The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Who will survive, and what will be left of them?

If you're reading this review because you have never seen this film, stop now, navigate back to the product information page, and click "order". Created in summer of 1973 by Tobe Hooper, TCM has become one of the most recognized and influential horror films of all time. Achieving super cult status, spawning sequels, action figures, Atari games, it's safe to say that this one is a force to be reckoned with.

"The film which you are about to see, is an account of a tragedy that befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected, nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them, an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day would lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

The infamous monologue that is forever etched in the minds of horror lovers everywhere begins the tale of five youths who embark on a roadtrip across rural Texas to visit a relative's burial site. However, the trip becomes a nightmare as they one-by-one fall victim to a family of cannibalistic savages in the Texas backwoods.

Reviewing a horror classic as revered as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is hardly necessary as there is certainly nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said. However when I see an overall rating of four stars for a movie like this, I am forced to throw my two cents in. TCM is a horror classic and will remain viewed as such for many generations to come. August 5, 2008

The True Beginning

This is a concept that today remains disturbing. Purely the concept and characters are the sole reason to watch this movie. Shot on some of the worst equipment ever created and with virtually no special effects, this movie still is able to be extremely entertaining. The family of Leatherface is entertainingly dysfunctional, and is part of the thoroughly creepy concept. An amazing film for the lack of budget, and is truly a good way to expose the world to the demented. June 23, 2008

Great Classic

I own the remake, I'd never seen the original before until recently. If your looking for a gore and blood fest in this movie, its not there. This is more of a darker type of movie. If your a fan of the remake that was released a few years ago, I'd say you'd like the 1974 original. I highly recommend buying this 2 disc edition the case and bonus disc are pretty sweet. June 11, 2008

You just can't beat the [terrifying] classics, my friends.

The first time I saw "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was at about two o'clock in the morning, by myself, in total darkness. And by the end of this movie, my shocked eyes were about the size of the TV screen. Oddly enough, "TCM" is the only movie to date where I bought the DVD while I still had the rental copy. That's how quickly I needed to own this movie.
Now, despite the title "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", this movie is NOT a gorefest. It is a progressive, low-budget and very realistic movie that builds up with time.
There's just something about this movie that puts it in a category of its own. The atmospheric, backwoods setting, the raw camera and the un-movie feel of it. It doesn't entirely feel like a movie, more like a documentary or one of those experimental films on Youtube...that is, if Youtube were around 30 plus years ago.
Although three of the murders occur within the first, fifty minutes, it's the last half-hour of the movie that will make you hide beneath your couch pillows. The final attack and that extended chase scene is nothing short of outstandingly jawdropping. Between the six-foot, 250-pound Leatherface chasing the Texas girl through the forest, Leatherface's psychotic family with their corpse-like grandpa, (who's great at clubbin' their dinner!), and the sheer paranoia, this movie ends up as an edge-of-your-seat atmospheric nightmare that will leave you speechless!
In addition to having such a great movie on disc, the DVD comes loaded with extra features, which makes it all a very fun experience! After you're done chilling your bones with the movie, be sure to check out the special features. This DVD is definitely worth your money for lovers of horror.
So if you like atmospheric horror, slasher films, and/or something scary and cool that will keep your eyes glued to the television, this will be your Movie of the Week! I haven't checked out the recent remake of this movie, but this mid-70's spine-chilling classic is good enough for me! Thanks for the time, and peace. May 29, 2008

Greatest Horror Film

For me, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the perfect horror movie. It completely captures the "American Nightmare" of the early 1970s with the post-'60s dread, economic crises such as the gas/oil crisis, returning scarred Vietnam vets, etc. It's also a commentary on the beast within--not only the violence inherent in America's rural frontier pioneer back history but also the violence inherent within man, in general (while also connecting this to key '60s hippie topics regarding nature and the environment, such as astrology and veganism). Apart from all of the thematic subtext, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is, formally, in a class of its own, whether it is the grainy, documentary style and the authentically deranged performances or the arty and avant-garde cinematography and nightmare industrial "music" score. Nothing has ever matched its sense of atmosphere, whether it is the hellish, apocalyptic mood of the scorched summertime Texas landscape or the textured cinematography which accents how nature can engulf humanity, such as in the opening shots of solar flares and sunspots (which studies show are linked to outbreaks of insanity), the moon, and the darkness of night and the wilderness. It is the grittiest and grimiest horror film ever made. April 15, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...