In The Beginning There Was.... (Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning (DVD))

Member Name: plipplop

Product:	Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning (DVD)
Date:	31/10/06 (185 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gory, dark, noisy

Disadvantages: Adds nothing to the franchise

For the follow up to Marcus Nispel’s 2003 remake of the 1974 classic horror, Jonathan Liebesman opts to try something a little different. Rather than simply follow up the grisly events of 1974 with more grisly events thereafter, Liebesman instead takes us back to 1969 in order that we can discover a little more about the notorious family that was to spawn a classic horror movie, three sequels and a remake. Grisly events, however, were still assured.

It’s 1969 and in the heat of summer, two brothers travel through Texas to enlist in the Vietnam War. Older brother Eric has already served a term and is keen that his brother joins him in the conflict, blissfully unaware that younger brother Dean has no intention of joining him. As tensions rise, secrets are revealed and as they travel along the deserted roads, they fall foul of a young biker, who forces them off the road. Eric’s girlfriend Chrissie is thrown clear of the vehicle, but her best friend Bailey is not so lucky and both she and the two brothers are injured in the ensuing accident. Injured, alone and vulnerable, the youths fear the worst, but are relieved to see a police car approach them on the highway. Dispatching the robbing biker, the police officer promises to be their salvation but it soon becomes clear that he presents a far deadlier threat than any leather-clad thief. As Chrissie watches from the side of the road, the three youths are taken away. When they arrive at their destination, it soon becomes clear that the secluded house to which they have been escorted will offer no respite. In the dark chambers beneath the house, someone or something lurks – and he has a thing for chainsaws…..

Clearly pleased with the reception for the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM hereafter) Hollywood bosses clearly decided that there was yet plenty of mileage in the franchise. The Beginning is a clearly stated prequel, tracing back (albeit very briefly) from the birth through to the adulthood of Thomas Hewitt, the deranged madman who would later become known as Leatherface. The result is fairly disappointing, essentially comprising a basic sequel to the original movie, set chronologically earlier to set in place a few facts but then playing out as an independent film in its own right. The recipe is simple and familiar; a group of hapless teenagers stumbles into unknown Texan territory where one / all of them is abducted and tortured by a malevolent family of psychopathic cannibals. Simple it may be; tame it is not and where 2003’s remake upped the nasty stakes, the 2006 follow up continues the trend.

One of the successes of the 2003 remake was to introduce a new supporting cast of freaks and family members who appeared at intervals to terrorise the witless teenagers. In The Beginning, these characters play a far larger role, particularly Sheriff Hoyt who, whilst unpleasant in TCM, shows himself to be the main perpetrator behind the atrocities committed by the family. A military spell in Korea seems to have given him a taste for human flesh and a penchant for torture. Coupled with a psychotic, deformed family member, it’s not hard to see why things turn nasty for anyone who gets in the way. R Lee Ermey reprises his 2003 role with graphic aplomb, more unsettlingly because you know that if he is to return in a film set five years later, he’s never really going to get his comeuppance, however long overdue. Similarly other family members, such as Luda May and Monty have meatier roles to play in the prequel, albeit with slightly more mobility in some cases – until a certain psychopath and his chainsaw get going, that is….. Other mysteries of the remake are quickly solved too. If you ever wondered how an unpleasant fellow like Sheriff Hoyt managed to end up serving in the police force, The Beginning will quickly fill in the gaps for you.

Bizarrely enough, however, in spite of the film’s premise, we actually learn very little about the man behind the human skin mask. We witness his birth (on the dirty floor of a slaughterhouse, no less) but his childhood and former years are relegated to brief snatches of imagery and text amidst the opening title sequence. We’re led to believe that he is adopted by the local weirdo family, abused and bullied as a result of his disfigurement but somehow still allowed to work in the local slaughterhouse as though he were the same as anyone else. It never sits very well and whilst it’s clear that the director is aiming us at the nurture versus nature debate, it’s not something that he dwells on for long. Indeed, it seems that we are to believe that it is the malevolent influence of Sheriff Hoyt that has contributed to the finished product, but this never really feels complete. Discarding any thoughts of closure along the way, however, Liebesman settles down instead to the business of torture and slaughter. And he’s pretty good at it too.

The teenagers are a likeable, if not rather doomed, bunch of pretty girls and sexy boys. Their despatch is inevitable, but still provides several brutal shocks, as Liebesman fairly revels in their demise. Of all the Texas Chainsaw Movies that I’ve seen, The Beginning seems to feature the most chainsaw action (if that’s the right word) and the director often attempts to conjure up some iconic visuals of Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface) wandering along a sun-baked / moon lit road, the silhouette of his huge frame broken only by the chainsaw held at his side. The farmhouse location remains the same, and Leatherface’s parlour similarly remains in the bowels of the sinister looking building. Leatherface himself remains a dominating figure, with some of the camp hysteria displayed in earlier films now replaced by hulking strength and inane cruelty. Prepare also to jump out of your skin repeatedly, as Liebesman seldom misses an opportunity to make you do so.

Many reviewers have criticised The Beginning for simply cashing in on the franchise, and sullying the original’s reputation. I disagree. The original film was far from a classic in my opinion, and the recent re-workings have, for me at least, been far more effective and much more gruesome. The new makers remain respectful to the originals – Tobe Hooper (the original director) produced both the new versions and clearly felt comfortable to associate himself. There is also an inherent fondness for the franchise, with the original narrator from the 1974 film having now returned to both the 2003 and 2006 remakes.

The Beginning is not a spooky Hallowe’en film. It’s blood and guts gorenography and won’t appeal to many. But if you like your films bloody, brutal and graphic then this is the one for you.

Recommended - just

Summary: Only for die hard fans - but suitably nasty!