Halloween Countdown: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Ah. The classic, the true original. This movie blew me away when I finally sat down and watched it end to end. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was loosely based on the story of Ed Gein, the famous Wisconsin killer and necrophiliac (as were Psycho and Silence of the Lambs). Follow a group of kids traveling through Texas who run out of gas and into the arms of a family of cannibals. Enter the infamous misunderstood giant Leatherface. The original film had a grim nihilistic tone marked by a near complete absence of blood. Tense, terrifying, and darkly funny (witness Grandpa trying to knock out a girl with a hammer using his cattle-felling slaughterhouse smash). This film set the scene for a string of bleak horror films in the 70s, including Wes Craven's Last House on the Left, and The Hills Have Eyes. Definitely the granddaddy of serious horror films in America. Ignore all the silly sequels (except for the Tobe Hooper-directed TCM 2, a vastly underrated comedy horror starring Dennis Hopper). This movie is the real deal.


Bonus Trailer: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2