Rating: 
Summary: You want scary? Try this one on for size.
Review: First of all, let it be known that I am a huge fan of horror movies in general, though Zombie movies tend to be my poison of choice. I've never held much of an interest for slasher films, though, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre was no exception... until last Wednesday, when TCM was shown in my "The Art of the Horror Film" course. As I said, I am a big fan of some particularly gruesome horror movies... and this film scared the living hell out of me. "But," you're thinking, "all the reviews say its not THAT gory." Well, its not. Hooper's direction is amazing and that is what makes this movie so horrible (in a good way). It's disorienting, which makes the scenario all the more scary. Moreso, the gory scenes are so artfully done that your own imagination does most of the work for Hooper. Check out the furniture in Leatherface's house and I promise you will have nightmares for days on end. If you want creepy, this is it; take my word. And don't forget grandpa upstairs. I think he's hungry...
Rating: 
Summary: Hoopers Classic Now with Barbecue Sauce.
Review: The Tobe Hooper classic is not nearly the gore-fest many remember it to be, but that doesn't mean it's not a gruesome, sadistic and brutal low budget film. The very idea of a family of nearly retarded, essentially unstoppable cannibal psycho killers is scary stuff. Since you know it was inspired by the real life Wisconsin's Ed Gein it's a little more disturbing yet. The fact that nearly all of the young characters we meet are as annoying and whiny as those in the Blair Witch Project, might dilute the horror of what happens to them for some of you, but some of the images, and motifs that Tobe Hooper finds are at times nightmarish and disturbing. The fat guy annoys, Marilyn screams and screams again, and there is that meat hook conversation stopper. It's sick, twisted stuff and the low budget amateurism of the film adds to its dark grisliness. You won't get the gore effects, but you'll get plenty to be squeamish about ( Nuff said I hope). The DvD offers probably the best print you'll ever see of the film. It's far from perfect but it was shot on cheap film stock by people who were learning how to shoot films. Okay there's no barbecue sauce but there are some some valuable extras including an informative and worth listening to commentary track, too brief blooper reel and trailers for all the sequels. Christopher J. Jarmick, Author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder...
Rating:
Summary: CHILLING
Review: The first time I saw this movie, it chilled me to the bone. I have never seen a horror movie like it. It all seemed real, as if it were a documentary. The dinner scene is absolutely blood curdling. Grandpa is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen, as is the opening scene. The DVD offers some fine extra features. If you want to be freaked, check this one out.
Rating:
Summary: Relentlessly Terrifying!
Review: Okay, from a certain point of view, it is a bad film. Nonetheless, the film is very intriguing and relentlessly terrifying! I was also surprised at how little blood/gore there is (don't let the title or rep fool you). Certainly not for everyone, but a must for horror movie goers. P.S. Don't bother with any of the sequels.
Rating: 
Summary: Visual shock and nothing else
Review: This movie didn't have any humor. As for being scary, I don't think it was that scary at all. Now before you vote "not useful" on this review, at least read my reasons. Look at the plot. A bunch of young Texans go to check a grave, pick up a hitchhiker, and well, I don't want to spoil the rest. But the plot comes down to two or three sentences. There is hardly any story. The only reason for this movie to be scary is by throwing shocking scenes at you. Well, it does. The house is horrific. But does that make it a masterpiece? In what way is showing a bunch of skeletons and corpses art? If it does scare you, fine. You might as well go to your town's cemetery and dig out corpses yourself. Let me clarify this: I only have something against pure gore when it's used not in conjunction with anything else. This movie is a far cry from the cinematographic achievements of Halloween or The Exorcist. As for the suspense, the two scenes which claim to be thrilling are the chase in the woods scene and maybe the dinner scene. The chase is weak and badly filmed. And the dinner scene only shows a bunch of madmen shouting and laughing at Sally. Also, the grandfather some sort of ridiculous Frankenstein taken from a scifi movie into this otherwise reasonably realistic movie. So basically the movie shows you disgusting scenes in an old house. Again that'd be fine, but not if they base their movie on it. The two good scenes are Leatherface's chainsaw dance at the end, and the girl dicovering the room covered with you know what. That's why I give the movie 3 stars. It could have earned more if it had focused on the more psychological aspects of the family. PS If you want to learn more about Ed Gein, the guy the movie is inspired from, go to crimelibrary.com and click serial killers. There's a good article.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Fantastic. Scary. Great movie to see at a party with a bunch of friends. Rarely in history has a horror movie attained the level of spookieness and feeling of doom that TCM has reached. Thats only part of this modern day classic. For even more fun guts and wild laughs buy TCM2 the slighty more disgusting, slighty less scary, slightly funnier movie. Buy this one today
Rating:
Summary: the scariest movie ever!
Review: I watched this movie knowing nothing about it, the plot, the actors, the name of the killer, anything. I was not expecting anything like what I saw. I pride myself on thinking that I have seen most of the horror movies out there, and never had I ever seen anything like this before(Blair witch included). I think the only reason I gave it 4 stars was because I am still terrified to death of this movie, and every time I hear the words "Leatherface" I get chills down my spine. I was not expecting something this real, like you felt like you were there during the entire thing. It is still a mystery to me how the people who made this movie managed to get this much hype about this movie without using any bad language, barely any gore, and barely any suspense. What I mean by no suspense, is everyone just simply dies, there aren't any chases, except for one, and the fact that the killer is so close behind the person the entire time, and the fact that she actually manages to run into the killer's house, makes it that much more scary. Even thought I didn't give this movie a perfect rating, I still recommend it to anyone who wants a good scare. Tip: To get especially freaked out, watch it with all the lights out alone at two o'clock in the morning, like I did.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely terrifying
Review: I skipped this one during its drive-in days, but I caught up with it on video in the 80s. I was so primed to be scared that I watched it on a sunny Saturday afternoon with all the lights on. And it STILL scared the bejesus out of me. You'd be surprised by how little gore there actually is and by how willing Hooper is to sustain the length of a scene until you think you'll leap out of your skin with anxiety. The final shot against the rising sun is maybe my pick for the most memorable of any horror film. It seemed to sum up everything that went before plus make you (a) rethink it while you're (b) not sleeping that night.
Rating:
Summary: #2 Horror Film of All Time?
Review: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partan, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunner Hansen 1974 Synopsis
This is the bizarre and tragically gruesome account of what happened to five young friends one summer afternoon in rural Texas. After hearing reports of a grave robbing, the group sets out to check on a family grave. Soon after, they fall prey to cannibalistic family. My Review
This well renown movie brings out completely opposite emotions in people. Some love it, while others think it is a vile .... But it still remains, to this day, an excellent, low budget, short, and incredibly disturbing horror classic.
Rating:
Summary: A work of Art
Review: Before the Blair Witch came to be, we had The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.. TCM is very loosely based on the life of Ed Gein, who also inspired both Psycho (N.Bates) and Silence of the Lambs (Buffalo Bill). This movie, in it's day truly impacted viewers, not only was it the first time that most had witnessed this kind of movie violence, but the grainy almost home-movie feel of it brought the viewer even closer to the movie.. When I say this movie is a work of art, I mean it! From the score, to the camera work to the way the actors played the characters, this movie is perfect.. I wish I could have been there when this movie first hit the big screen, it must have been the most upsetting movie ever made! To think, horror movies at this point were mostly made up of monsters and gangster style characters.. Then along comes Leatherface, who uses whatever is handy to kill his victims! And the realism is at an all-time high..! This movie also marks the first time subliminal advertising was used in movies.. During the film the words "Eat Popcorn and Drink Coca-Cola" were flashed on the screen. As far as I'm concerned, this movie is one of the most important films ever made, and you owe it to yourself to see it.. Now on to the DVD.. The transfer is clean, the image has been cleaned up.. No more dirty 20+ year old video's in the VCR.. The extra's are a big plus.. If your a TCM fan, this DVD is a must!! Deleted scenes and a bloopers reel make it a MUST! For those of you who are big into horror movies, TCM is the foundation on which your collection should be built.. Along with Psycho, Halloween and Evil Dead, it is among the most important movies in this genre as well as any other, ever made!
| 
