X
- 1974
- R
- Bryanston Distributing
- 1 h 23 m
- 1974
- R
- Bryanston Distributing
- 1 h 23 m
Summary The story begins with five innocent kids on their way to checkout reports of grave robbing. As Sally, (Marilyn Burns) her invalid brother Franklin, and three friends head out to inspect the gravesite of her family, they are soon side tracked on the ultimate journey of terror. One by one, they wander into the murderous clutches of Leather...
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
- 1974
- R
- Bryanston Distributing
- 1 h 23 m
- 1974
- R
- Bryanston Distributing
- 1 h 23 m
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
7.7
Where to Watch
Summary The story begins with five innocent kids on their way to checkout reports of grave robbing. As Sally, (Marilyn Burns) her invalid brother Franklin, and three friends head out to inspect the gravesite of her family, they are soon side tracked on the ultimate journey of terror. One by one, they wander into the murderous clutches of Leather...
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
90
94% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
90
94% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre chopped up our expectations more than 30 years ago, and for that we will always remember - and be thankful that some experiences do stay up on the screen.
Director Tobe Hooper trapped a suffocating depravity in TCSM that film-makers have struggled to copy ever since.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 202 User Ratings
7.7
79% Positive
160 Ratings
160 Ratings
17% Mixed
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
3% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 202 User Ratings
7.7
79% Positive
160 Ratings
160 Ratings
17% Mixed
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
3% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
best gamess !!! **** DBD
Report
Tobe Hooper's 1974 masterpiece took the slasher flick to a freakier, nastier place and even today has the ability to mess with one's mind. Artfully documentarylike and shot under conditions that produced genuinely traumatized performances, the original "Massacre" eschews cheap thrills and attacks the psyche.
The film never loses its intensity from the first moment Leatherface's sledgehammer drops. It's horror without a safety net: Survival isn't guaranteed for anyone, heroism and struggle are often futile, and as the old adage says, you can never come home again.
The film has outstanding sound effects, art direction and editing, and a clutch of effective, if necessarily, one-note performances.
But it’s also edited so crisply, and shot with such an overpowering sense of decay, that it’s hard not to look on all the dismemberment and despair and think, “Man, that’s pretty.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is as violent and gruesome and blood-soaked as the title promises -- a real Grand Guignol of a movie. It’s also without any apparent purpose, unless the creation of disgust and fright is a purpose. And yet in its own way, the movie is some kind of weird, off-the-wall achievement. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to make a movie like this, and yet it’s well-made, well-acted, and all too effective.
There has been a time that I wasn't really that fond of horror films, finding some had cheap excessive gore, bad acting and scripting and a lack of genuine thrills and suspense. I couldn't have been more wrong, some of the best of the genres are anything but these. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best, it screams horror classic from the character Leatherface to the many times it's been imitated/parodied but never equalled. I think the use of the documentary-style realism is masterful, and the fact it is low-budget makes no difference to me, in fact to me this adds to the gritty, harsh and creepy tone this film conveys. The gore is not at all excessive, in fact its count is quite low, and when it is used, it never feels cheap or gimmicky. The script is razor sharp, the story is compelling and Tobe Hooper's direction is probably Texas Chainsaw Massacre's strongest asset. I was fine with the acting as well, Leatherface is genuinely unnerving. In conclusion, a classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Report
On the face of it, it looks pretty amateurish but looking deeper the extensive dolly shots, moody imposing angles and intense zooms make for very original cinematography. It is so gritty and so ugly but it fits the content perfectly. It sounds messy and the music is ill timed at places but this adds to the believability and intense realism. Compared to the relatively soulless remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) which utilises much higher production-values I think that the sound and vision really complement the content. This is really scary and so intense considering the age of the film. It contains many memorable moments and you can understand why it spawned so many sequels which took the characters and turned them into eighties franchise clichés. This first film was totally original and brutally fascinating to watch. It is unrelenting. I forgot how amazing this horror really is. Although technically not perfect this is the perfectly constructed horror.
Report
It kind of pains me to have to criticize this movie for not aging well. I mean it was made it 1974 for crying out loud and it's not hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been to people back then. Today however it's not scary in the least and can be rather boring. Sometimes it's even annoying.
The excellent portrayal of the crazy, backwoods family is still kind of creepy and absurd in a black-humor sort of way. However outside of that and the influence it had on the genre there's nothing else that stands out about it. At least not in a good way.
The pacing has aged mostly well, but some scenes just drag on for too long. Was it really necessary to have a prolonged section where Marilyn Burns is just screaming non-stop for several minutes? It's old-school filmmaking decisions like that which make the film kind of hard to watch today.
It's definitely a classic of the horror genre. However it's just not one that's aged well at all. Due to it's legacy it's one I can say I'm glad I watched. I just can't say that I enjoyed it. It's a piece of horror history that any hardcore genre aficionado should check out. However doing so means putting up with a lot of issues brought on by age. Because of that it really is only for the most hardcore of horror fans.
Report
I quite enjoyed the 2003 remake and the two prequels that followed afterwards so I kind of wanted to go back to where it all began and see what the original was like. Considering it's mid 70's I still managed to enjoy it and can see how effective this would have been back then, perhaps not so much now but still its a very well done Horror film, and was probably the first of its kind back then. All things considered its not a great film, but I'll give it props for still making me jump!
Report
Production Company
Vortex
Release Date Oct 1, 1974
Duration 1 h 23 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline The idyllic summer's day that became a nightmare of fear and blood... [UK Video]
Awards
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
The Guardian's Best Films
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
