Product: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original Uncut) [Region 2] (1974)
Rating: 5.0
Terrifying
One day I was watching a retrospective on horror movies and one of the films discussed was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. One of the people interviewed for this segment (it may have been Tobe Hooper) noted that the film has the reputation of being one of the goriest ever made, but other than a couple of short scenes, there actually isn't much gore. I was shocked. I had watched it several years before and recalled being completely grossed out by its graphic scenes. But when I went to rewatch it, it turned out he was correct! This wasn't the effect of the climate in which the film was released (I had already seen movies that were far more gory in actuality before I saw it for the first time). The movie was so effective and I got so caught up in it that I had actually remembered seeing graphic details that did not actually exist! This is one of the highest compliments that can be paid to the director (who went on to such films as Poltergiest).Some movie-goers who are short on imagination and rely on having everything stuck right in front of their faces might consider the movie's relative lack of gore a deficit, but I consider the effect the movie has despite this one of its greatest strengths. The movie itself (like Hitchcock/Bloch's Psycho and the Buffalo Bill character in Silence of the Lambs) is inspired by the true story of Ed Gein who would dress in the skins of his female victims in an attempt to become his mother, and use the rest of each body for food, bowls, musical intruments, etc. This film is an attempt by its creators to exorcise themselves of their feelings after hearing the true accounts of Gein's acts. However, like all such movies, this one strays from the true story, reducing the main character (Leatherface's) use of skin to a mask and adding a whole family of cannibals.Filled with exceptionally moody photography and excellent sets, this film is at turns disturbing and entertaining as towards the end when the family is used to great, dark comedic effect. Highly recommended.