Rating: 
Summary: Not So Good
Review: I don't know if it was the time that it was made thet made it scary, because I didn't think it was. First of all there was no creepy atmosphere[blood, rust, dirt, any kind of grunginess], it was just 6 kids[very stupid ones] getting killed one by one in a non-scary/non-gory way. I expected so many more scares from this movie because of how it is always being praised as "the best ensemble horror piece of all time". I got more laughs from this movie[Franklin gets mad and runs in to a door/Sally is running through the woods and hits a branch]. It was too goofy for me to appreciate it. I got one scare from this movie, and that was it!! In a world of "Godzilla" and "Creature from the Black Lagoon" this movie would be scary.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre reissue of a classic
Review: The movie itself belongs in every horror-movie fan's collection. However, I must add my voice to the chorus of fans here who are bemoaning the rather poor transfer. I have the old full-frame MPI laserdisc and wanted a new, letterboxed edition of this film. Unfortunately, after viewing this DVD I must say I prefer the laser: some scenes inside the house (including Leatherface's first appearance) are so dark that it's impossible to see the actor's faces. On the good side, there is interesting commentary from director Hooper, Leatherface actor Hansen and director-of-photography Pearl, but it's not enough to justify a disappointing DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch this movie to see what a horror movie is all about
Review: When I first watched this movie on vhs some 10+ years ago, I knew this was the measuring stick to which all horror movies must measure up to.
From the grim, dark disgusting scenes of corpses and human skeletal parts to the sheer horror of Leatherface's buzzing chainsaw, you'll know you're in for a shocking good time.
The DVD has a few special additions like some deleted scenes and alternate scenes, but unfortunately they're mostly silent. I didn't feel there was enough "special" features. I would have liked to have seen a 2 DVD set with the second DVD chock full of nothing but gory extras. With that said, it's still a good deal.
I guess it was too dificult to go through all the footage that's some 30 years old.The movie has been transferred from the original film with great care. There was no noticable grain, dust or anything else to distract from the movie itself.
If you want to be scared out of your pants, buy this DVD.
Don't watch it alone in the dark, unless you know what you're getting into.
TCM 1 was the best of the TCM movies to date (I haven't seen the 2003 remake yet though)
TCM 2 is a close secong place, with Dennis Hopper!!
TCM 3 Leatherface was ok, but not spectactular.
TCM 4 the next generation aka the return of TCM was again ok.
Rating:
Summary: Truly creepy
Review: It's hard to believe that there are reviewers here that actually think the remake of TCM is better than the original! This is obsurd. The original succeeds because of its originality, its atmospheric quality, and its subtley. The original is truly terrifying and it is truly a great film. The remake is hollywood trash trying to cash in on an original because there is not an original idea left in Hollywood.
Rating:
Summary: It could have been better...
Review: Ok, I rented this movie after I saw the re-make in theaters. I can only say that the 74 version did not live up to my expectations! From what I have heard, this was one of the scariest movies ever...then I see it and it does have scares...but too soon! 4 of the 5 people get killed in 10 minutes? Too fast? Extremely! They just drop one after the other like flies and it sucks! To make a good horror movie, you need to spread out the kills to add suspense! Hooper could have made a much better film if he had spaced the deaths out every 5-10 minutes! But I guess because of the 83 minute time span things must go quick! AND THEY DID! But then I went to watch it for a second and thrid time. It got better, but not by much! Why didn't Hooper go into details about the characters? We knew nothing about them, except for their names and even the 3rd time around I don't know half their names and I payed close attention! The re-make is definitaly better! I recommend that to this! But if you just have to shun any re-make, you can suffer with this trashy film.
Rating:
Summary: Scariest Movie of all Time
Review: One of the only movies I have seen where you can laugh and be scared out of your mind at the same time. Seeing those rooms full of bones containing furniture made of bones and such and then Leatherface lumbering out of the kitching grabbing a screaming girl, and then sticking her *on* a meathook (ow!) where she is stuck as she watches him as he chops a friend of hers up for bbq! Scary! But there's also a lot of dark comedy. Like when the family is all together with Sally. And they want "grandpa" who looks like hes a thousand years dead to kill her with a hammer. The hold her down and hand him the hammer but he keeps dropping it. And leatherface's gender problem is pretty funny to. Leatherface is all tough when he takes on teens but when he's with the family he's a scared confused little uhh guy. Plus that annoying wheelchair guy (think king james, sharkman) gets his *big time*. That made me happy!!! See this classic now!
Rating:
Summary: A Terrifyingly Effective Horror Movie
Review: From the opening shot to the last frame, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is sheer horror. I was disturbed, disgusted and so uneasy that I wanted to crawl out of my seat. It's incredibly effective, and incredibly terrifying. It's so expertly done that it's hard to believe that this is a first effort. A dreadfully eerie beginning precedes the violence. Several images in particular continue to haunt me. The cows at the abattoir, the nest of daddy longlegs in the abandoned house... Bestial sound effects and unconventional editing transform the benign into something creepy and foreboding. And that's just the start. Right away we meet the Hitchhiker: a vile, psychopathic character. He draws his own blood, then Franklin's, and then smears an enigmatic symbol on the side of the van. It's intensely disconcerting to see this psychopath's blood in later scenes, tagging the group. Of course, they eventually run into Leatherface and the "sawing" begins. The murders are truly shocking, but so are the moments that lead up to them, like when Pam stumbles into a living room of bone furniture and chicken feathers - one of the film's best scenes. (On a side note, Teri McMinn and Marilyn Burns, who play Pam and Sally, have two of the most gorgeous bodies that have ever been put to celluloid - a pair of heavenly diversions in an otherwise relentlessly dark film.) The acting was good, especially when one considers that this was the first film for almost everyone involved. The filmmakers put poor Marilyn Burns through so much gruel that it's a wonder she didn't walk off the set or lose her mind. In the commentary, Gunnar Hansen, who played Leatherface, admits to cutting her intentionally during a grueling, 27-hour shoot. No wonder she screamed incessantly through the last 1/2 hour of the movie! Edwin Neal, the Hitchhiker, and Jim Siedow, the Cook (or Old Man), are insanely fun to watch in a truly disturbing way. The pitch black humor of the film would've been lost without these two. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" deserves its legendary status as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It's a completely original and utterly daring film, one that's been widely mimicked but never surpassed. It's quite possibly the most terrifyingly effective horror movie I've ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: My GOD
Review: Literally the worst picture quality i have ever seen on a DVD. Not only did it detract from the movie experience, I was not scared in the least because i was too angry at the horrible picture. Don't get me wrong, it is one of my favorite movies of all time, but this DVD is absolutely and utterly a waste of money. Wait for the real special edition that I hope is coming. I cant believe those first two reviews. Obviously product placement by the publishing company. DONT BUY THIS!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: The version you want!....is in the UK
Review: (Instead of reviewing a film you probably already know, I focus on the DVD special features) Those extras: Commentary: Decent job from Hooper, DP Daniel Pearl and Gunnar "Leatherface" Hansen. They stray from the topic a little too much, and Hansen comes off as a guy who is still trying to milk his one moment in the spotlight. Documentary: Really nice job. A 72-minute slew of interviews with just about every name to participate in the entire series of films. Plus in depth updates as to where everyone is now. Fun stuff. Deleted Scenes: A somewhat interesting bunch of scenes, but because of the dating they look awful, and some don't have sound. Outtakes: About five are included, but only about one of them will make you laugh. Overall: Crazy, that the country that banned the film for over 20 years---Great Britian---would put out a better DVD than the US. But this UK version includes the hour and ten minute doc, so fire up those region free players and pay a little extra for postage for a thorough offering from Universal(!).
Rating:
Summary: The Rating Is NOT For The Movie - Only The Packaging!!!
Review: WARNING - To all potential buyers that have already have the 1998 Pioneer DVD of TCM and are hoping for an upgraded version; don't bother. As other aware reviews state, this is a direct albeit less costly reissue of the older Pioneer DVD, I'm assuming, to cash in on the new TCM. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, I guess.
But what irks me is the packaging. If you look inside the flap of the cover you'll see under the special features "a new widescreen Digital Superscan transfer supervised by Tobe Hooper" which I took to mean a new 2003 transfer. Or, if it wasn't, at least it would be the "restored laser disc" version with the 200 splices removed. Then comes the inevitable dissapointment after viewing it. I wonder how many other people were suckered into buying it thinking likewise?
If you're a newbie to TCM or if you've seen the remake and want to have the (superior) original then pick it up. It still has all the cool special features that are worth having. For disgruntled buyers like myself, I suggest writing to Pioneer and let them know how you feel!!! Keep the peace!
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