Greetings, boys and ghouls!
Optiluiz here for a special Halloween review! Today's film really takes me back, and though it's not particularly "October-ish" like most movies I usually review on Halloween, I still think this is a great addition to whatever seasonal marathons you maybe be planning for the creepiest month of the year! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today we shall be reviewing our blog's Lord and Savior, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE!
The first time I got a hold of this film was half a decade ago, as a Christmas present for myself, and I still wish that I could travel back in time and give Past-Optiluiz a hug for it. Tobe Hooper's slasher-masterpiece, originally released in 1974, is by all means my favourite horror film, and I'll try to convey my feelings for it into somewhat-digestible words. On the surface, it's basically just a film about some friends on a road-trip through Texas meeting a deranged cannibalistic family and becoming their next meal. The innards of the movie, however, are much more than that.
During my initial viewing of TCM, I was conflicted. Although I couldn't take my eyes off the screen (due to masterful direction and incredible photography even when faced with a hideously small budget), the entire experience was so intense that it had me wanting to turn off the DVD and continue another time. This is a true horror film, not just a "scary movie", as some call it. At times it can truly be unpleasant to watch, but to those strong enough to soldier on towards the end credits, it is totally worth it. Once I finished watching for the first time, I actually couldn't decide on whether or not I even liked the film. However, the haunting imagery and visceral themes stayed with me indefinitely, and I eventually decided on loving the film to death.
Technically, this was the perfect example of how low budget isn't an excuse for shoddy film-making. The sub-par film stock was used to make the screen look genuinely hot, adding to the overall effectiveness of the story-telling (you will need a glass of water by the end of the movie), and the simple locations and camerawork were real and dirty enough to make the atmosphere truly terrifying. Even the actors did their part well, with a huge part of the film's tension depending on Marilyn Burns' reactions to the horror around her. Leatherface, however, was my favourite (and probably most horror buffs') part of TCM, and I still dream of cosplaying as him on Halloween night in the distant future.
I think that any further description of the film would be doing the reader a disservice, for this is one experience you should go into knowing as little about as possible. Tobe Hooper has said that this is a just film about meat, while critics argue over its discussion of modern American family values. I, however, think that this is a landmark in horror, that should be experienced by all who aren't squeamish enough to give up before the ordeal's through. 10/10 for me.
That's all I'll say about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre today, but I encourage our braver readers to check out the sequels as well, which, despite their vastly inferior quality, are quite fun. In any case, I hope you all have lots of fun with candy, movie marathons and general creepy goodness this week! I'll leave you with the trailer to the TCM restoration that came out recently, and which I will someday own.
Chainsaw cheers,
-Optiluiz out...
