The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | |
---|---|
Original theatrical poster |
|
Directed by | Tobe Hooper |
Produced by | Tobe Hooper Lou Peraino |
Written by | Kim Henkel Tobe Hooper |
Starring | Marilyn Burns Gunnar Hansen Edwin Neal Allen Danziger Paul A. Partain Jim Siedow Teri McMinn William Vail John Dugan |
Music by | Wayne Bell Tobe Hooper |
Distributed by | United States: Bryanston Distributing Company New Line Cinema (re-release) United Kingdom: Blue Dolphin |
Release date(s) | October 1, 1974 |
Running time | 84 mins. |
Country | United States |
Budget | $140,000[1] |
Gross revenue | $30,859,000[2] |
Followed by | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 |
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film written, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. The film is the first in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, featuring Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Teri McMinn, William Vail, Edwin Neal and Paul A. Partain. The plot involves a group of friends who embark on a road trip to rural Texas to visit the Hardesty family grave site, which, according to radio reports, had been gruesomely vandalized. On a detour to visit the Hardesty mansion, the friends fall victim to a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.
Filming took place in Austin, Round Rock and Bastrop, Texas from July 15, 1973 through August 14, 1973. Produced on a budget of US$140,000, the film opened on October 1, 1974 and grossed $30.8 million in the United States. Reception to the film was initially mixed; reviewers alternatively praised or complained about the atmosphere, story and characters, and the minimal amount of gore in the film.[3] At the time of its release, the film was so strongly criticized for its content that it was eventually banned in various countries around the world, including Australia and the United Kingdom; however, the film has also been considered a classic among critics and topped a Total Film poll as the greatest horror film of all time. The film spawned three sequels, as well as a 2003 remake and a prequel to the remake.
Contents |
The film begins with a group of five friends traveling the back roads of Texas en route to the grave of Sally (Marilyn Burns) and Franklin Hardesty's (Paul A. Partain) grandfather, and then on to visit an old family homestead. Accompanying Sally and her wheelchair-bound brother Franklin, are Sally's boyfriend Jerry (Allen Danziger), his best friend Kirk (William Vail), and Kirk's girlfriend Pam (Teri McMinn). After visiting the cemetery, they stop at a gas station, but upon learning that the pumps are empty they continue on the abandoned Hardesty home. On the way, they encounter a hitchhiker (Edwin Neal), who slashes both himself and Franklin with a straight razor before being kicked out of the group's vehicle.
Arriving at the Hardesty house, the group separates and begins exploring. Kirk and Pam, in search of a place to swim, stumble upon a nearby house with an operating generator. Hoping that the residents have gasoline the group can buy for the van, Kirk enters the house. Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) appears from behind a door and kills Kirk with a sledgehammer. Pam, looking for Kirk, wanders into the house, and she too is grabbed by Leatherface, who hangs her on a meat hook. Back at the vehicle, Sally, Franklin and Jerry begin to worry about Kirk and Pam; Jerry sets off to search for them. Jerry discovers the nearby house and walks in to look for Kirk and Pam. He opens the freezer and finds Pam's body, which suddenly springs to life. Leatherface enters the room and kills Jerry with the sledgehammer, then pushes Pam's body back into the freezer.
As night falls, Sally and Franklin set off to find the others. Sally pushes Franklin through the woods as they call out for their friends. Leatherface appears out of the darkness and cuts into Franklin's abdomen with a chainsaw. Sally runs away screaming with Leatherface chasing after her. Sally eventually finds her way back to the gas station the group had passed earlier. The owner of the station, credited as "Cook" (Jim Siedow), tries to calm Sally, who is ranting about being chased by a man with a chainsaw. The owner leaves to get his truck and returns with a bag and some rope. Sally realizes that the owner is involved with Leatherface, and she attempts to fight back. The man subdues her, puts her into his truck, and heads back to the house. As the man picks up the previously mentioned hitchhiker along the way, it is revealed that all are part of the same cannibilistic family. Sally wakes to find herself tied to a chair at a dining table, where Leatherface and the hitchhiker bring Grandpa (John Dugan) to take part in killing and eating Sally.
Sally frees herself from her restraints and flees the house. The hitchhiker and Leatherface chase after her, with the hitchhiker slashing her back with his straight razor as they run. As the group reaches the road, a passing semi-trailer truck runs down the hitchhiker. When the driver stops, Sally pleads with him for both of them to get in the truck and leave. Leatherface chases the truck driver and Sally around the truck. The truck driver throws a wrench at Leatherface causing him to fall; Leatherface's leg is cut as the chainsaw falls onto it. A pickup truck approaches, and Sally manages to get into the truck bed. Sally laughs hysterically as she escapes, and Leatherface twirls and swings his chainsaw in frustration.
According to Tobe Hooper, the idea for featuring a chainsaw in a horror film came to him while in the hardware section of a crowded store, as he imagined a way to get out quickly through the crowd.[4] The film concept arose in the early 1970s while he was a college professor and documentary cameraman in his native Austin, Texas.[5][6]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was based loosely on the murders committed by 1950s serial killer Ed Gein, who served as the inspiration for a number of other horror films, including Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), Jonathan Demme's Hannibal Lector from The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and William Girdler's Three on a Meathook (1972).[4][7][8]
The film's special effects were simple and limited by the budget of US$140,000. The blood depicted was often real, as the cast members were injured accidentally during filming.[9] During the filming of the scene in which Leatherface is feeding Grandpa, the crew had difficulties in getting the stage blood to come out of the tube, so Burns' index finger was cut with a razor.[10] Burns' costume was so drenched in stage blood that it was virtually solid on the last day of shooting.[11]
The scene after Pam is hung on the meathook, when Leatherface first uses his chainsaw, caused some worry to actor Vail (Kirk). Kirk was about to have his head cut off, and actor Hansen (Leatherface) told Vail not to move or he would literally be killed. Hansen then brought down the running chainsaw within three inches of Vail's face.[12]
The film was shot mainly using an Eclair NPR 16 mm camera, and distributed through the Bryanston Distributing Company.[12]
Hooper and Kim Henkel—the original screenplay writers—formed a corporation named Vortex, Inc., with Henkel as president and Hooper as vice president.[13] They asked Bill Parsley, a friend of Hooper's, to provide funding for the film. Parsley then formed a company named MAB, Inc. and invested US$60,000 toward the film. In return, MAB owned fifty percent of the film and its profits. Production manager Ron Bozman told most of the cast and crew to defer parts of their salaries until after the movie was sold. Vortex made the idea more attractive by awarding nearly everyone with a share of Vortex's potential profits, ranging from .25 to six percent (similar to mortgage points). Due to a miscommunication among Vortex and the others, the cast and crew were not informed that Vortex owned only fifty percent of the film, thereby making their points worth half of the assumed value.[13]
Midway through the editing process, Henkel and Hooper exceeded the budget for the film. P.I.T.S. donated $23,532 in exchange for 19 percent of Vortex's 50 percent share of the profits. That left Henkel and Hooper with 45 percent of Vortex between them, and the remaining 36 percent divided among 20 cast and crew members.[13] Warren Skaaren made a deal as an equal partner with Hooper and Henkel, along with a 15 percent share of Vortex. Skaaren was paid a deferred salary of $5,000 and three percent of the gross profits (MAB and Vortex combined). David Foster, producer of the 1982 horror film The Thing had arranged for a private screening for some of Bryanston Distributing Company's West Coast executives, and received 1.5 percent of Vortex's profits and a deferred fee of $500.[13]
On August 28, 1974, Bozman and Skaaren were offered a contract of $225,000 and 35 percent of the profits from the worldwide distribution of the film by Louis (Butchi) Periano of Bryanston Distribution Company. Years later, Bozman was quoted saying, "We made a deal with the devil, [sigh], and I guess that, in a way, we got what we deserved."[13] The contract with Bryanston was signed. After the investors recouped their money (including interest), Skaaren's salary and monitoring fee were paid, and the lawyers and accountants were paid, leaving only $8,100 to be divided among the 20 members of the cast and crew.[13]
Many of the cast members had little or no acting credits prior to being cast. [14] The cast consisted of actors around Texas who had previous roles in commercials or television and stage shows, as well as actors who were acquaintances of Hooper. [11] Involvement in the film propelled many cast members into the motion picture industry. The lead role of Sally went to the then-unknown Burns.[15] Burns had appeared previously on stage, and while attending the University of Texas at Austin, she joined its film commission board. [11]
McMinn was a student and worked with various local theater companies, including the Dallas Theater Center. [11] Her picture was spotted by Henkel in the Austin American-Statesman, who called McMinn to come in for a reading. On her last call-back, he requested that she wear short shorts. [11] Her costume proved to be the most comfortable of all the cast members' costumes, taking into consideration the Texas heat that was to last through out the entire shoot. [11]
For the role of Leatherface, Icelandic-American actor Hansen was cast.[16] In preparation for his role, Hansen decided that Leatherface was mentally retarded and never learned to speak properly. Hansen visited a school for the mentally challenged and watched how the students moved and spoke to get a feel for his character.[4] Hansen recalled, "It was 95, 100 degrees every day during filming. They wouldn't wash my costume because they were worried that the laundry might lose it, or that it would change color. They didn't have enough money for a second costume. So I wore that [mask] 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for a month."[16]
Filming took place in Austin, Round Rock and Bastrop, Texas from July 15, 1973 through August 14, 1973, lasting more than four weeks. The temperature during filming was high, and the record high was on July 26 at 97°F (36°C). The record low during the shoot was on July 31 at 83°F (28.3°C) . The house was not cooled whatsoever, and all ventilation was closed due to the scene being set for night time. The low-speed 16 mm film required four times more light than modern cameras.[17] Because of the small budget, the crew filmed seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day, while having to deal with high humidity.[10] Most of the filming was done in and around a remote farmhouse that was filled with lamps, chairs, couches, and tables constructed of real animal bones and upholstered with a latex material designed to look like human skin.[18] To complete the image, art director Robert A. Burns drove around the countryside, collecting the bones of cattle and other animals in various stages of decomposition, which he used to litter the floors of the house.[18]
Upon the completion of post-production, filmmakers found it difficult to secure a distributor willing to market the film, due to the graphic content; however, on August 28, 1974, the Bryanston Distributing Company agreed to distribute the film.[13] The Texas Chain Saw Massacre premiered on October 1, 1974 in Austin, Texas, almost a year after filming was complete. The film was shown nationally as a Saturday afternoon matinée, attracting an audience consisting of pre-teens and adolescents. The film found success with a broader audience after it was falsely marketed as being a "true story".[19]
Hooper reportedly hoped the complete, uncut release print would be given a PG rating by the MPAA; however, the film was released uncensored by the MPAA film rating system with an R rating.[20] The film was banned or delayed in many countries, and where it was released, it was frequently re-edited. The film was banned in the United Kingdom largely on the authority of British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) Secretary James Ferman,[21] but saw a limited cinema release because of various city councils, including Camden Council, who granted a license to The Texas Chain Saw Massacere, which was later classified 18 by the BBFC.[22] Censors attempted to edit the film for the purposes of a wider release in 1977 but were unsuccessful.[23]
Australia's Censorship Board first viewed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in June 1975. The 83-minute print was swiftly refused registration.[24] The distributor appealed to the Review Board, which upheld the decision in August 1975. The distributor prepared a reconstructed 77-minute version, only to see it banned again in December 1975. In 1976, the film was banned again.[24] It would take five years for the film to be re-presented to the censors; however, the result was much the same. Greater Union Organisation (GUO) Film Distributors were refused registration for a 2283.4 (83m 27s) print in July 1981.[24] The reason given for the ban was frequent and gratuitous violence of high intensity. An 83-minute print submitted by Filmways Australia was approved for an R rating in January 1984.[24]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre grossed more than $30 million in the United States,[2] making it one of the most successful independent films until it was overtaken by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978).[25] The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been translated into more than 25 languages and released across Europe and Canada.[24]
The film was generally well-received by most critics and won the Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Film Festival in 1976.[1] TV Guide called it "an intelligent, absorbing, and deeply disturbing horror film that is nearly bloodless in its depiction of violence",[26] and Empire called it "the most purely horrifying horror movie ever made".[27] Chicago Reader said, "The picture gets to you more through its intensity than its craft, but Hooper does have a talent."[27] Christopher Null of Filmcritic.com said, "In our collective consciousness, Leatherface and his chainsaw have become as iconic as Freddy and his razors or Jason and his hockey mask."[28]
Some reviewers disliked the film's violence and gory special effects. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is as violent and gruesome and blood-soaked as the title promises ... without any apparent purpose, unless the creation of disgust and fright is a purpose ... and yet it's well-made, well-acted, and all too effective."[3] Steve Crum of Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers criticized the film, describing it as "cultish trash that set new low standards for brutality".[29] In his 1976 article "Fashions in Pornography" for Harper's Magazine, writer Stephen Koch described The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as "unrelenting sadistic violence as extreme and hideous as a complete lack of imagination can possibly make it".[30] Robin Wood stated, "Watching it recently with a large, half-stoned youth audience who cheered and applauded every one of Leatherface's outrages against their representatives on screen was a terrifying experience".[31]
More recently, however, critics have called The Texas Chain Saw Massacre one of the scariest movies ever made.[32] Mike Emery of the Austin Chronicle said that the film was "horrifying, yet engrossing ... But the worst part about this vision is that despite its sensational aspects, it never seems too far from what could be the truth."[27] Noted reviewer Rex Reed called it "The most terrifying motion picture I have ever seen." Horror novelist Stephen King considers it "cataclysmic terror", and stated, "I would happily testify to its redeeming social merit in any court in the country."[33] Variety stated, "Despite the heavy doses of gore in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Tobe Hooper's pic is well-made for an exploiter of its type."[34] The film has also been declared one of the few horror movies to invoke "the authentic quality of nightmare".[35]
In a 2005 poll conducted by Total Film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre topped the list as the greatest horror film of all time, beating John Carpenter's Halloween.[36][37] Movie review website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an 89% "fresh" rating.[38]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released on videotape and CED format in the 1980s by Wizard Video and Vestron Video. The film was again banned in the United Kingdom in 1984, during the moral panic surrounding video nasties. After the retirement of its secretary, Ferman, in 1999, the BBFC passed the film uncut on cinema and video, with the 18 certificate, almost 25 years after the original release.[39]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was originally released on DVD format in October 1998 for the United States,[27] and, because of the controversy, in May 2000 for the United Kingdom.[40] The Australian DVD release date was in early 2002. A region 1 two-disc edition was released, entitled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Ultimate Edition. The release included several interviews, improved audio and picture quality, and other features such as deleted scenes.[41] Reviews for the release were extremely positive, with critics praising the sound and picture quality of the restoration.[42][43] Dark Sky Films released a Blu-ray Disc version of the film on September 30, 2008.[44] A region 2 three-disc edition, entitled The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Seriously Ultimate Edition, was released in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2008.[45]
The film was first succeeded by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in 1986, once again directed by Hooper. The sequel was much more graphic and violent than the original, and was consequently banned in Australia for 20 years, but finally released on DVD in a revised edition during 2006.[46] The sequel also had a larger budget than the original, and more special effects were used. The sequel was less well-received by the critics, as they felt it had moved away from the terror of the original for the sake of dark humor.[47] Hansen was asked to reprise his role in the second film, but ultimately declined.[48]
The film spawned two more sequels; Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) was the next, with a budget of $2 million. Hooper did not return for the film; it was directed by Jeff Burr. In the movie, R. A. Mihailoff starred as Leatherface. Chris Parcellin of Film Threat said, "It's really just another generic slasher flick with nothing beyond the Leatherface connection to recommend it to discerning fans."[49] The third sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation was released in 1995, starring Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey. The film was a semi-remake of the original, although it was originally intended to be a complete remake of the first film. Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide's Movie Guide said that the movie was "tired and dated."[50]
A remake entitled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in 2003. The film starred Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Andrew Bryniarski as Leatherface, and R. Lee Ermey as Sheriff Hoyt. The film received more positive critic reviews than the other sequels, though it only managed to achieve a 35% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 52 out of 150 reviews being positive.[51] Notable critic Roger Ebert called it "a contemptible film: Vile, ugly and brutal."[52] A prequel to the remake, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning was released in 2006. The film was directed by Jonathan Liebesman, and produced by Michael Bay and Mike Fleiss. It had a starring cast of Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, with R. Lee Ermey and Andrew Bryniarski reprising their roles as Sheriff Hoyt and Leatherface respectively. The film was panned by most critics, with a 14% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[53] Mark Palermo said, "The focus in (The) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning isn't on the confrontation of demons, moral reckoning, or terror. It's an unimaginative exercise in suffering".[54]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been considered one of the greatest horror films of all time,[36] having had a significant impact on the horror genre. Ridley Scott credited the film as an inspiration for the 1979 smash hit Alien.[55] Channel 4 called it "a triumph of style and atmosphere", and said The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is without doubt one of the most influential horror films of all time.[56] John Carpenter's Halloween incorporated the film's use of minimal blood and gore, and focused instead on the suspense. Debra Hill commented on the film saying, "We didn't want it to be gory. We wanted it to be like a jack-in-the box."[57] The film was among TIME Magazine's Top 25 Horror films of all time.[58] In 1990, the film was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame, with Tobe Hooper accepting the award.[59] New York City's Museum of Modern Art added the film to its permanent collection, validating its claim as legitimate, unconventional art.[60] Comedian Patton Oswalt refers to the title as "The Greatest Movie Title Ever", because it perfectly describes the movie. In the realm of music, the punk rock band The Ramones mention the movie in their song "Chainsaw", on their 1976 LP The Ramones. Horror filmmaker and heavy metal singer Rob Zombie claims the film to be a major influence, most notably in his film House of 1000 Corpses.[61] Isabel Cristina Pinedo stated that "the horror genre must keep terror and comedy in tension if it is to successfully tread the thin line that separates it from terrorism and parody... this delicate balance is struck in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in which the decaying corpse of Grandpa not only incorporates horrific and humorous effects, but actually uses one to exacerbate the other." [62] Scott Von Doviak of Hick Flicks called it "one of the rare horror movies to make effective use of daylight, right from the gruesome opening shot of a decaying corpse splayed across a cemetery tombstone." [63] The book, Contemporary North American Film Directors called the film "a disquieting inspection of rural insanity, more intricate and less bloodthirsty than the title might connote." [64] In the book Horror Films, one critic's opinion of the film was that is was "the most affecting gore thriller of all and, in a broader view, among the most effective horror films ever made...", and that "the driving force of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is something far more horrible than aberrant sexuality: total insanity." [65]
The film is a low-budget triumph, still powerful in its impact today, and never outdone by any of the successors to the sub-genre ('slash and dash') which it spawned. 'The Texas Chasinsaw Massacre' is cutting-edge horror, and while it may not be to everyone's tastes, it should find its way at some time onto every cinephile's plate.
—Anton Bitel, Daily Info
Working with a budget of less than $160,000, Hooper cast a batch of unknowns, and shot the film on 16 mm. The cult classic went on to earn more than $30 million, and paved the way for such future shock-franchises as the Halloweens and Evil Deads, and even The Blair Witch Project. According to Patrick Lussier, the director of the upcoming Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000, Massacre is particularly noteworthy for its willingness to forgo redemption. In the end, he says, good doesn't conquer evil -- good is vanquished by evil, standing in the middle of the road, swinging its chain saw.
—Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, Entertainment Weekly
Shortly after The Texas Chain Saw Massacre established itself as a success on home video in 1982, a mass-market video game adaptation was released for the Atari 2600 by Wizard Video.[66] In the game, the player assumes the role of the movie's chainsaw-wielding villain, Leatherface, and attempts to murder trespassers while avoiding obstacles such as fences and cow skulls.[67] As one of the first horror-themed video games, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre caused controversy when it was released due to the violent nature of the video game and sold poorly because many game stores refused to carry it.[66] [68] Wizard Video's other commercial release, Halloween, had a slightly better reception;[69] however, the limited number of copies sold has made both games highly valued items among Atari collectors.[70]
Several comic books based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise were made in 1991 by Northstar Comics entitled Leatherface.[71] They were licenced The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise to Avatar Press for use in new comic book stories, the first of which was published in 2005.[72] In 2006, Avatar Press lost the license to DC Comics imprint, Wildstorm, who have published new stories based on the franchise. However, in June 2007 Wildstorm changed a number of horror comics, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, from monthly issues to specials and miniseries.[73] The series of comics featured none of the main characters seen in the original film (Topps Comics Jason vs. Leatherface series is exempt) with the exception of Leatherface, however the 1991 "Leatherface" miniseries was loosely based on the third Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. Writer Mort Castle stated: "The series was very loosely based on Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. I worked from the original script by David Schow and the heavily edited theatrical release of director Jeff Burr, but had more or less free rein to write the story the way it should have been told. The first issue sold 30,000 copies."[74] Kirk Jarvinen drew the first issue,[75] and Guy Burwell finished the rest of the series. The comics, not having the same restrictions from the MPAA, had much more gore than the finished film. The ending, as well as the fates of several characters, was also altered. An adaptation of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was planned by Northstar Comics, but never pulled through.[76]
|
|
|