Rating: 
Summary: This "New Transfer" "Special Edition" Is Neither!!
Review: Buyer beware. This release of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the same identical Pioneer Special Edition that was released several years ago, just with a new packaging on it. There are no new extras, no new transfer. The only difference is the price tag: this release is about $10.00 cheaper. This is one of the most dishonest pieces of marketing I have ever seen.Make no mistake, the film is a fine and important movie, well worth owning and watching over and over. But if you already own it: beware of buying a duplicate copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfuly Done
Review: I, like many, never wanted to rent this movie because of its reputation. I'd always heard of it and decided to steer clear, but I love horror movies and one night I was feeling brave so I rented it and did not regret it. This movie almost drove me nuts. Everyone knows the reputation this movie has. Well, the foreshadowing in this movie keeps you expecting the worst. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I almost chewed my hand off. Hooper did an outstanding job of directing this. The whole stroy is grim and disturbing, but this just makes you more on edge. The last ten to fifteen minutes of this film is what almost drove me nuts. The tension gets so tight. All you hear for the last part is screaming. True screaming. Buzzing and yelling also surrounds. To those who are leery of this movie, don't be. It really isn't that gross. Sure people get cut up and you've probably heard of the girl getting stuck on the hook. Believe me, it's not as bad as it sounds. They don't show a lot of it. All horror fans should watch this one. Don't be scared of it. Try it out.
Rating: 
Summary: Meh.
Review: I dunno how people can prefer this over the original. It is not suspenseful at all, and it is remotely entertaining. Other than that it is pretty boring and overall plotless. The ending was dumb, the opening was slow, and how somebody could walk out of the theatre in a "state of shock" after seeing this poorly done film. However, there were a few points that I found entertaining. Such as the pursuit scene through the woods, and at least Leatherface rakes in the bodies here. Hammers, chainsaw, hooks, etc. All that stuff is here but it wasn't the gothic, dark, dirty, creepy bloodfest that the new one was. The new one was far more entertaining and suspenseful, not to mention Leatherface was much scarier looking. I mean, in the this one (original) you do not know that his mask is made of skin, but at least you figure out that they're cannibals. All in all, I give the original TCM about a 2.5. It was good enough to keep, but I kinda wish I had gotten those three other Freddy movies instead of this.
Rating: 
Summary: "I just can't take no pleasure in killing..."
Review: Terror and carnage is the outcome for a group of unsuspecting teens in the classic horror movie that shocked audiences all over the country, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." A film that still has the raw power to shock and terrify viewers even today. While it may not be overly gory, the end results leads to a horrifying and disturbing motion picture that is unforgettable. It all starts out as a simple country road trip that sounds like the perfect way to spend some time for a group of five friends. It seems to be a regular afternoon until they drive into a deserted part of Texas. A strange hitchhiker unleashes an unimaginable chain-of-events that lead to murder, cannibalism and psychotic killers. I don't care how old this movie is, I still always find myself numb with shock and disbelief every time I watch this brutal classic. It shows you that you don't need a lot of blood and gore to be disturbing or uneasy. The way the film is shot leads you to believe that this stuff actually happened. It's as if you're actually watching real killings caught on camera. That's how powerful this movie is. There are definitely more than a few uneasy moments that make me squirm and cringe, and that is becoming quite the challenge these days, I must be honest. Sure, it might be a tad dated. However, this does not take away any of the film's power. Inspired by a true story (loosely based on the infamous killer, Ed Gein), this movie has a great script and a nice cast behind it. It never feels overly goofy, nor does it ever feel that it is dragging on too long. Tobe Hooper did an excellent job with such a low budget. To be honest, I think the low budget helped. This would not be the same movie had there been a bigger budget to jazz it all up. The low budget forced Hooper to find a successful way to shoot the movie, and he did. The balance of everything is just right. I didn't buy the new edition that came out a few months ago, as it appeared that it was no different from the version I'm reviewing right now. The DVD has a fair amount of interesting extras. The picture and sound quality is as good as it can get. I'm sure it beats any old VHS copy out there. Extras included are deleted/alternate scenes, the original mono soundtrack for true die-hard fans, commentary, still photos, blooper reel, original trailers and TV spots, and more. A nice package that does a horror classic the justice that it deserves. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" will always be remembered as an ultimate classic that redefined the horror genera as we know it. It is not for people with weak hearts or people who get easily sickened by senseless acts of brutal violence. Even after all of these years, this film has the undeniable power to shock and terrify audiences all around. If you have not seen it yet, go check it out as soon as you can. A landmark horror movie that always delivers, time and time again. -Michael Crane
Rating:
Summary: high art VS. low art
Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre falls into a special category. Like most cutting edge 70's and 80's low-budget horror classics, this film is fuelled by raw creativity and accidental genius. The tone is very raw, and I always get the image of the grainy Texas sun blaring down on the desert when I think of this film. The element that makes this film a classic is its constant organic build. It starts with blatant images of corpses rotting in a graveyard, with a news report dubbed over it. I can't even describe how every frame of this film is brilliant. The shot of the bizarre retarded gas station attendant staring up at the sun has a horrific beauty. The guy who plays the gas station/barbeque shop owner delivers a strangely mesmerizing performance. Even though the film begins on the ground, it flows and escalates until it is elevated to the upper stratosphere of metaphysical surrealism by the film's perplexing and perfect conclusion. I watched this film for the first time expecting a typical low-budget gore fest, but instead, experienced true and rare low-budget horror genius. Please, watch this film with a loved one (with the lights on).
Rating:
Summary: 0 Stars
Review: I think this movie is disgusting and immoral, I've never seen it and I plan not to because of what it's about. And I'd like to know, why people always complain all the time about the Passion Of The Christ. Why don't people complain about movies like these? when there are blood-curdling chainsaw murders, and when A godly movie comes out thats more graphic than usual, why do people everywhere complain about how horrible it is, when there are plenty of other horrible disgusting movies? it really annoys Me. Oh, and by the way, don't get this 0 star movie.
Rating:
Summary: One of the All Time Horror Greats
Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about a group of five people which runs afoul of a psychopathic family of cannibals living in the Texas hinterlands. The film inspires dread and nervousness right from the start with unsettling music and little hints of bad things yet to come such as a horoscope and a drunk old man both predicting awful things. It also gives several moments of absolute shock and terror. The first appearance of Leatherface (the chainsaw wielding psycho who wears a mask of sewed-together skin) ranks right up there with the infamous shower scene from Psycho. Surprisingly, though, there is very little gore in this film. Most of the shocking action either takes place behind closed doors or in the background. The viewer is left to fill in the awful details with his/her imagination. The grainy film stock used to shoot the movie actually works to the film's advantage in that it gives the whole thing a documentary sort of feel, something clearly meant by the somber narration at the beginning of the film which states what the viewer is seeing is real. If you want a real scare, this is the film for you. Ignore the horrid recent remake.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible Movie
Review: This movie was a waste of time. I saw the newest version (2003)about a week ago and loved it. I read so many reviews about the original version and that made me want to rent it. Most people agreed that the original was so much better. I was severely disappointed after watching it. You could definitely tell that it was a low-budget film. It wasn't scary at all. Leatherface killed 4 out of the 5 people within minutes. The only suspenseful part was when he chased the remaining character. The sequels look better than the original. I am going to rent those and see if they are any better. Bottom line:
Don't waste your time with the original. The 2003 version is so much better.
Rating:
Summary: Revolutionized the horror genre.
Review: Tobe Hooper really invented a whole new kind of horror movie with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." He achieved a whole new level of brutality and depravity that had never been contemplated before and has never really been matched since. Not only is TCM ruthless and violent, it is also essentially an art film. Some of the images are so well realized, it is hard to believe how tiny the budget was. Every aspect of this movie was deliberate and purposeful and, ultimately, effective. First of all, there is the wonderfully macabre concept: a multi-generational family of slaughterhouse workers for whom killing is as natural and as necessary as eating or sleeping. The older brother works at a gas station/barbecue. The middle brother likes to dig up corpses and make art with the remains. The youngest brother is a homicidal lunatic that wears several masks designed from skinned human faces, hence his nickname, Leatherface. A group of young people cross paths with these backwoods loonies and the killing and chasing and screaming begins. Some aspects of this premise remain ambiguous. For example, has the family killed before? Does Leatherface kill all the time or did he just freak out when he encountered people in the house? Does he get his masks from his grave robbing brother, or are they the faces of his victims? Are they cannibals? This is only hinted at in this movie (it is confirmed in the second goofy installment of the series.) A lot of these things are taken for granted, but if you really watch and listen, there are questions to be answered. I have heard complaints about the acting in this film. I have no problem with the acting. I like the acting, and I like the script. I really admire Tobe Hooper's direction and how these images were realized. The cinematography is grainy, sometimes overexposed, sometimes out of focus, but it is always effective. Some shots are just incredible - like the one that goes up under the swing and follows Pam to the front porch of the house - and the one of the older brother beating the hitch-hiker at night in front of the headlights of the truck - and the infamous meathook sequence - and the entire dinner sequence... The editing is jarring, adding to the overall insanity. The intercut shots of the cattle awaiting slaughter at the beginning of the film are seriously creepy. The cuts in the dinner sequence are over-the-top and maybe even a little gratuitous. But that was the point. Hooper wanted this scene to be torturous and he succeeded. TCM is one hell of a fine motion picture. If you haven't seen it, see it tonight.
Rating:
Summary: Chainsaw POP Phenomena!
Review: I truly think this movie is way overated. The gore was weak the movie was just plain dramatic. If you want true gore watch bad taste, pieces that is gore.I was truly unimpressed by this boring movie it is far beyond scary or good. Good would be an understament.
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