Rating: Summary: Brutally brilliant!! Review: Toibe Hooper's cult classic is a brutal, hellish and terrifying film. It will leave you drained and exhausted. Fans of the current spate of "horror lite" are advised to stay as far away from this film as possible. Everyone else will find much to excite, disgust and shock you. Hooper's portrait of hideous evil intruding on the everyday lives of normal people WILL disturb you. The story seems to be ripped from the headlines, making it all the more frightening. There actually are psychotic degenerates such as Leatherface and his family out there. Tobe Hooper has rarely approached the brilliance of this initial outing. With its brutal violence(more implied than shown), oppressive atmosphere of sickness and evil, and its shreiking score, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE still stands as a milestone achievement in the horror film genre.
Rating: Summary: Tobe Hooper's only good film Review: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is the type of low-budget gem that succeeds not because of fine acting, a tight script, and professional filmmaking, but because of atmosphere and raw, unrefined tension. The simple story has been the template for countless rip-offs: teens driving through Texas get stuck out in the country, and are picked off one-by-one by Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), a savage butcher who treats his victims like cattle. The grainy film stock and occasionally unsteady camera movements heighten the terror beautifully, giving the film a convincing--almost documentary--feel (it makes the mostly pedestrian acting justified). Through all this, Tobe Hooper seemed to set himself up as a valuable low-budget director; it's unfortunate he never found another project worthy of his talents (or perhaps the inflated price tags of films dulled his skills permanently).Along with the directoral debuts of Wes Craven (1972's "Last House on the Left") and David Cronenberg (1975's "Shivers"), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is proof that the 1970s were a defining period for cinematic horror, a time when films were made out of conviction--not for attention and $$$, like they are now ("Scream" & "I Know What You Did Last Summer," anyone?).
Rating: Summary: Genuine Horror. Review: Not for ages have I had to stop a movie in various parts just to catch my breath. This is one of the most disturbing films i have ever seen even the hitch-hiker part freaked me out. I guess im just not a horror movie kind of person. However if you are a big fan of horror then get yourself a copy.
Rating: Summary: A movie that is actually scary Review: I've seen Halloween. I've seen The Blair Witch Project. I've seen The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, all of the Friday the 13th movies, and countless other so-called 'scary' movies. NONE of them scared me. A few even made me laugh. But this movie is the only movie ever to send chills down my spine. Surprisingly, this movie isn't as violent as it's reputed to be, but it is still VERY scary. I think the reason why it's so scary is because it's so realistic. It's not like a movie at all... more like an experience. It's like you are actually there with these people while they are being killed off one by one. This movie is like the 'Blair Witch' of the '70's... it even has an introduction similar to that of the Blair Witch Project. This movie should not be viewed by small children, because, although it's not very violent, it's still very disturbing. I can honestly say that this is the scariest and freakiest movie I've ever seen. A great movie to watch alone in the dark... if you're brave enough to do it.
Rating: Summary: Greatest Horror/Slasher Flick of all time Review: Here is the movie that started an entire genre. If you are horror movie fan and can't get enough of the blood and guts, than this is an excellent choice. The special features could be better, but I would suggest buying it just for the movie itself. Skip over the less than adequate sequels and stick to the original. Its never looked better!
Rating: Summary: What Horror was meant to be. Review: This film has remained an enduring, groundbreaking, earth-shattering opus to Tobe Hooper and to the horror genre which it single-handedly reinvented. With the state of modern "horror" today (Scream, Urban Legends, Blair Witch) it is so refreshing to see the Massacre get a fantasic transferral to DVD. This is a true classic, based in part on the life of serial killer Ed Gein(SP?) who dismantled his victims and cannibalized most of them. Hooper's use of sound in this film is simply astonishing and adds so much to the madness that these teens walk into. Innovative camera work as well, because most of the blood and gore is left to your imagination. But just the sight of leatherface opening the slide door and the reaction on that girls face is truly chilling. The ending of this film is simply amazing and perfectly fits this masterpiece, who knows what happens to leatherface and his cadre of psycho's and who wants to know! The chainsaw dance remains one of the best moments ever captured on celluloid. If your idea of a good scary movie is the Blair Witch Project or Scream, then please rent this film for it will be the first time a film will actually scare you, as well as scar you.
Rating: Summary: Only for people with strong stomachs Review: After reports of grave robbing, Sally and her brother Franklin, along with three friends, go to the cemetary to check on their grandfather. After learning that grandpa's eternal sleep was undisturbed, they go to a run-down cabin. Two of their friends decide to go swimming, but instead of finding a swimming hole, their pals found a farmhouse. Based on some of the crimes by Ed Gein, this film is filled with great acting and an awesome dialogue. The soundtrack is used extremely well to deliver the horror the film is trying to portray. In addition, the camera movement adds to the horror of the film. I strongly recommend this film for a good fright. I'm not easily scared, but out of all the horror films I've seen, this one came the closest. The film is an eye opener, and some people might find it disturbing.
Rating: Summary: Leatherface of Evil Review: Where does evil dwell? In a run-down house in the woods of Texas. And a group of hippy teens find that out in the worst way possible. They just happen to run into Leatherface. A murderous genuine psychopath who speaks only in howls and runs around with a chainsaw and a wheres a mask of skin. And when you think it cant get any worse, you meet his equally sick family and a grampa you have to see to believe. Leatherface is a lot more evil and terrifying because he seems more real and believable then Jason and Freddy because they surround him with demented, sadistic clues to his present such as rooms chock full of decorations of human bones and pieces of skeletons all over his house. It brilliantly shows how sick he is and why he is like this. It makes you feel like he is living next door and what it would be like to have him staring and walking towards you in a dark room. Best movie ever made, but made cheaply. BUT that is a big part of the greatness. The acting is great and believable. Scary, violent, sadistic and phenomenal.
Rating: Summary: Classic horror with a tinge of humour Review: This is one of the best and most infamous horror films of all time, and the film gets the DVD transfer it deserves. The picture is good, saying the film is over twenty-five years old, and the sound is excellant. But it's the commentary that stands out; very informative and amusing at times, as the three guys describe how tough it was to make the film in the Texas heat of over 100 degrees. The extras are great too. An abundance of photos, posters, deleted scenes and bloopers, and a superb five minute segment featuring close up shots of the props in the rooms in the house, accompanied by the menacing music. And to cap it all the menus are animated with chainsaws. Excellent stuff for all horror fans. A classic film and disc.
Rating: Summary: Painfuly good Review: I bought this one on strength of reputation, which i don't normally do. But having seen such other notorious horror flicks as Evil Dead, Exorcist, Blair Witch, Last House On The Left etc...I figured i was obligated to check it out. Actually it has a lot in common with all the above mentioned flicks. Blair Witch because of the 'apparent' realism and the way it forces you to use your imagination, Exorcist because of the creepy use of sound, Evil Dead for the mad camera work and Last House On The Left for sheer brutality. And thats what the film is - Brutal. The teen friendly flicks of today cannot compare to this. This one is downright NASTY. It makes every effort to hurt the audience. There is no 'guess who is the killer' element here, no cheesy orchestral stingers, no irony, no subtlty, no reason in the film at all. It's basically just half an hours set up then the rest of the movie is people getting killed. No real plot or explanation just death, just the way one likes it. It's twistedly funny and not in the 'Scream' way. I mean REALLY twistedly funny. These elements combine to make TCM one of the best of them 70's flicks I reckon. Not as painful as Last House On The Left mind (but then what is ?), nevertheless I felt hurt after watching it. Thats something few horror flicks do to me (refer to pre mentioned list again !). The DVD comes with more extras than you would believe and the picture quality ain't bad. Wish they'd left the grain in tho...Still it's well worth getting on this superior format and is a killer film in it's own right.
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