The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning (2006)

TCM The Beginning, and with any luck, the end!

After the mild success of the 2003 remake, it just wouldn't seem right to pass up one more opportunity to milk the TCM series for all it was worth, which brings us to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. For the few viewing this product who aren't already aware, this is a prequel to the remake of the original. It elaborates on the history of Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface), and attempts to provide a background on the chainsaw wielding fiend.

The "prequel" bit actually only makes up about ten minutes of the movie. There's the expected gross-out birth giving scene, followed by a quick montage of medical forms describing young Thomas's skin disease and psychological disorders, and that's about it. The movie then settles into the normal story, unfortunately it's the exact same story that we've witnessed in every other TCM film (with the lone exception of part two). That is: couple/couples encounter setbacks in rural Texas backroads and fall into the clutches of the cannibalistic tribe.

It seems most negative reviews revolve around the fact that this movie is "senseless violence" or "pure sadism". While this may not be completely untrue, it's hardly the determining factor concerning this film's mediocrity. As a horror fanatic, I did not find this appealing simply because it's nothing but another chronicle of a Leatherface murder spree that incorporates almost nothing new or special other than a modest increase in the gore department, but even that is too polished and glitzy looking to really appreciate. Maybe a quick thrill for younger viewers who measure a movie by the blood and guts, but for anyone seeking some thought provoking horror you best look elsewhere. August 23, 2008

Nothing special here

It seems to be suddenly, every horror fan wants to know how their horror heroes (idols?) became the way they were. You know, going on the killing spree, generally being bad boys. We've had Rob Zombie's Halloween movie, where we see how Michael became the big bad boy - blame it on the parents - and in the Jason movies, we've seen it during the movies. There's not a special movie just to tell what happened to Jason.

This movie is pretty much your standard slasher film. There is absolutely nothing that makes it stand out from everything else. You've got the army guys about to go and sign up, and their girlfriends dressed in very little. You've got all the blood and gore - the one thing I will give this movie is there are some inventive, and slow, deaths. Bleurgh! And of course there is the fact it's a cast of virtual unknowns, unless you know Jordana Brewster from The Faculty, and The Fast & The Furious, but I haven't seen the latter.

Two brothers are off to fight in Vietnam, and having one last road trip with their girlfriends. One doesn't want to go in the army, the other one thinks he does. Along the way they come across some strange things, and get involved in a serious car crash. They should be safe when the sheriff comes along - shouldn't they?

The 'prequel' bit is all over in the first 15-20 minutes, introducing Leatherface's messed up family, and his birth, and being abandoned. Then it goes into the standard story.

Really, the film is just here to push the boundaries on how much blood & gore an audience can endure. What's included in this? I won't ruin it, but it is pretty brutal at points. Lots of blood, lots of gore. Hey, it's a horror film.

I do think horror films have to keep pushing the boundaries, in order to stay fresh & new, but I just don't think The Beginning succeeds here. It's nothing the audience hasn't seen before, and you'll be shocked at the gore, but that's about it. Horror flicks have had their day if they can't be fresh & new. Enjoyable, but doesn't leave you feeling satisfied afterwards. March 10, 2008

Amazingly against all odds, NOT BAD AT ALL

Lets get one thing straight, trying to put any sense or logic to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series is futile. Do you really need some damn logic for a slasher flick? Is the story that important? You can say this is a prequel to the remake, but the 2003 remake was in the fact the 3rd remake of TCM! Leatherface, TCM Next Generation, both remakes later slapped with sequel numbers. When it comes down to it if you want to look at it another way, this is pretty much Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 6, if they play their cards right there will be a Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 7 and R. Lee Ermy will return because he carries this entire movie by himself and was certainly the only entertaining aspect of TCM 2003.

Ok compared to other one this is so much better! The MEAT are going across Texas in a car, same story as every other TCM, they try to work in some story about going to Vietnam and well, it just doesn't matter. You can fast forward through all of these scenes, if you're a slasher/gore film veteran you've seen it all before and all these scenes do is fill time. Once Sheriff Hoyt shows up the film is on, the MEAT are tortured, mutilated, then slaughtered, the end. Its everything a TCM film needs to be and nothing more. The best part is this is the movie understands why Leatherface rules, he waves a chainsaw around and hacks people up with it! I don't think there's another TCM flick that has this much chainsaw carnage. My personal favorite scene is when the biker is killed, it has a manic inspiration to it and is fun as hell. The actor playing Leatherface is as good as Gunner Hansen's original.

The special features on this disc have a pretty decent little making of with interviews with Greg Nicotero who pretty much does every single scene of violence in the movies today. Trained by Tom Savini (who worked on Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 btw) he has taken the original masters effects methods to new and gorier heights without ever turning his back on his past. I found the older cast members warm genuine personalities I would have liked to have heard more of, the younger cast members as clueless and dippy as you'd expect and the filmmakers trying their absolute best. Horror maybe questionable but the slasher film is still alive and well in the classic tradition.

But still, compared to the 1974 original film, no matter how gory this flick is it still feels too polished. As dirty as the sets are, as nasty as the gore is, it just doesn't feel real. Luckily this movie is trashy and mean enough to warrant repeated viewings and certainly is the best slasher to come out in a long time. February 20, 2008

whoa!

To me, I know I like a movie when it stays in my head. This movie did just that for several days. It made me jump through the whole thing and I just wanna say unless your baby or mama is in "that house" do NOT go in when you are already out! February 6, 2008

Gore alone does not equate to scary

This movie is not scary and for a horror movie that is an unforgivable sin. The back story is fine, what little there is of it. I enjoyed finding out more about the serial cannibal family the Hewitts. But I'm afraid over-the-top gore is used to replace dramatic tension and suspense and it doesn't work. I'm not a prude in the gore department, just that it's less scary than disgusting to me. And because the movie is almost wholly dependent on the gore for scares, I found myself getting bored with this prequel. There is a distinct lack of tension or build up to the violence. The characters are tortured and dispatched one by one in gruesome ways and that's about it. It's almost matter of fact. To make matters worse I had little emotional connection to any of the characters. Which is absolutely necessary if I'm going to care when they're tortured or killed. I just didn't. I would recommend renting this before you buy. I can't think of any reason I'd want to see this movie again. February 4, 2008

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