Product: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original Uncut) [Region 2] (1974)
Rating: 4.0
Grandaddy ("Grandpa") of the slasher film genre.
This is IT! The one that started it all! It may not be the best horror film ever made, but it is certainly my favorite. The 1974 cult/slasher film classic..."The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"!Summary: 4 friends out on a seemingly normal summer afternoon drive find their average reality being turned into their worst nightmare as they are tortured and killed one-by-one by a family of psychotic cannibals.This film really stands out among most films in this particular genre because of several reasons:#1 The film doesn't really have that much of a plot. Normally lack of a plot would kill a movie, but not in this case. Infact, the lack of a detailed story line only heightens the tension one feels while viewing this film, giving it a more realistic, documentary-like feel. You could actually end up reading about an incident like this in the morning paper. The film was actually inspired by true incidents (more on that later).#2 The stars of the film gave very straightforward and realistic performances. This helps in creating a scary atmosphere because it gives the characters a feel of realism. For most of the actors and actresses in the film, this was their first role in a motion picture so they didn't go around carrying acting reputations with them. Instead, they played their parts in a very "normal" way, allowing the viewer to be able to feel as though they are actually there on screen with them, experiencing the terrors as they happen in a very real way.#3 The music, comprised mostly of the sounds of pots and pans being played as instruments, is very chilling and only further helps in creating an ominous and terrifying atmosphere. I think its amazing that no one has ever released a soundtrack to this film.#4 Another factor that helps make this a very chilling film is the fact that it was inspired (not necessarily based) on a true story. Although the message at the beginning of the film claims that the events did actually happen and are entirely true, the viewer should not believe everything they hear and see happening in the film to be accurate.In the film it is a family of 4 cannibals that do the killing and torturing. In reality, the terrifying acts were carried out by a single person, named Ed Gaines (believe thats the correct name).The part about Leatherface wearing the faces of his victims, however, is entirely true. This was one of Ed's favorite past times after skinning and butchering his human prey.One thing that film left out all together was the fact that Ed also had a split personality - there was the side of him that was "Ed" and there was also the side of him that was his dead mother (a fact that would be used as inspiration for Hitchock's 1960 classic "Psycho").All things considered, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is truly a very terrifying, and enjoyable, B-grade horror film. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who loves horror movies, or to anyone who is just a big film buff. If you have seen it, watch it again. If you haven't seen it yet, make it a point to do so.Three sequels followed: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", "Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III", and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation". The only one that even comes close to comparing to the original is part 3, but it fails miserably in its attempt to do so.There is also a documentary on the making of the original entitled "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait", which is truly a must see for the films die hard fans.