The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Vandals have desecrated a graveyard where Sally Hardesty’s grandfather is buried. She along with her wheelchair bound brother, Franklin, travel with their three friends to investigate and visit their grandfathers abandoned farm in Texas on the way. They pick up a hitchhiker on the way who turns out to be crazy and cuts himself as well as Franklin with a knife. The five friends manage to get rid of the hitchhiker but are forced to stop a little while later down the road as they needed to get some fuel for their van. On hearing the sound of a generator in the distance, they stumble across a farm and an old clapboard house, which is far from welcoming. It just so happens that this house belongs to the hitchhiker and his evil family of demented cannibalistic psychopaths. Trapped in a nightmare, the five friends are hunted, tortured and killed by a leather-masked wearing chainsaw-wielding maniac and his family of grave robbing cannibals.
This film, directed by Tobe Hooper, is one of the most scary, influential, upfront masterpieces that really bought fame to the horror genre. The story and plot builds to create a scenario that is realistic and believable which adds to this films real fear factor. It’s the unrelenting, savage, take no prisoner approach that gives this film its edge. Tobe Hooper never resorts to overwhelming mayhem to scare you but relies on the creepy sound effects, the repetitive musical score and sporadic acts of cruelty. The power with this film lies with strongest kind of fear, the fear of the unknown. The growing paranoia will creep over you and fill you with dread as you watch and wait in anticipation to find out the fate of the five friends as they try to survive this horrific ordeal.
This film is about relentless horror and terror not blood and guts. Despite being banned in several countries probably due to the fact the title of the film includes the words ‘Chainsaw’ and ‘Massacre’, this film has a notable lack of gore. ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ was once dubbed a video nasty, but the real scares in this film are delivered in the actor’s performances and the haunting overwhelming tension filed atmosphere that the film creates. This film is not for the feint hearted. Be prepared to be shocked and scared like never before.
For five young friends, a typical summer afternoon drive becomes a terrifying nightmare
