The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (film series)
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| The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | TCM & TCM 2: Tobe Hooper TCM3: Jeff Burr TCM4: Kim Henkel TCM 2003 Marcus Nispel TCM:TB Jonathan Liebesman |
| Release date(s) | Original series: 1974 - 1995 Remake series: 2003 - 2006 |
| Country |  United States |
| Official website | |
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror films began with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) by Tobe Hooper. The original film spawned three sequels as well as a remake, which has so far spawned its own prequel.
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[edit] Original Series
[edit] The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was made in 1973 (released in 1974) by director Tobe Hooper. It was the most successful in the series.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is considered the first of the 1970s slasher movies descending from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). The movie originated a great many of the clichés seen in countless low-budget slashers of the 1970s 1980s and 1990s. The most successful film to originate after Chain Saw's success is John Carpenter's 1978 classic, Halloween.
Its plot concerns a family of cannibals in rural Texas, who abduct customers from their gas station. One of the main characters — Leatherface — is one of the most well known villains in horror cinema, notable for his mask of human skin, his blood-soaked butcher's apron and the chainsaw he wields.
Contrary to popular belief, the film does not depict factual events, but instead was (like the films Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs) loosely inspired by Ed Gein, who, while he did wear human skin, acted alone and did not use a chainsaw.
[edit] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was released in 1986, due to the original film's success. Although it managed to recoup its meager costs, the film was considered a commercial flop. Since its initial release, however, it has developed a rather sizable cult following of its own. Unlike its predecessor (which had minimal gore and a documentary-style feel), this film sports a wildly over-the-top, almost operatic sense of campy black humor, as well as an array of gore effects by makeup maestro Tom Savini.
The film features an appearance by novelist and raconteur Kinky Friedman as well as Joe Bob Briggs. Briggs' cameo appearance was originally cut in editing but was restored for the director's cut DVD release of the film.
[edit] Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a 1990 follow up to the previous two films. It stars Kate Hodge, Ken Foree, and Viggo Mortensen and was directed by Jeff Burr. At the time, this was considered to be the first of several sequels in the series to be produced by New Line. However, it was not a success and the franchise was scrapped (although an additional sequel appeared later it was not made or distributed by New Line). Many horror buffs consider Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III to be the finest sequel in the series, but only in its uncut version which was finally released on DVD format in 2003.
[edit] Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (also known as Return of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is a 1995 sequel to the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). It largely ignores the events of the previous sequels, as though it picks up some 20 years after the original. It is sometimes considered by some to be a remake, as the sequence and plots are sometimes scene-for-scene similair to shots in the original. Due to this, and other factors, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation has a poor reputation amongst some horror film buffs and critics; but also has a core group of fans who hail it as the best of the series since the 1974 original. It stars Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, before either of them became stars.
[edit] Characters
[edit] The Sawyer family
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- Leatherface: The main villain of the film series, Leatherface has appeared in all the films to date; he wears a mask constructed out of the skin of his victims (hence his nickname) and most commonly wields a chainsaw as a weapon.
- Drayton "Cook" Sawyer: The eldest brother of Leatherface and his siblings, Drayton appears in the first two films and could be regarded as the most "sane" of the family; he appears highly bitter and disgruntled, Drayton is killed near the end of the second film, being caught in the explosion of his own hand grenade.
- The Hitchhiker: The highly psychotic older brother of Leatherface, the Hitchhiker appears in the first two films, though only as a corpse in the second, having been killed in the first after being run over by a truck. The Hitchhiker is highly sadistic and seems to take great pleasure out of mocking his brothers and victims alike.
- Grandpa: The patriarch of the family, Grandpa is innumerable years old and is largely decrepit, being virtually incapable of moving under his own power; Grandpa appears in the first three films, and dies in the third.
- Grandma: Grandpa's wife, she died an unspecified time before the first films events, although her corpse has been preserved by the family and was originally kept in the attic of the Sawyer ranch.
- Chop Top: The Hitchhiker's twin brother and Leatherface's older one, Chop Top appears just as insane as his twin and has a metal plate, which he enjoys picking at, installed in his head due to an injury sustained in the Vietnam War; Chop-Top appears in the second film and short film All American Massacre, which centers around him.
- Great Grandma: First mentioned by Drayton in the second film, who states "Oh Great Grandma in chainsaw heaven!"; her skeletal corpse is later seen in chainsaw heaven, which is actually a macabre shrine hidden in the amusement park what remains of the Sawyers live in in the second film.
[edit] Introduced in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
- Little Girl: Leatherface's unnamed daughter, apparently conceived from the rape of one of his victims; she carries around a dead child as a doll, which she refers to as "Sally" (a possible reference to Sally Hardesty). In the rated version, her fate is unrevealed. In the unrated version, she's seen at the end in the back of the Sheriff's car, probably arrested, however, her hands weren't cuffed. In the comics based on the film, no reference is made to Little Girl being Leatherface's child, with her appearing to be just another one of his relatives.
- Eddie "Tex" Sawyer: A cowboy and brother of Leatherface, Eddie completely despises his real name for unknown reasons and prefers to be called "Tex", and goes into a rage when referred to be his true name. In the rated version, Tex is killed when set ablaze by survivalist Benny. In the unrated version, Tex is set on fire, but survives, and then is killed when Michelle pushes him into a spike trap. Tex (never referred to as Eddie) is portrayed as one of the more sane members of the family in the Leatherface comics, actually showing some level of remorse for his actions. Tex is killed in the comics by Michelle, who beats and disembowels him with the very knife he was planning to butcher her with.
- Tech/Tinker Sawyer: Another brother of Leatherface, he has a hook in place of a right hand and an affinity for machines and technology. Tech is killed when Benny opens fire on the families' house with an automatic rifle, blasting two of Tech's fingers off, as well as an ear. In the Leatherface comics, Tech is depicted as a former hippy fixated with music and a "Chrome Machine God" he believes controls everything. Tech is fatally injured in the comic by being shot repeatedly by Benny, later dying in Leatherface's (who admired Tech, who was his favorite brother) arms.
- Mama Sawyer: Leatherface's mother, Mama is an aged, paraplegic bound to a wheelchair, she also has an electronic voice box. When Benny begins to blast the families' house with an automatic rifle, Mama dies after taking several shots to the chest as Tech watches on in horror. Mama's role is expanded upon in the Leatherface comics, which depict her as a stereotypical kindly old woman, capable of speaking under her own power. Mama meets her demise in the comics when her face is smashed in by Benny, who she was holding at gun point, using his automatic rifle.
- Alfredo Sawyer: Another brother of Leatherface, he appears to be highly demented and suffers from a speech impediment and heterochromia. In the rated version, Alfredo is killed when attacking Michelle with a sledgehammer in his pickup truck, she grabs his shotgun lying on the truck's floor and blasts him, his last words being "What are the chances a brainless bitch like you knows how to use that thing?" In the unrated version, he's hit in the head by Benny with the stock of the shotgun, and falls in a bog. In the Leatherface comics, Alfredo is drawn with an eye patch for unexplained reasons and is depicted as more insane then his film counterpart. Alfredo is killed in the comics' final issue, being forced underwater and drowned by Michelle.
[edit] Introduced in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
- Vilmer Sawyer: The proprieter of a tow truck service, Vilmer is Leatherface's brother and one of the more psychotic members of the family and an agent of the Illuminati. Vilmer meets his demise after being hit by a low-flying plane, his death apparently being arranged by his boss Agent Rothman, who believed Vilmer to be too unpredictable and a "silly boy". Vilmer possesses an alien-looking bionic leg.
- Darla Sawyer: Vilmer's apparent girlfriend or wife (who routinely suffers abuse at his hands) Darla is one of the more sane members of the family; she appears highly disgruntled under Rothman and Vilmer's control and is hinted at having once had a normal life, making references to another husband living elsewhere.
- W. E. Sawyer: Vilmer's sadistic and equally insane brother, like his family, the fairly cultured W. E. works for the Illuminati. His fate in the film is unrevealed, as his head is bashed by Vilmer with a hammer and he does not appear again.
- Grandfather: Shown only briefly in a scene in which Vilmer, W. E., Darla and Leatherface are eating with a captive, not much is revealed about his character, as soon after he appears, he quickly leaves the scene, not speaking any dialogue.
[edit] Other characters
- Sally Hardesty – Sally was the survivor of the original film, but she is believed to have died in a mental hospital after her ordeal. The character returned for a cameo in the fourth film, where she is seen alive, being wheeled through a hospital on a gurney. However, the credits listed her as "Anonymous". Sally, in the original script, was also pregnant at the time of the "ordeal," but this is never mentioned in the movies.
- Lefty Enright – male hero of the second film. He is the uncle of Sally and Franklin. He in a way was the one who was responsible for the death of Drayton. After he shoved a Chainsaw through Leatherface's abdomen, Leatherface accidentally hit Drayton who was holding a primed Grenade.
- Vanita "Stretch" Brock – The main character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. She escapes the Sawyer family in time for their hide out to explode (thanks to Drayton) which supposedly kills the family. Chop Top follows her and horribly attacks her wielding a straight razor until she grabs a chainsaw and attacks him with it, knocking him over an edge down into the abandoned theme park (where the family lived). In Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Vanita makes a cameo appearance as a news reporter, her identity being confirmed in DVD commentary.
- Michelle – The main female protagonist of Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Michelle, while en route to California with her companion Ryan to return a car to her father, encounters Leatherface and his deranged family. With help from Benny, Michelle escapes from the family's swamp home.
- Benny – An ex-Marine and survivalist, Benny appears Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III; after his car crashes into Michelle and Ryan's, who were fleeing from Leatherface's family, Benny aids the two in trying to escape, successfully killing several members of the family. In the rated edition of the film, Benny, along with Michelle, survives and escapes, though in the unrated edition and Leatherface comics, he is killed by Leatherface.
- Jenny – The main female protagonist of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Jenny, encounters Leatherface and his family after ending up in a car accident. Spending the bulk of the film trying to escape from the family, Jenny is eventually saved by the enigmatic Agent Rothman. The unrated edition DVD of the film reveals somewhat more on Jenny, showing that she is routinely abused by her stepfather.
- Rothman – A member (or possibly the leader) of a government organization or cult, Rothman appears in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation as the boss of the Sawyer family. After discovering that Leatherface and his family are "breaking the rules" he has set for them, Rothman decides to shut them down, ordering Vilmer to be assassinated and rescuing Jenny from him. In a brief scene of the film, Rothman is depicted as having intricate patterned carvings and large piercings on his body.
[edit] Remake series
[edit] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Directed by Marcus Nispel, produced by Michael Bay and distributed by New Line Cinema, this film was loosely based on the events of the first film, yet for the most part followed a different storyline. For example, instead of picking up Leatherface's psychotic brother, the doomed teenagers instead come upon a traumatized survivor who shoots herself in their van.
The film also gave a backstory to Leatherface's character, giving him a real name (Thomas Brown Hewitt) and a possible reason for wearing his skinmask, a skin disease that caused his nose to rot off.
The film had a mixed reaction from fans of the originals and critics, but it was financially successful enough to warrant a prequel.
[edit] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
A prequel to the remake was released in 2006, and explored the roots of Leatherface's family and delved into their past. Leatherface's first mask is featured, as well as his first chainsaw murder. A variation of the infamous dinner scene, omitted from the remake, was included here. This film, as of January 4, 2007 has made $49 million worldwide.[1]
A third film featuring the remake's continuity was rumored to have been planned, but producer Brad Fuller has recently said that they have absolutely no plans in the future to continue the franchise and for them it's finished.[2]
It's been reported in Fangoria, that Kim Henkel has a new Leatherface offering in the planning stages. He said that it moves the whole situation forward. It places everything in the present, and is very much a product of these times. It leaves behind the setting of ‘30 years ago. [3]
[edit] Characters
- Leatherface (Real name Thomas Brown Hewitt in the remake series) – The only character to appear in the original series as well as the remake series thus far. In the film he was nicknamed "Tommy".
- Sheriff Hoyt – Sheriff Hoyt was a character from the 2003 remake of the original and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. He is Leatherface's brother/surrogate uncle and Luda May's son. He has been referred to as "Junior". His real name is Charlie Hewitt, but he took on the identity of the town's local sheriff after murdering him. He is portrayed by R. Lee Ermey.
- Luda May – A character from the 2003 remake of the original and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. She is Leatherface's adoptive mother, discovering the baby abandoned in a dumpster after his real mother died giving birth. While she is not as psychotic as the rest of her family, she has a fierce love for her son and the cruelty that he faced as a child from his peers serves as her hatred of the teenagers.
- Old Monty – Old Monty was a character from the 2003 remake of the original and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. He is the uncle of Leatherface and Sheriff Hoyt. His exact role is unknown, with various people working on the film speculating that he is either Luda May's brother or husband. He is portrayed by Terrence Evans.
- Henrietta Hewitt – Henrietta is a character from the 2003 remake of the original and sister of Leatherface. She lives in a trailer not far from the Hewitt house and takes care of the babies taken from the slaughtered families. She was not present in the prequel.
- Jedidah Hewitt – Jedidah is a character from the 2003 remake of the original. He is a deformed child that, despite his rather abnormal appearance, does not share the sadistic tendencies of his family. He tried to help Erin and her friends escape Leatherface. Leatherface supposedly killed him after this, but the scene was deemed too intense and scrapped. Luda May is referred to as his grandmother, but the writers of the film hint on the DVD commentary that he is one of the children from the victims' families that was raised by the Hewitts. He was not present in the prequel, most likely because he wasn't born yet. In the novelization of the film, Jedidah is killed by Leatherface and it is referred to that he was the younger brother of the girl who committed suicide prior to being 'adopted' by the Hewitts.
- The Tea Lady – Her real name unknown, this morbidly obese woman doesn't live with the Hewitts but rather with Henrietta in a small trailer home outside the house. Its unclear if she has engaged in any acts of the Hewitts' sadism and cannibalism, although she and Henrietta have lovingly referred to Leatherface as a "poor, sweet boy". It is not known if she is related to the Hewitts.
- Erin Hardesty – Erin was the only survivor of the remake. She's responsible for chopping off Leatherface's arm with a meat cleaver and killing Sheriff Hoyt by running him over with his car. The novelization states that her last name is 'Hardesty', a reference to the heroine of the 1974 original.
- Chrissie – Chrissie is the main character of the prequel to the remake. She risks her life many times to save her friends but is eventually captured. She manages to escape from the Hewitts only to be murdered by Leatherface in the backseat of a car.
[edit] The Comics
There have been numerous comics adaptations and tie-ins to Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. Among them are an adaption for the third movie and a crossover with the Friday the 13th series, with Leatherface fighting Jason Voorhees.
Both Avatar comics and Wildstorm Comics have published comics based on the remake's continuity. Whereas Avatar featured comics that took place during some unidentifed time prior to the first film and added little to the film's mythos, the Wildstorm comics take place a year after the remake's end and has Leatherface and his family on the run from the police.
[edit] Spin-offs
[edit] All American Massacre
All American Massacre is a film by William Hooper, son of Tobe Hooper, the director of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film first made its public appearance online in 2000 (via its official website) while still in production. However the movie is still believed to be unfinished and is unlikely to ever receive a public screening.
Unlike the other films in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series, this movie circles around Chop Top who supposedly died in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 when Vanita "Stretch" Brock attacked him with a chainsaw. Since the second movie, Chop Top has been captured and committed to a psychiatric prison. From his cell, he recounts the story of his past with the family and what led to his capture after the events of TCM2.
In January 2006, a message was posted on the film's website:
"We are sorry, the All American Massacre Website has been closed. All American Massacre has been shelved, canceled, canned, etc... Too many reasons for a precise explanation. I wish all who were involved in the project good luck."
Reports from various fansites state that budget restrictions were the main reason. The site has since been resurrected with the teaser trailer back online however there is no reports on whether the project will ever be completed.
[edit] Video Games
In 1983 Wizard Video Games released The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a video game for the Atari 2600, although upon its release was very hard to get, as most shopkeepers and retailers refused to stock it. Those that did kept it hidden out of reach of children. The game was based on the ending, and the player acted as Leatherface, on a mission to hack down as many teens as possible before their chainsaw fuel ran out.
[edit] External links
Original series:
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre at the Internet Movie Database
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 at the Internet Movie Database
- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III at the Internet Movie Database
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation at the Internet Movie Database
Remake series:
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the Internet Movie Database
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning at the Internet Movie Database
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