Product: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original Uncut) [Region 2] (1974)
Rating: 4.0
Deeply disturbing. Watch it alone or not at all.
I got a hold of this when I was in the states last year as (at that time) it was still on the BBFC's banned list in the UK. To be honest I was preparing for it to benonsense but I was wrong. The opening flashbulb and sunspot scenes are migraine inducing. The plot itself from there on is fairly predictable, but the violence erupts so quickly and violently, that it's like being hit by a shotgun blast. There are only a few gory scenes and to be honest most of them aren't particulary over the top. The scenes I found most disturbing were the arrivial of the first couple to the house. The journey back from the BBQ shop to the house where the father is gently reasurring the girl and then prodding her with the stick. And the dinner scene which really felt like it went on for ages. By the end I felt drained and actuley unsettled. It's not a scary film but despite some appaling performances (some of which look improvised) it's the whole 70's documentary feel that gives it the edge.