wander into the clutches of Leatherface at his rundown farmhouse. Director Marcus Nispel focuses more on keeping this film glossy and updated with more shadows and darkness, unlike the original "Chainsaw", which had a bright and scratchy, documentary style look to it. To tell you the truth, I disliked the original "Chainsaw" because of it's terrible acting and I found it a bit boring, but I will give it some credit because it's such a classic cult film. There are several neat shots in the new "Chainsaw", especially the one where the camera pans through the person's head and out the back window of the van after that person has shot themself in the head. I also loved the black and white police evidence footage that opened and closed the film, which I think brought it a feeling of realism. Producer Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor), didn't seem to me to have any experience in the horror genre, but pulls it off well. The filmmakers must have been aiming for a more realism in this horror film, unlike many we see today, and I will say they were dead right. The acting here is wonderful, with good performances by Leerhsen, Tucker, Vogel, and Balfour, whom are given little character background to work with, but they manage it perfectly. Biel was great as the last survivor, which you will know before even seeing the movie. On rule in horror movies is that the hottest girl in the movie will always live. R. Lee Ermey is pretty crazy as he pulls of his character of the insane, motor mouthed sheriff with a lot of intensity. He also has a couple of funny lines that will most likely make you laugh. I also enjoyed the narration during the police footage that ended and opened the movie, done by John Larroquette, narrator of the original "Chainsaw". The acting and narration in this movie is very good.
The new and improved Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) is very scary, if not as scary as the original Leatherface was. Man, if you actually had this guy chasing you with a chainsaw, you'd be peeing your pants. His mask made of the human flesh is grotesque and disgusting, but has some modifications from the original mask. Through the last half hour of the movie, you'll be rooting for Jessica Biel as she gets chased all over by Leatherface, as Marilyn Burns did in the original film. Surprisingly, this movie had a lot more gore than the first film. Most of the deaths in this movie were done with the power tool you would have expected, the chainsaw. Andy's death was probably the most upsetting, and you will see why after watching this movie. Kemper's death was quick and jolting. Morgan's death was pretty vicious. But, Pepper's death was my favorite one, because of it's intensity and drama. The feathers that floated all over from Pepper's jacket that got tore open by the saw added some intensity, and made it all the more dramatic. Right after her death, you'll be a bit disturbed after you see what, or should I say 'who' Leatherface is wearing for a mask. That moment sort of set the ending of that sequence with a bit of a jolt. I won't tell you what he is wearing, because it will ruin it for you. See it for yourself, and it should freak you out a bit. To end this review, I want to say that this is a very good horror movie, one of the best I've seen. It has it all- intensity, gore, drama, scares, spills, and thrills! Great remake that lives up to the original.
***** stars out of ***** stars
To learn more about the film, go to IMDB's TCM remake page.