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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

List Price: $19.96
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: More gore does NOT make a better film.
Review: I'm a big fan of the original, but this remake just did not have the scary atmosphere of the Tobe Hooper classic we all know and love. In fact, I was bored. Hollywood has no original ideas left. Buy a DVD of the original, and leave this bad remake to the kiddies who dont know any better...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: IF IT AIN'T BROKE...
Review: Having seen the 1974 original, I looked forward to seeing this re-make. The original had a quasi-documentary feel to it with its grainy footage and cast of virtual unknowns. The film was a visual cornucopia of terror and horror, though there was actually very little gore shown on screen. The unusually macabre sets and the relentless sound of the chainsaw bandied by Leatherface were enough to make the viewer tremble.

This re-make has stuck relatively close to the original in terms of a general story line, though there are, of course, some differences. In the re-make, a group of teens set off in their van on their way to a concert in Texas, where they end up in a rural area. After picking up a dazed, female hitchhiker, their world is turned upside down when she does the unspeakable.

They go looking for help and, unfortunately, come across a house inhabited by one heck of a family of crazies. From the moment they do so, the teens run hither and dither, as they are chased by a chainsaw wielding, leather faced maniac. Unlike the original, this film is a real slasher type horror film with plenty of blood and gore. This is the real difference between the original and the re-make.

While the re-make has much better production values than the original, as well as better acting by its cast, the original was far scarier. The director of the original, Tobe Hooper, did far more with far less. Still, if you are a fan of bloody slasher films, this is worth a rental. Better yet, rent both the original 1974 version, as well as this re-make, and then judge for yourself as to which is the superior horror flick.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not Too Bad...
Review: ...but not exactly great. I suppose I expected more. I know that's the last thing you want to do, watch a movie with expectations, high or low. I did know, however, to ignore the critics' reviews. I knew that the Roger Eberts and Mike Clarks would not like this movie if for only two reasons: it's a slasher flick and it's a re-make.

I have not watched the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so I will refrain from comparing. By itself, the 2003 version is an okay movie. There were a few good scares, and the directing is actually pretty good. I particularly liked the scene where the camera seems to travel through a bullet hole in someone's head. The acting is on par with your typical slasher movie. Eric Balfour, the terrific actor of Six Feet Under fame, does stand out, though.

I suppose my complaint with the movie, and the reason why I gave it only 3 stars, is that I wasn't really surprised by anything. The violence, although extensive, is not what I expected; it was typical of today's horror movie. And the scares were not exactly plentiful. Movies such as Wrong Turn and Cabin Fever were more effective.

So, did I like the movie? Yes, but I pulled the DVD out of the player feeling a little let down.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This movie is remake but much better than orignal.
Review: I watched all Leatherface series. This dvd is so much better than first orignal leatherface show. It scared crap out of me.
If you are fan of Leatherface then this movie is right for you.
If you want scarier then buy a "Special Edition" dvd.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Chainsaw redux.
Review: My attitude towards horror remakes is probably more generous than most. For every piece of garbage (the countless "Dracula" remakes spring to mind), that are a few good ones ("Night of the Living Dead 1990" and the new "Dawn of the Dead"). The remake of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" falls somewhere in the middle, being a mediocre movie, but nothing that would make me waive my finger at the producers, lambasting them for even thinking about remaking such a good movie. Among many longtime horror fans, I am probably one of the few who didn't.

While the remake is very patchy, it remains faithful to the original in both story and setting. Set in 1973, five teenagers, headed by the lovely Jessica Biel (of "7th Heaven" fame) and Eric Balfour (from "Six Feet Under"), embark on a road trip through the backwaters of Texas on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. All is well until they happen upon a lone female, shell-shocked and dazed. She then commits suicide in their van, paving the way for some pretty nasty events that are to follow. This is the point where the remake takes a different avenue than the original, with they key villains being the whacked-out sheriff (R. Lee Ermy), and of course, Leatherface, who is given more of a background here. The remake also has more action sequences and longer death scenes, as well a more settings (like a meat factory). Although the trail of events is largely predictable, there were a few twists that impressed me. For a movie of this kind, that is a plus.

I remember seeing the original 1974 Tobe Hooper masterpiece when I was in my early teens, and I was struck by how tame it was, despite it's reputation. For what the original lacked in violent bravado, the filmmakers of this update have made it a point to make up for. The new remake is definitely more explicit, but rarely over-the-top. By slasher standards, this is the least gratuitous of the lot. But what I did find unsettling was the atmosphere inside the "family house", which was bad enough in the original, but even more skin-crawling here. To give credit where it's due, the filmmakers have used the settings to great effect, creating a constant feeling of uneasiness and discomfort in the viewer. With all that to consider, the acting and writing is the last thing you will think of, and probably the first thing you'll forget. Aside from the leads, there is little acting going on here. Ermy, in perhaps is most over the top performance since "Full Metal Jacket", provides a few moments of inspiration, and Biel is obviously enjoying her role as the strong female lead. Everything else is inconsequential. In a movie like this, you are here for the kills.

It is my belief that anyone going into this movie expecting it to be better than the original deserves to be disappointed. Even the best remakes rarely never stand alone as superior, proving in most cases that the wheel cannot be reinvented. There may be exceptions to this rule, but the 2003 version of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" isn't it. For the veteran horror fans, this remake will make you appreciate the simplicity of the original. For the new initiates, the body count and Jessica Biel (in low-risers and wet t-shirts galore) should make this worth the cost of admission. For myself, I'll stick with the original.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One Of The Greatest Remakes I've Ever Seen
Review: Plain and simple this movie redifines the horror movies. What I like best is the constant suspense and the " Sitting on the edge of your seat with a pillow covering half your eyes " feeling. It's also not to gory and has a storyline that makes sence, instead of a huge family of canibals that run around like a bunch of idiots trying to kill teens. I myself watched it at a sleep over at my friends house along with three other kids and his mom wathced it with us. The only thing I would say that needs work is, It needs to be longer!!! it was a little bit rushed but I give all the credit to Marcus Nispel because he really did the movie in a Documentary/Horror film.To wrap it up, This movie is a 5/5 and I highly reccomend it to horror movie Fanatics.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best horror movie in as long as I'd like to remember...
Review: Uninspired by the I Don't Know What You Did Last Summer's, the Wrong Turn's, the Urban Legend's, the Jeepers Creepers', the latest Halloween's? This remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre puts them to shame. It is relentless. It is grim. Daniel Pearl's cinematography is absolutely first-rate (in other words, it makes the movie). It is not a Scream, where you sporadically laugh throughout the movie and the villian gets his/her due at the end. No. It is disturbing, somber, and (yes) pretty frightening.
To those of you who don't like the horror genre, go watch whatever the Academy recommends. To those of you who try to justify the movie as something beyond an old-fashioned scare-fest, c'mon... (I actually read a reviewer trying to argue that the movie was commenting on the failure of relationships in America!).
If only Nispel didn't intentionally cater to the MTV generation... As it is, we have one of the scariest movies to come out in a long, long time. But it will not go down as a classic. *Boo!*

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Scary in all the right places, with great 6.1 sound
Review: I purchased this DVD used based on the 6.1 sound. The movie is what it is - Scary, Gory and Gruesome. The special effects are pretty intense and well done. The 6.1 sound is excellent. The rear surround speakers are effectively utilized and not just a repetition of the 5.1 surround speakers. The subwoofer rocks the house. So, if you are a fan of this genre film and are looking for a great DTS 6.1 sound, pick this movie up. Enjoy, j.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Disappointed...
Review: I am pretty big fan of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. I'm not going to go into what was wrong with this one or what it lacked. I just want to say, if you haven't seen this or are a fan it will probably be a let down. If you are a newcomer to the series it will probably be alright. If you want to see something real good take a look at the original. In my opinion this does not hold a candle to the original or even the second. As for the next generation one, this is better than that but what isn't... Rent It!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Disappointing yet not over made.
Review: Well what can one say? This is a true story, and they made it the best they could without adding all the Hollywood blindness that could have made it fiction.

It is worth viewing because of the non-fiction aspects of it; but as a motion picture, the first TCM was more appealing- maybe because I was much younger?

Anyways, if you like a horror flick, then you should enjoy (appreciate) this one.


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