Texas Chainsaw Massacre - One of the scariest movies ever made
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is considered to be the prototype for horror and slasher films that came about in the eighties and beyond. Despite the grotesque subject matter the film doesn’t rely on explicit blood and gore to generate fear and terror. Much like the movie Halloween, the film builds on suspense and dramatic tension. The subsequent sequels are bloodier and more graphic.
The plot of Texas Chainsaw Massacre centers around a group of twenty-something college students. It is 1974 and the college students are heading through back roads on their way to their grandfather’s grave. Among them are Sally Hardesty and her brother Franklin. They encounter an unpleasant hitchhiker who slashes both himself and Franklin with a wicked-looking knife. The others manage to eject the hitchhiker from the vehicle, but shortly afterwards, they are forced to stop and wander over to a small, sinister house nearby. What none of them realize is that this house is the home of the ghoulish Leatherface and his evil, demented family of cannibalistic psychopaths. One at a time, the students are murdered for food by the evil Leatherface in horrifying ways. Sally soon finds herself an involuntary guest at Leatherface’s home, and flees into the night to escape the demented cannibal and his chain saw.
It has been widely speculated that Texas Chainsaw Massacre was based on actual events. This theory came about because several Texans have referred to similar events and related them to the movie, although none of these events had anything to do with the film. Although the opening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre would have you believe that the events are based on a real story, it is just a scare tactic to frighten the audience. You may recognize the voice doing the opening voice over—it is actor John Larroquette.
The actor who played Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre was Gunnar Hansen. Gunnar Hansen was allowed do develop the character of Leatherface as he thought it should be under the supervision of the director. Hansen decided that Leatherface was mentally retarded and never learned to talk properly. To prepare for the role, he went to a school for the mentally challenged and watched how they moved and listened to them talk to get a feel for the character. Hansen also did research at a mental institution. Originally the creators wanted Leatherface to talk; however, Hansen felt that he would seem too human that way and opted for speaking only in gibberish. When Leatherface had “lines” to say there were side notes in the script indicating what he is trying to say. There were other aspects to the character that required Hansen to “go the extra mile” for this portrayal. He had to wear a mask, fake teeth, and three-inch heels for the character.
Sequels to the movie were The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), and due to be released in the fall of this year, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.