Scariest film of all time? (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (DVD))

Member Name: SithLordSi

Product:	The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (DVD)
Date:	30/10/00 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: scary as hell, Leatherface, chainsaw

Disadvantages: some found it funny (!!!), lack of detail in dark areas

Recently I discovered two films which really scared me (The Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist), and now I can happily add The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to the list. Made in 1973, the movie is the grand-daddy of all slasher movies and contained subject matter the likes of which were previously unheard of in a mainstream film. However, to this day very few people in this country have actually seen in. Although re-released a few months ago on VHS and DVD, a recent broadcast of the movie on Channel 4 was my first experience of this truly shocking piece of horror.

The plot is simple: a group of college kids (including one guy in a wheelchair and his sister) go to Texas to where their grand-parents are buried after they hear reports of grave-robbery. After a brief encounter with a strange young hitch-hiker, they stop off at the old farm-house where the siblings' folks used to live. When a strange dwelling nearby attracts their attention, they venture, one by one, towards it, not aware of the horrors lurking inside...

Even if the story sounds familiar and more than a little cliched, it's because this movie has been ripped off a thousand times. For one, it was a big inspiration for the good folks behind The Evil Dead (another great horror movie). However, this should not put you off seeing it. For me, having spent all these years just wondering how the movie would look and feel, it was like visiting an old friend. It seemed perfect, like how you fondly remember films you used to watch a million times over as a kid.

The direction, script and acting are all very convincing, and help strengthen the notion that the events in the movie actually happened. Because of the age of the film, it is quite soft and grainy throughout, and some of the dark scenes lack detail. However, I felt that this all added to the gritty realism. The subtle sound design and music are superb, adding real tension with its presence (or lack of). Finally, Gunnar Hansen i
s gut-wrenchingly scary as the infamous Leatherface - a character who deserves to be put up there with the slasher 'greats' Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger and Jason.

I have not seen the DVD, but have heard that it features an audio commentary and behind the scenes footage, as well as a remastered print and pretty good transfer. For those of you who missed it on Channel 4, the movie is at least worth a rent. It's certainly got a place reserved in my collection.

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