User:Paleface Jack/The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Directed by	Tobe Hooper
Written by	Kim Henkel Tobe Hooper
Produced by	Tobe Hooper
Starring	Marilyn Burns Paul A. Partain Edwin Neal Jim Siedow Gunnar Hansen John Larroquette
Cinematography	Daniel Pearl
Edited by	Sallye Richardson Larry Carroll
Music by	Tobe Hooper Wayne Bell
Production company	Vortex Inc.
Distributed by	Bryanston Distributing Company
Release dates	October 1, 1974 (1974-10-01) (Austin, Texas) October 11, 1974 (1974-10-11) (United States)
Running time	83 minutes (theatrical)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80,000–140,000(est.)
Box office	$30.9−100 million (est.)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, and Jim Siedow, and follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead.

Henkel and Hooper produced the film for less than $140,000 ($700,000 adjusted for inflation) and used a cast of relatively unknown actors drawn mainly from central Texas, where the film was shot. The limited budget forced Hooper to film for long hours seven days a week, so that he could finish as quickly as possible and reduce equipment rental costs. Production took twice as long as scheduled and cost several times the initial budget, with most of the cast and crew paid in a percentage of the film's profits. It initially struggled to find a distributor due to its content, but was eventually acquired by the Bryanston Distributing Company.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released in the United States on October 11, 1974. It was marketed as based on true events to attract a wider audience and acts as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate. While minor story details were inspired by the crimes of the murderer Ed Gein, its plot is largely fictional. While the film initially received polarized reception from critics, it was highly profitable, grossing over $30 million, equivalent to over $150.8 million as of 2019. It drew controversy at the time because of its content and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) originally rated it an X rating until several minutes were cut to secure an R rating. The film faced similar difficulties internationally, being banned in several countries.

Since its release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been critically re-evaluated, and is considered as one of the greatest horror films ever made. It has significantly influenced pop culture, and credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre. Its financial success led to a franchise that continued through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books, and video games. In 2024, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

In the early hours of August 18, 1973, a grave robber steals several corpses from a cemetery near Newt, Muerto County, Texas. The robber ties a rotting corpse and other body parts onto a monument, which is discovered by a local as the sun rises.

Meanwhile, five teenagers take a road trip through the area: Sally Hardesty, Jerry, Pam, Kirk, and Sally's paraplegic brother Franklin. They stop at the cemetery to check on the grave of Sally and Franklin's grandfather, which appears undisturbed. As the group drives past a slaughterhouse, Franklin recounts the Hardesty family's history with animal slaughter. They soon pick up a hitchhiker, who talks about his family who worked at the old slaughterhouse. He borrows Franklin's pocket knife and cuts himself, then takes a single Polaroid picture of the group, for which he demands money. When they refuse to pay, he burns the photo and attacks Franklin with a straight razor. The group forces him out of the van, where he smears blood on the side as they drive off. Low on gas, the group stops at a station whose proprietor says that no fuel is available. The group explores a nearby abandoned house, owned by the Hardesty family.

Kirk and Pam leave the others behind, planning to visit a nearby swimming hole mentioned by Franklyn. On their way there, they discover another house, surrounded by run-down cars, and run by gas-powered generators. Hoping to barter for gas, Kirk enters the house through the unlocked door, while Pam waits outside. As he enters the house, a large man wearing a mask made of skin appears and murders Kirk with a hammer. When Pam enters the house, she stumbles into a room strewn with decaying remains and furniture made from human and animal bones. She attempts to flee but is caught by the man and impaled on a meat hook. The man then starts up a chainsaw, dismembering Kirk as Pam watches. In the evening, Jerry searches for Pam and Kirk. When he enters the other house, he finds Pam's nearly-dead, spasming body in a chest freezer and is killed by the masked man.

With darkness falling, Sally and Franklin set out to find their friends. En route, the masked man ambushes them, killing Franklin with the chainsaw. The man chases Sally into the house, where she finds a very old, seemingly dead man and a woman's rotting corpse. She escapes from the man by jumping through a second-floor window, and she flees to the gas station. With the man in pursuit, Sally arrives at the gas station when he seems to disappear. The station's proprietor comforts Sally with the offer of help, after which he beats and subdues her, loading her into his pickup truck. The proprietor drives to the other house, and the hitchhiker appears. The proprietor scolds him for his actions at the cemetery. As they enter the house, the masked man reappears, dressed in women's clothing. The proprietor identifies the masked man and the hitchhiker as brothers, and the hitchhiker refers to the masked man as "Leatherface". The two brothers bring the old man—"Grandpa"—down the stairs and cut Sally's finger so that Grandpa can suck her blood, Sally then faints from the ordeal.

The next morning, Sally regains consciousness. The men taunt her and bicker with each other, resolving to kill her with a hammer. They try to include Grandpa in the activity, but Grandpa is too weak. Sally breaks free and runs onto a road in front of the house, pursued by the brothers. An oncoming truck accidentally runs over the hitchhiker, killing him. The truck driver attacks Leatherface with a large wrench, causing him to fall and injure his leg with the chainsaw. Sally, covered in blood, flags down a passing pickup truck and climbs into the bed, narrowly escaping Leatherface. As the pickup drives away, Sally laughs hysterically while an enraged Leatherface swings his chainsaw in the road as the sun rises.

Cast

Main article: List of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise) characters

• Marilyn Burns as Sally Hardesty
• Allen Danziger as Jerry
• Paul A. Partain as Franklin Hardesty
• William Vail as Kirk
• Teri McMinn as Pam
• Edwin Neal as Hitchhiker
• Jim Siedow as Old Man
• Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface
• John Dugan as Grandpa
• Robert Courtin as Window Washer
• William Creamer as Bearded Man
• John Henry Faulk as Storyteller
• Jerry Green as Cowboy
• Ed Guinn as Cattle Truck Driver
• Joe Bill Hogan as Drunk
• Perry Lorenz as Pick Up Driver
• John Larroquette as Narrator

Cast taken from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Companion.

Production

Development

Writer-director Tobe Hooper (right) and co-writer Kim Henkel (left) on set during filming

The concept for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arose in the early 1970s while Tobe Hooper was working as an assistant film director at the University of Texas at Austin and a documentary cameraman. During this period, Hooper had grown disillusioned by what he described as the "lack of sentimentality and the brutality of things", witnessing ongoing acts of violence in San Antonio. The graphic news coverage, epitomized by "showing brains spilled all over the road", led to his belief that "man was the real monster here, just wearing a different face, so I put a literal mask on the monster in my film". He started developing the concept under the working title Headcheese, from a story he had written years before involving elements of isolation, the woods, and darkness. While working on his feature film debut, Eggshells (1969), Hooper became acquainted with fellow Texas native Kim Henkel. The two became friends during production, and when Eggshells was completed, they began working on their next collaborative effort, with the decision that the project would be a horror film.

Henkel, working as an illustrator at the time, would meet at Hooper's residence each night for several months, brainstorming concepts for the project. They would discuss aspects of the genre that frightened them, in addition to their personal fears. The urban mistrust of the rural countryside and its residents factored heavily into these early discussions. Hooper later commented, "Back in the early part of the twentieth century, you would go out and get killed out in the country... Being out there, being isolated, before cell phones existed, even before telephones existed, but to be out there and there's no one out there to help you". The original concepts focused on fantasy elements, with Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812) by the Brothers Grimm cited as a major influence. Henkel stated that they were drawn to how these tales "deal with fundamental issues that human beings struggle[d] with". Henkel suggested a modern take on Hansel and Gretel, rooted in elements of isolation and innocents being lured away from civilization. Hooper alternately suggested the story of a troll living under a bridge. These ideas were later discarded in favor of a more realistic and localized story that drew on their shared love of Universal Classic Monsters.

Some aspects of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave-robber Ed Gein. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, had gained widespread notoriety in 1957 after authorities discovered that he had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned keepsakes from their bones and skin. Hooper claimed to have heard details of Gein from relatives when he was young, though Hooper admitted he did not know it was Gein until after the film's release. The idea of a person capable of committing such horrific acts fascinated co-writer Henkel, who incorporated the trait into the cannibals. Over the years, Henkel described the confessions and crimes of serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley as an influence for the cannibals. Actor Gunnar Hansen refutes this, noting that Henley confessed to the murders on August 8, 1973, well into the film's production.

Hooper and Henkel adapted the completed story outline into a workable script in January 1973. Working to expand his original story, Hooper suggested key plot elements for the film, breaking down each scene with Henkel. The two filmmakers used the current changes in the cultural and political landscape as a central influence on the film. The intentional misinformation, that "film you are about to see is true", was a response to being "lied to by the government about things that were going on all over the world", including the Watergate scandal, the 1973 oil crisis, and "the massacres and atrocities in the Vietnam War". Hooper also cited his childhood love of the horror stories published by EC Comics as an influence on the film's style and atmosphere. The idea of using a chainsaw as a murder weapon, according to Hooper, came while he was in the hardware section of a busy store, contemplating how to speed his way through the crowd.

The first draft was completed between three-to-six weeks. The initial 160-page long shooting script was highly detailed, explaining camera movements, lighting cues, character details, and contained more explicit violence. The filmmakers would rewrite much of the script during filming, with cast members handed the revised pages before scenes were filmed. "Most of it was paring down stuff that was excessive," Henkel wrote, commenting that cast members would assist in developing their dialogue.

Pre-production

In 1973, Hooper and Henkel formed Vortex, Inc., with Henkel as president and Hooper as the vice president. Henkel recruited his acquaintance Ron Bozman to serve as the company's unit production manager, having worked with him on the film Windbreaker (1971). Principal financing for Chain Saw was provided by Bozman and Warren Skaaren. The executive director of the Texas Film Commission, Skaaren introduced the writers to his business partner Jay Parsley, then the Vice President of Student Affairs at Texas Tech University. Meeting with Parsley, the filmmakers convinced him to provide additional funding with his company MAB, Inc. through which he invested $60,000 in the production. Additional funds were supplied by Henkel's sister Katherine and Austin attorney Robert Kuhn. Kuhn loaned the production his own mobile home as a wardrobe, dressing room, and restroom for the actors.

Hooper originally intended the position of cinematographer to go to Richard Kooris, however, conflicts with Kooris' schedule made him unavailable. Daniel Pearl, a recent UTA graduate, was hired after meeting with Hooper outside a film lab where Pearl was working on a recent documentary with Larry Carroll. Hooper was impressed with Pearl's work on the film and offered him the position six months later. According to Pearl, the cinematography was influenced by the works of photographer Russell Werner Lee, who was well known for his photographs documenting the various ethnography of American life.

Casting

(Left to right) Marilyn Burns and Teri McMinn (all pictured in 1973), were cast as the film's female leads.

Casting auditions took place between June and July of 1973, inside the office of art director and production designer Robert "Bob" Burns, who also worked as the film's casting director. Many of the cast members at the time were relatively unknown actors—Texans who had played roles in commercials, television, and stage shows, as well as performers whom Hooper knew personally. Danziger was approached early on for the project and agreed to star in it before reading the script.

The lead role of Sally Hardesty was given to Marilyn Burns, a student and volunteer on a film commission at UTA. The filmmakers had met Marilyn during a lunch meeting with the cast and crew of Lovin' Molly (1974), a film she had originally been cast in the lead role before being replaced by Susan Sarandon. Burns later learned of casting calls for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and auditioned for the lead role in the film after being dropped from Lovin' Molly. While she did not think the script was well-written, she was excited about being cast in her first lead role. Describing her role as "a bubble gum, bland, dumb character", who transforms into a strong character and the sole survivor through the events in the film, Marilyn met with Hooper and Henkel a few times before filming to discuss her character.

Hooper originally wanted Dorothy, Pearl's wife at the time, to portray Pam. She turned down the role in favor of working as the film's make-up artist. The role went to Teri McMinn, who joined the project after she was contacted by Henkel, who discovered the actress' photograph in a local periodical, the Austin American-Statesman. The former girlfriend of Hansen's college roommate, McMinn was a student at the time, and worked with local theater companies, including the Dallas Theater Center before she was hired.

(Left to right) Edwin Neal, Gunnar Hansen, Jim Sideow, and John Dugan were cast as the cannibal family (pictured 1973).

Sally's paraplegic brother Franklin, described in the script as a "Chaplinesque figure", was eventually given to Paul A. Partain. Partain, a member of a small theatre group, auditioned after learning of the casting call through the theatre's director. According to Partain, he arrived at the audition and was asked to read the lines of both the Hitchhiker and Franklin from the bus scene alongside other actors. Partain explained later that he felt drawn to Franklin with each reading and lobbied for the role. Partain remained in character for the duration of filming, his behavior between takes resulted in tension between the other cast members. as Partain recalled, "I was a young, inexperienced actor who didn't realize that it wasn't like theatre–You didn't have to stay in character all the time." William Vail originally intended to audition for the role of Franklin, however, he was later cast as Pam's boyfriend Kirk after meeting with Henkel.

For members of the cannibal family, Hansen was later selected for the role of Leatherface. Hansen described the audition as lengthy, as the filmmakers discussed with him about the character and his relationship with his family. The filmmakers were impressed with the actor's imposing figure, and later cast him in the role. Having never been involved in a feature film, Hansen wrote that he had felt participating in a horror film would be a unique experience. During his first cast meeting with the filmmakers, Hooper explained the character in detail for Hansen; describing Leatherface as severely mentally impaired and insane, which made the character violent and unpredictable. In preparation, Hansen experimented with different vocal tones and pitches to find the right voice for the character. He also visited a special needs school in Austin, observing how the students moved and spoke, in an attempt to find the proper movement and behavior.

The character known as the Old Man was given to Jim Siedow, a noted theatre performer who worked with Henkel and Hooper on an earlier film production. Edwin Neal was cast early on as the Hitchhiker. A Vietnam veteran, Neal had enrolled in the acting department at the University of Texas at the time of auditions. Neal states that he based his performance on his schizophrenic nephew. The cannibal's elderly "Grandpa" was portrayed by Henkel's brother-in-law John Dugan.

Minor roles were comprised of friends and acquaintances of the cast and crew. The voice-over narration was performed by John Larroquette, a friend of the assistant director and editor Sallye Richardson. According to Richardson, she recommended him to Hooper because of what she described as the "perfect voice" for the role. During post-production, Hooper flew down to Los Angeles and recorded dialogue with him at the post-production studio Todd-AO. In later years, Larroquette claimed he was paid in marijuana for the role. Robert Courtin and Ed Guinn are credited as the window washer and truck driver.

Filming

The "Texas Chainsaw House", located on Quick Hill Road near Round Rock, Texas, was used as the main location. It was later moved from La Frontera to Kingsland, Texas, and restored as a restaurant.

Principle photography began July 15, 1973, under the working title Leatherface. Production had intended to use an Arriflex 35BL 35mm camera, though budgetary constraints made this unfeasable. An Eclair NPR 16mm camera, with fine-grain, low-speed Ektachrome Commercial film was chosen instead. While the camera required more light than modern digital cameras and most filmstocks of the day, the format change gave the production a more mobile and cost-effective method of shooting on the standard theatrical 35mm format. Most sync sound portions were shot on the Eclair NPR, handheld and specialty shots were filmed using a 16mm Clockwork Bolex.

Described as "guerrilla filmmaking of the most hardcore and dedicated variety", several elaborate, low-budget rigs were constructed by the film crew to accommodate the film's low budget. A large, wooden camera rig was designed and used for tracking and dolly shots. Hooper manipulated the actors to get genuine reactions. Cast members were deliberately kept separated from those portraying the cannibal family and were told different reasons for the isolation. Most of the cast recalled being genuinely frightened by Hansen's appearance during their scenes, Allen was so startled while filming his character's death that he ran off set during the first take.

For the cannibal's house, an early 1900s farmhouse located on Quick Hill Road near Round Rock, Texas, served as the primary location. The production was granted access for five days by the owners, with the stipulation that they were only allowed to film in three of the house's rooms. The first scenes filmed were at the old Hardesty house, which was not in the original script. Production had discovered the abandoned house across the street from the main location and wrote the scene to take advantage of the location.

The murder of Vail's character was originally scripted for him to simply be hit in the head, with additional shots of a bloodied Kirk convulsing on the floor; according to Vail, he suggested that his character would spin around after being hit which was incorporated into the scene. The tracking shot of McMinn's character walking up to the house was thought up before filming. McMinn was only told about the scene during the moment and initially objected, but later agreed to film the scene. The scene was filmed in a masked widescreen format with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, using the Bolex mounted on a custom-built camera track, while a 48 foot (15 m) long dolly track and cart was installed between the swing and the house for stable camera movement. When the camera began rolling, Pearl slowly moved the camera forwards while McMinn walked towards the house. To compensate for the limited number of dolly tracks, crew members carefully placed the previous tracks in front of Pearl, making sure not to appear on camera.

The night drive to the house was shot with meticulous attention to detail, with clouds of dust illuminated by the truck's headlights. The effect was accomplished using two 1000-watt lights attached to the truck's bumper. Siedow and Neal choreographed the scene of the old man beating the hitchhiker. According to Neal, "Jim [Siedow] was so much shorter than I was... So I crouched down as low as I could get to make Jim appear taller". An oak dowel was used by Siedow for the sequence, Neal recalled that his cries of pain were genuine.

The final scenes filmed in the house were the most grueling and difficult, according to the cast and crew. The dinner scene, nicknamed "The Last Supper" by the cast and crew, was shot over two weeks. When it was eventually shot, set decorations, including food and animal parts, had been left in the house for several weeks and putrifying. Many would become ill from the smell. Sally's torment by the cannibal family involved a 26 to 36-hour shoot as Dugan and Siedow were unavailable for additional days. Windows in the house were covered to simulate nighttime, resulting in putrid working conditions from lack of air ventilation and increased temperatures. Certain camera movements, including dolly shots and pans were rehearsed with cast members before they were filmed, as Hooper wanted the actors to synchronize their actions with the camera's movements. Dugan was instructed by Hooper to remain completely limp during his scenes, causing some frustration with the other actors when he kept sliding off his wheelchair in multiple takes as they carried him downstairs. A frustrated Hansen eventually threatened to 'rip his head off' if it happened again. When it came time to film the scene in which Leatherface feeds "Grandpa", the crew had difficulty getting the stage blood to come out of its tube. After several takes, Hansen cut Burns's index finger with a razor to finish the scene.

Additional filming locations

Production still of Sally's escape

Many exterior sequences for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were filmed in rural locations outside of Austin. Sequences involving the van were shot during the first third of filming. The van was a 1972 Ford Club Wagon, with its center seats removed to accommodate Hooper, Pearl, the camera, and sound engineer Ted Nicolaou. Scenes were challenging to shoot, as windows of the van were kept up to prevent audio contamination, resulting in higher humidity and temperatures. Cast members had not viewed Neal in makeup before shooting and were genuinely unnerved by his appearance. Multiple takes were filmed because of technical issues, and the cast frequently messed up their lines. The effect of the Hitchhiker burning the photograph required gunpowder to ignite it. The pyrotechnics were not properly handled, as there were no funds to hire a professional. In the first take, the effects crew used more powder than intended, creating a large burst of flame. The van suffered only minimal damage, and the crew successfully filmed the scene after a few takes.

The gas station scene was filmed at Ryan's Hills Prairie Grocery, which later became Bilbo's Texas Landmark, was located at 1073 State Highway 304, Bastrop, Texas. The sign "W.E. Slaughter Barbecue" was designed and added to the location. Courtin, portraying the window washer, accidentally splashed soapy water onto Siedow during the first take, resulting in the rest of the cast bursting into laughter that continued through several takes. Siedow was reluctant to hit Marilyn with the prop broom in later scenes, but eventually performed the scene at Marilyn's reassurance.

Night sequences were difficult to shoot, as production could only afford two five-kilowatt and one ten-kilowatt light towers, resulting in underexposed reels. The sequence where Leatherface chases Sally through the woods was filmed on a 40 feet (12 m)-long dolly track. Pearl filmed the sequence using different angles and techniques, experimenting with focal length, Pearl filmed a large selection of different shots that were used in the editing process.

Sally's final escape was shot on a remote and rarely-used stretch of road, miles north of Austin. Before filming, the local sheriff was notified by the film crew of the film's production, who told him not to worry if he received any complaints from the locals. According to Hansen, the sheriff would only become outraged when the film crew blocked the road for an entire day. The final scene of Leatherface spinning around with his chainsaw, referred to as the "Chainsaw Dance", was partially improvised on the day of shooting. Hansen wrote that his performance in the scene came from all his frustration during filming, jokingly referred to it as a last-ditch effort to 'kill' the director.

Design and effects

Main page: Special effects of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Bob Burns was hired early in pre-production as the director of casting and art design, with additional roles in production design and special effects supervisor. Burns had met Hooper eight years prior and had worked on the press kit designs for Eggshells. Preparations began two months in advance of principal photography, with a total of $30,000 allocated for props and set decorations.

The interior of the cannibals' house was decorated by Burns, Church, and members of the production team. Most of the bones and dead animals were real, as the costs of acquiring them were often cheaper than the construction and purchase of alternatives. Props such as furniture were constructed using a mixture of real and fake human bones, and a latex material for the upholstery, imitating the appearance of human skin. Props for the film were briefly put on display at the UTA Union Art Gallery once filming had wrapped under the title Memories of Meat.

Production difficulties

Production of the film was fraught with on-set difficulties, caused by extreme weather, malfunctioning equipment, and poor working conditions. Production was forced to restart after the first week of filming interior and exterior shots at the house. Members of the cast and crew have given contradictory statements on the real reason for the reset; Hooper and Pearl would describe a faulty or damaged camera lens, resulting in an entire week's worth of unusable footage, while others would state lack of funding or preparation as the reason. As a result, Bozman would demand that Hooper create a shot list for each day of filming. The shot list was never followed, Hooper later admitted to Pearl the reason for creating it was to "get them (the executives) to shut up". Hooper's direction often clashed with financers of the film, who insisted that he abide by the shot list. In one instance, Hooper and the crew threatened to quit if production did not allow them the freedom to shoot additional sequences.

The small budget and concerns over high-cost equipment rentals meant the crew filmed seven days a week, up to sixteen hours a day. The cast and crew found working conditions rough, with reported temperatures peaking at 110°F (43 °C) on July 26th. Most of the cast performed their own stunts, resulting in close calls and on-set injuries. Church often worked as a stunt double for the female cast, and suffered minor injuries. Marilyn was injured on multiple occasions while filming both chase scenes. The Leatherface mask limited Hansen's visibility, resulting in many injuries on set. Hooper later stated that "everyone hated me by the end of the production" and that "it just took years for them to kind of cool off."

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was originally scheduled for 14 days of principle photography, though problems in production it took 28 to 56 days to wrap. The film exceeded its original $60,000 (about $288,000 adjusted for inflation) budget during editing. Sources differ on the final cost, offering figures between $93,000 (about $447,000 inflation-adjusted) and $300,000 (about $1,400,000 inflation-adjusted).

Post-production

Editing

A Steenbeck 16mm editing table was used by the filmmakers to edit the film.

Larry Carroll was suggested for the film's editor by Daniel Pearl, and hired early in production. Carroll was on-set for most of the production, viewing and organizing dailies. Carroll worked closely with Nicolaou, conferring with each other on the audio logs to assist with the post-production synchronization. As rewrites to the script continued during filming, Carroll relied more on Nicolaou's detailed scene notes and audio logs when assembling a rough cut for Hooper.

Post-production officially began in October 1973, with Hooper and Carroll editing the film at the offices of ShoutOut Films on a Steenbeck 16mm editing table. While post-production was initially scheduled for completion in four weeks, editing continued into the following year and Carroll was forced to leave the production due to other editing commitments. As Parsley continued to demand a finished product, Hooper contacted assistant director, Sallye Richardson to assist him with editing duties. Richardson later disputed this, stating that Carroll's style did not match Hooper's vision for the film, and she was brought in to replace Carroll. Richardson further claimed that a majority of Carroll's edits were discarded, and Carroll remained credited as editor per an agreement with the filmmakers. The editing process, according to Richardson, focused on "the ebb and flow" of the suspense in each scene. Richardson would arrive at the office after hours, editing the film under Hooper's supervision throughout the night and sleeping during the day.

While editing, it was discovered that additional footage was needed to piece the film together. According to Richardson, Hooper was dissatisfied with the current cut of the film "We could see it wasn't working, and Tobe felt he needed something at the beginning". Insert shots were filmed by Hooper and edited into the film. Pick-ups included the opening sequence, which was filmed at the Bagdad Cemetery, located in Leander, Texas, with sunspot footage purchased from NASA. Marilyn was brought back during post-production to pick-ups for the dinner scene, which consisted of extreme close-ups of Marilyn's eyes, reaction shots, and footage of her screaming. Tobe and the crew spent several hours filming in the studio, "I went down there, and it seemed like four to five hours." Marilyn states.

When production ran out of funds, editing continued at Hooper's residence before additional financial backing allowed for production to be completed at an editing house in Los Angeles.

Music and sound effects

Both Tobe and I loved that boundary between music and sound. That wonderful mushy grey area between "is it music?" or "is it just sound?" is an area we loved playing in, and it's an important component of what we were doing, so there becomes some indistinction, and that you the audience don't know is just fine.

— Wayne Bell in 2017 on creating the music for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is often cited by writers for its experimental blend of music and sound effects, an aesthetic described by British magazine Little White Lies as "a complex layering of percussive, organic and electronic sounds". The film score was co-produced by Hooper and musician Wayne Bell, with Nicolaou providing sound effects during principal photography. Hooper had envisioned the film as an experience that "would enter your mind the way music does", opting for an aggressive aesthetic for the film's score. Blending music with sound effects, according to Bell, was intentional as it added to the level of unease through the uncertainty of what the audience hears.

Sound mixing was an integral part of the film's atmosphere and score, achieved through recording a wide range of musical instruments and natural sounds. When creating the sound design, Hooper and Bell blended music and sound so they would sometimes "clash" together. Hooper deliberately incorporated animal sounds into certain scenes, in an attempt to recreate sounds occurring in a slaughterhouse, Bell recalls that the sounds of a pig were performed by his father. Audio tracks were also created before the scenes were filmed, and based only on certain plot points, such as scenes of tension, the presence of characters in a room, or chase scenes. Multiple stringed and percussive instruments were used in conjunction to the film's score. Cymbals were spliced through Chain Saw's score to add a metallic, warped quality to the mix. Manipulating the intensity of the natural sounds in the film was also important, according to Bell. In the scene where Leatherface attacks Kirk with a hammer, the sounds of bones and brass instruments are blended into the soundtrack.

File:The Texas Chainsaw Massacre -Opening Titles.ogg

Partial sample of "Opening Titles", composed by Bell and Hooper in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The film features seven original songs, written and performed by local artists. The song "Fool For A Blond", written and performed by Roger Bartlett, is briefly heard as the group picks up the Hitchhiker. According to Hooper, he chose it specifically for the scene because he felt it created an atmosphere of lightness and a strong contrast between what the viewer hears and sees. Other songs were written and performed by Timberline Rose, Arkey Blue, and Los Cyclones. Attempts were made to track down the original artists to record an official soundtrack album for the film. Issues with copyright holders made the project unfeasible, and the project was abandoned. An official soundtrack was later released for the first time by Waxwork Records in December 2024.

Over the years, the film's soundtrack has received recognition for its subtle provocation of disorientation and dread. In 2019, Rolling Stone included it as one of the 35 best horror film soundtracks, defining it as "dirty, outlaw country music combined with warped mainstream music" and deeming it "background noise turned into an avant-garde soundtrack". The soundtrack has been cited by the experimental pop band Animal Collective as a strong influence upon their musical output.

Additional funding and distribution

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre struggled to attain funds through the entirety of its production. When hiring cast and crew members for the film, Bozman notified them that he would have to defer part of their salaries until after it was sold to a distributor, as they did not have sufficient funds to pay them. Vortex made the idea more attractive by awarding them a share of its potential profits, ranging from 0.25 to 6%, similar to mortgage points. The cast and crew were not informed that Vortex owned only 50%, which meant their points were worth half of the assumed value. Before the completion of the film, a total of $40,000 in cast and crew salaries had been deferred. Funds to complete the project were obtained from a film production group, Pie in the Sky, led by future President of the Texas State Bar Joe K. Longley provided $23,532 (about $113,000 inflation-adjusted) in exchange for 19% of Vortex. This left Henkel and Hooper a 45% stake, with 35% to be divided among the rest of the cast and crew.

In the summer of 1974, Skareen began shopping a rough cut of the film in hopes of acquiring a distributor to finance the remaining editing costs. Columbia Pictures briefly showed interest during this period, offering to pay production in advance for the deal, but rescinded a week later. David Foster, who later produced the 1982 horror film The Thing, arranged for a private screening for West Coast executives of Bryanston Distributing Company, and received 1.5% of Vortex's profits and a deferred fee of $500 (about $2,400 inflation-adjusted). On August 28, 1974, Louis Peraino of Bryanston agreed to distribute the film worldwide, from which Bozman and Skaaren would receive $225,000 (about $1,100,000 inflation-adjusted) and 35% of the profits. Bryanston was already responsible for producing box office hits. Producers and filmmakers signed a contract with Bryanston and after the investors recouped their money (with interest),—and after Skaaren, the lawyers, and the accountants were paid—only $8,100 (about $38,900 inflation-adjusted) was left to be divided among the cast and crew.

The film cycled through several titles during production, including Saturn in Retrograde, a reference to the astrological themes that never made the final draft. Skaaren is credited with coming up with the film's title.

Thematic analysis

Main page: Themes and analysis of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Since its release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been subject to extensive analysis of its style, themes, and artistic merits. Vigorous discussions on a variety of cultural, social, and political themes identified by critics and commentators have persisted since its original release. It was one of the earliest horror films to be subject to scholarly discussions with the 1984 publication of Christopher Sharrett's essay The Idea of the Apocalypse in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and paved the way for the incorporation of social commentary within the genre.

Chain Saw, like many of Hooper's films, thematizes and parodies contemporary American life of the period. Developed during the 1973–1975 recession and public mistrust of authority, further explores the the impact of industry advancement and its effect upon urban communities. It has been the subject of extensive critical discussion; critics and scholars have interpreted it as a paradigmatic exploitation film in which female protagonists are subjected to brutal, sadistic violence. Accusations of misogynist undertones have persisted in the decades after its release. Cast members, including Marilyn Burns and Gunnar Hansen have criticized this assessment.

Release

Rating and censorship

See also: Video nasty and Film censorship

The Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) ratings board had been established several years before to replace the defunct Hays Production Code. The MPAA had already been criticized for its indirect censorship—reportedly almost a third of the films submitted to it had been recut to avoid an X rating. Parsley had reportedly urged Hooper to aim for a commercially profitable PG rating during filming, and Hooper had hoped the MPAA would give the complete, uncut release print the PG rating due to its minimal amount of visible gore. It was categorized under the X rating by the MPAA. Several minutes were cut, and it was resubmitted to receive a more commercially viable R-rating. In one instance, a distributor restored the cut material and presented it under an R rating. The film was censored in Canada for a time by the Ontario Film Review Board after several cuts were made. In February 1976, two theaters in Ottawa, Canada were advised by local police to withdraw the film lest they face morality charges, superseding the film board's ruling on the film. Chain Saw was screened a year later in Ontario after it was resubmitted for classification.

Internationally, the film was subjected to extensive cuts and censorship. On February 27, 1975, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) secretary Stephen Murphy informally viewed Chain Saw. While he admitted that it was well-made, Murphy was concerned by the high level of terrorization of its characters and focus on what he described as "abnormal psychology". It was screened for board members of the British Film Institute (BFI), who expressed their disgust over the film. The BBFC refused certification in its first submission for classification on March 14, with the board stating that local councils would likely deem the film unacceptable. In a correspondence letter to its UK distributor, Hemdale International, Murphy admitted would be refused certification, but suggested they submit it to the Greater London Council. A shorter version was submitted to the Council and ruled that the film could be screened in London under an X certification. Some local councils approved screenings in their districts while others banned it. After a year-long theatrical run in London, it was banned in the United Kingdom on the advice of Murphy and his successor James Ferman, who described the film as a 'pornography of terror'.

While the British ban was in effect, the word "chainsaw" was banned from film titles, forcing imitators to rename their films. By the early 1980s, the British Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had increased prosecution and confiscation of films they deemed a violation of the 1959's Obscene Publications Act, and the publication of the "Video Nasties" list by the DPP sparked moral panic. While not deemed a true Video Nasty by the DPP, the film is often linked to the more severe "Section One" portions of the list. It was officially classified under "Section Three", and was liable to seizure and confiscation under a "less obscene" charge. An unrated theatrical cut was submitted to the BBFC in 1984 for a home media release but was refused certification. In 1998, despite the BBFC ban, Camden London Borough Council granted the film a license. After the retirement of BBFC Director Ferman the following year, the board passed the film uncut for theatrical and video distribution with an 18 certificate, and it was broadcast a year later on Channel 4.

When the 83-minute version of the film was submitted to the Australian Classification Board by distributor Seven Keys in June 1975, the board denied the film a classification, and similarly refused classification of a 77-minute print in December that year. It was later submitted by Filmways Australasian Distributors and approved for an R18+ rating by the ACB in 1984. It was banned for periods in many other countries, including Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and West Germany.

Theatrical screenings

Alternate Image: Photograph of theatres playing the film (1974-1980)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre screening at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon, in July 2014.

Bryanston scheduled The Texas Chain Saw Massacre for an October 1st premiere in Austin, Texas, with screenings in over 200 local and drive-in theaters. Neal attended a number of these screenings in Austin, intentionally frightening attendees during his scenes until the theatre owners told him to desist. It later screened nationally in the United States on October 4th, as a Saturday afternoon matinée, later expanding to approximately 200-screen wide release by October 11th. On October 30th, it opened in 105 theaters in New York, and an additional 45 theaters in Los Angeles. False advertising as a "true story" factored heavily into the film's marketing campaign, with some advertisements promoting it as "the first horror film made in Austin".

An opening in New York's Cinema Village in 1975 was deemed a huge hit. Attending the screening, journalist Michael Wolff commented on the opening as "a cultural experience but an acquired taste", with young cinemagoers filling the air with pot smoke as the film played. By March 27, Toronto-based newspaper Exalibur reported the film was currently screening in 230 theaters across the country, describing one theatre as "overflowing with thrill seekers". Midnight screenings of the film were highly successful, attracting crowds of cinema-goers for the next couple of years. For eight years after 1976, it was annually reissued to first-run theaters. By 1982, the film had been distributed to over 85 countries.

The film was re-released theatrically by New Line Cinema after the company acquired distribution rights. In 2021, it was given a limited release in Australia. On October 1, 2024, a restored print of the film was re-released theatrically in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Box office

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was a financial success and a box-office hit. On October 16th, Bryanston began running full-page advertisements, claiming the film had grossed $602,133 ($2.9 million in 2024) at its Texas screenings within its first four days, surpassing many of Bryanson's releases up to that period, including their American release of Bruce Lee's Return of the Dragon (1972), and Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein (1973). By the third week it placed at number three for the highest-grossing films behind The Longest Yard and Airport 1975, with $456,000 ($2.19 million in 2024). In its first five months of release, it grossed $5 million to $7 million ($24 million to $33.7 million in 2024) in North America. It earned $14.421 million ($69.3 million in 2024) in distributors' rentals during its theatrical release in 1974 in the United States and Canada. After a year-long theatrical run, it had grossed $20 million in ticket sales, adjusted for inflation to $96.2 million in 2024. In 1976, BoxOffice magazine listed at #3 of the top 10 grossing films in the U.K. that year.

New Line's limited re-release of the film in 1981 provided an additional $6 million ($17 million in 2024) to its overall gross outside the U.S. and Canada, and in 2024, a re-release of the film grossed an additional $131,709. Since 2014, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has sold 503,692 units in the U.S. in its Blu-ray format, totaling in approximately $2.5 million in sales.

Detailed box office figures of Chain Saw's lifetime gross are unclear. During its theatrical run, Bryanson had tampered with their financial records and released inaccurate figures to avoid paying residuals. Additionally, box office figures within and outside the United States are inconsistent and incomplete. According to the box-office tracking websites Box Office Mojo and the Numbers, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre earned from $26.5 million to $30.8 million worldwide, totaling $128 million and $148 million when adjusted for inflation. making it the 12th-highest-grossing film released in 1974. However, estimations of the film's lifetime worldwide gross have varied between $50 million and $100 million (Approximately $240 million and $481 million in 2024).

Reception

Critical response

Upon release, the film received polarized reviews. Critics often described the film as "well made", while its intensity and "gruesome" elements were a source of criticism. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it two stars, stating it was "without any apparent purpose, unless the creation of disgust and fright is a purpose", but wrote positively on its acting and technical execution. The Times critic David Robinson commented that the film, while well made, was essentially "unpalatable".

Open hostility and condemnation by critics and the public towards its dark, oppressive tone and violence worldwide were widely reported. During his opening monologue, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson host Johnny Carson lambasted the film and the MPAA's decision to award it an R rating. Some critics refused to review the film based on its content, while others were derisive, calling it "cheap sensationalist rubbish". Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times called it "despicable", and described the filmmakers as more concerned with creating "ugly and obscene" violence than with its "plastic script". In his 1976 article "Fashions in Pornography" for Harper's Magazine, Stephen Koch denounced the film as "a vile piece of crap", describing it as 'pornography of gore' and compared its level of violence to a snuff film. The Province's Michael Walsh opined the film as "extremely gruesome and disgusting", Daily News called it "a violent piece of junk" and the entire production "inept". The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting's Catholic Film Newsletter wrote that the film was "a stream of unrelieved and explicit gore". The publication also decried it and those who enjoyed the film as "sick". Writing on the film's 1976 Canadian release, Frank Daley said the film's only purpose was to "explore new depths of sadism and blood-letting".

Some critics praised the film, highlighting its raw emotional power and intensity, in addition to Hooper's direction. One of Chain Saw's earliest advocates, the critic Rex Reed called it "the most terrifying film I have ever seen". In his review, Reed praised the film's relentless ability to "drive you out of your mind", while cautioning that it was not for the weak-hearted. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Donald B. Berrigan echoed Reed's sentiment, writing that its depiction of horror was "highly convincing" and "soul-crushing". Writing for the New Jersey newspaper The Record, John Crittenden called the film "a masterpiece", highlighting its 'nightmare inducing' intensity. As Crittenden argues, like Night of the Living Dead, the film "offer[s] intense experiences every bit as magnificent as the ones we get in movies that are generally considered good." For Castle of Frankenstein writer Paul Roen, Chain Saw extended the boundaries of what horror films can achieve. Roen argues that the film was not "gratuitously gory" as some have claimed, but insightful in conveying the horrors it portrays. John McCarty of Cinefantastique highlighted the tension, atmosphere, and thrills as "extremely powerful".

Audience emotional response

Audience members walked out of theaters in disgust during a sneak preview in San Francisco. Cinema-goers had purchased tickets to a Disney film and were, instead, shown the film. Many of them purportedly demanded their money back. Despite its mixed critical reviews, controversies over its content, and viewer reaction, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was an unexpected hit, with some theatres screening it to packed viewership.

Reports of strong audience reactions were widespread. Many viewers reportedly screamed during screenings, while others were reported to have cheered during the kill scenes. Parental reactions

Studies have been made on the psychological effects of the film over the years. In 1984, Journal of Communication published a study by media and psychology professors, documenting the psychological effects on a group of men viewing five films depicting differing levels of violence against women. On first viewing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre they experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety; however, upon subsequent viewing, they found the violence against women less offensive and more enjoyable. The scientific journal Sex Roles published a 2000 study which investigated the gender-specific perceptions of slasher films, involving 30 male and 30 female university students. One male participant was quoted saying the film was "intensely unpleasant". In their documented response, the viewer described being drained after viewing the film, and particularly disturbed by the screaming and torment depicted in the film. They went on to state that their perception of the gore and graphic violence "made me feel awful—almost guilty—for watching it."

Jesse Stommel of Bright Lights Film Journal states that the lack of explicit violence in the film forces viewers to question their fascination with violence that they play a central role in imagining. Nonetheless—citing its feverish camera moves, repeated bursts of light, and auditory pandemonium—Stommel asserts that the film involved the audience primarily on a sensory rather than an intellectual level.

Journalists complained that the popularity of the film was another symptom of the degredation of society,

Accolades

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was selected for the 1975 Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight and London Film Festival. In 1976, it won the Special Jury Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival in France.

Post-release

Litigation

Main article: Bryanston Distributing Company

Despite its financial success, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre had a troubled legal history. During its theatrical run, Bryanston refused to pay investors, including the cast and crew, their full percentage of the profits. At the time of Bryanston's acquisition of film distribution rights to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, rumors were circulating on the Peraino's purported connection to the Colombo crime family. Later court documents revealed that former Colombo family associate and mobster Sonny Franzese was a known investor of the film. Years later, Bozman stated, "We made a deal with the devil, [sigh], and I guess that, in a way, we got what we deserved." Bryanston claimed to investors that their 35% stake was worth $5,700 ($27,000 in 2024) in the eighteen months of its release, contradicting previous reports of the film grossing over $600,000 in its first four days. Bryanston sent investors four quarterly financial reports on the film which claimed gross receipts had totaled $1.082 million ($4.76 million in 2024). This number was contradicted in a 1982 interview with Bryanston's former vice president of advertising and publicity, Ira Teller, who describes the company's earnings of the film as reaching $6 million ($26.4 million in 2024) by December 1975. Payments to investors were minimal with Bryanston sending checks varying from $28.45 to $300 ($0.00 to $1,000 in 2024). By the fall of 1975, cast and crew hired the accounting firm Solomon & Finger to perform audits on Bryanston's financial records, although this was unsuccessful. Principal investors Kuhn and Skaaren later visited Peraino in New York after Bryanston refused to account for or file any reports of their profits, giving them notice to audit their financial records to which Peraino refused.

Lawsuits against Bryanston over Chain Saw's profits began after the film's release and continued into the 21st century. In 1976, Chain Saw's producers sued Bryanston for failing to pay them their full percentage of the box office profits. At that time, Bryanston had secretly assigned film rights to Joseph Brenner Associates, in exchange for the latter paying $10,000 ($42,000 in 2024) owed to the National Film Service. Los Angeles Times reported a total of 25 separate lawsuits were filed against its distributors. A settlement was reached by February 1977 and Bryanston was instructed to pay the filmmakers $400,00 (about $1,900,000 inflation-adjusted), but by then the company had declared bankruptcy, and millions of dollars in the film's profits were never paid to the cast and crew. Swadevale, an English distributor and subsidiary of Bryanston, still received 20% of all rentals for the film in the UK and foreign markets. In a 1977 agreement, Kuhn allowed the company to continue distributing the film in exchange for $14,500 ($57,000 in 2024) in profits owed.

Home media

Optional Image: VHS cover

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has appeared on various home video formats. In 1982, home media distributor Wizard Video acquired videocassette rights to the film for $200,000 (about $500,000 inflation-adjusted), the highest paid for an independent film at the time. It was released on VHS and Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) in the United States early by Wizard Video and Vestron Video that same year. The release was among the most popular video rentals at the time according to some news outlets, and debut at #1 in top video sales, with 22,000 copies sold that year. Releases of the film on VHS and CED expanded significantly by the late 1980s and 1990s, both in the United States and overseas. It was briefly released on VHS in the United Kingdom in the 1980s by Iver Film Services, including cut and uncut versions until its ban by the BBFC. By late 1982, Iver reported earnings of $73,900 (about $200,000 inflation-adjusted) in videocassette sales.

It was released on LaserDisc by MPI Home Video in the United States in November 1993, followed by its DVD debut on October 6, 1998, distributed by Geneon USA. In the United Kingdom, Blue Dolphin released on DVD in May 2000, following the end of its almost 25-year ban in the UK. In 2005, it received a 2K scan and full restoration from the original 16mm A/B rolls, which was released on DVD and Blu-ray the following year. The release featured additional content, including Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth and Flesh Wounds – detailed documentaries on the production, deleted and alternate scenes, outtakes, and commentary by the cast and crew.

In 2014, a more extensive 4K restoration, which was supervised by Hooper, and was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray worldwide on September 2014 as a set containing two Blu-ray discs and two DVDs, as well as special features from earlier releases and new interviews with the cast and crew. A separate, limited-edition box set came with a theatrical poster, and a "blood-splattered" apron. On February 2023, Dark Sky Films debuted the film on two-disk 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Steelbook. The release included seven hours of bonus content, including new documentaries and interviews. The film was released to Ultra HD Blu-ray and limited edition VHS by Dark Sky Films in 2024. The release included a multi-disc collector's box set containing new extra features and a replica of Leatherface's chainsaw.

Video game

Main article: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1983 video game)

A video game based on the film developed by VSS, Inc. and published by Wizard Video Games. It was released in 1983 for the Atari 2600, as an action-based platformer. In the game, the player assumes the role of Leatherface and attempts to murder trespassers while avoiding obstacles such as fences and cow skulls. Critical reviews for the game were largely negative. As one of the first horror-themed video games, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre caused controversy when it was first released due to its violent nature; it sold poorly as a result, as many game stores refused to stock it.

Legacy

Main pages: Legacy and cultural impact of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Chain Reactions

• https://archive.orartswatch.org/re-examining-the-texas-chain-saw-massacre/

Critical reassessment

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains an enduringly popular piece of cinema.

• https://variety.com/lists/best-movies-of-all-time/

Later Praise: Despite its initial mixed reception, it has since been reevaluated by critics and is now acknowledged as a landmark film and one of the greatest horror films ever made. A 1985 summary by critic Bill Nichols argues that the film "achieve[d] the force of authentic art, profoundly disturbing, intensely personal". The Austin Chronicle's Mike Emery wrote: "Hooper's vision is horrid yet engrossing. His subtle touches... and grotesque characterizations make rural Texas seem like a hellish place where only the strong survive". Its presentation, Emery notes, grounded the film so that "[it] never seems too far from what could be the truth".

Empire commented that the film "remains as disturbing, suspenseful and shattering as the day it first saw the light of a drive-in screen." Peter Bradshaw Sophie Morris

• Bruce Westbrook of the Houston Chronicle:
• TV Guide:
• Kim Newman Empire:https://web.archive.org/web/20120324020824/https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=3841
• Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine:https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-texas-chainsaw-massacre/
• Alan Jones of Radio Times:https://web.archive.org/web/20151005070618/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/cnkc6/URL
• https://variety.com/2017/film/columns/a-tribute-to-tobe-hooper-texas-chain-saw-massacre-1202539952/

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, which has compiled old and contemporary reviews, reports that 84% of 85 critics provided positive reviews for the film, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Thanks to a smart script and documentary-style camerawork, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieves start-to-finish suspense, making it a classic in low-budget exploitation cinema." On Metacritic, a similar website that aggregates both past and present reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

• https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-stand-up-desk/texas-chainsaw-massacre-behind-the-story/
• https://www.rogerebert.com/features/you-like-this-face-jumping-into-the-void-with-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-texas-chainsaw-massacre
• https://web.archive.org/web/20170827115755/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/27/tobe-hooper-appreciation-texas-chainsaw-massacre-american-family

The year of its release, the film was selected by New York City's Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection, and was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame in 1990, with director Hooper accepting the award. The Academy Film Archive houses the Texas Chain Saw Massacre Collection, which contains over fifty items, including many original elements of the film.

Media recognition

It has frequently been placed in top film polls by film critics and industry professionals. In 2005 British film magazine Total Film ranked it at number 1 in their list of the greatest horror films ever made, and in 2010 it was voted into first place in an additional Total Film poll of leading directors and stars of horror films. In a 2010 Total Film poll, it was again selected as the greatest horror film; the judging panel included veteran horror directors such as John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero. It has since appeared in several publications as one of the best horror films of all time, including Thrillist (2016), Consequence of Sound (2019), Slant Magazine (2019), MovieWeb (2022), Esquire (2023), and Variety (2024).

Some publications have included it in their polls of greatest films of all time, including The Village Voice in 1999 and 2001,, Total Film (2005), Empire magazine in 2008,. and Sight and Sound in 2012. It is also listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. In 2024, the United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry, recognizing it as "a cultural, generational and filmmaking touchstone".

American Film Institute recognition

The film was nominated by American Film Institute in these lists:

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – No. 345 (nominated)
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains- Leatherface (nominated villain)

Cultural impact

• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/movies/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre-anniversary.html

Since its release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has had a significant impact on the horror genre and popular culture, noted as one of the first feature films from Austin to gain significant critical and commercial attention. By 1975, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was already considered a cult film, and accumulated a large following among horror fans.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is credited for setting the template for subsequent horror films. and influencing the developing slasher genre. Story elements in the film, including groups of young people being picked off one by one by a killer, have become a staple of the genre. According to the Entertainment Weekly writer Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, the film laid the foundations for the Halloween, Evil Dead, and Blair Witch horror franchises. Similarly, the character Leatherface has gained a reputation as a horror icon, establishing the use of conventional tools as murder weapons, as well as the portrayal of a large, deranged killer devoid of personality.

The film was referenced in political cartoons. Other films, television shows, and video games have extensively referenced or parodied the film, including

Many filmmakers have spoken of their appreciation for the film or cited its influence on their work, including Wes Craven, Ridley Scott, Christoph Schlingensief, Alexandre Aja, Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, Fede Álvarez, Ti West, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Neil Marshall. John Carpenter listed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as one of his top eight scariest horror classics, and Quentin Tarantino has called it "one of the few perfect movies ever made". In 2011, The New York Times asked prominent horror filmmakers what film they had found the scariest. Two, John Waters, John Landis, cited The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Other filmmakers, including Stanley Kubrick and Jennifer Kent, have cited The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a favorite. The 2024 documentary Chain Reactions documents the impact and influence the film had on five select artists, including Karyn Kusama, Takashi Miike, and Stephen King.

Franchise

Main article: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's commercial success resulted in the production of eight other films to divided critical favor. The franchise itself is known for its inconsistent tone and fractured in-film timeline due to the frequent changes production rights.

Following New Line Cinema's purchase of distribution rights and profitable 1981 theatrical re-release of the first film, Hooper began brainstorming ideas for a sequel. The project did not culminate until 1983, nine years after the release of the first film, when The Hollywood Reporter announced the project in a November 2nd trade advertisement. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was released in 1986, it was considerably more graphic and violent than the original, with Hooper opting to focus on the dark humor he felt was not picked up on in the first film. The film was not successful and received polarizing critical reviews. A third film, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III was released in 1990, though Hooper did not return to direct due to scheduling conflicts. The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, starring Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, was released in 1995. While briefly acknowledging the events of the preceding two sequels, its plot is a virtual remake of the 1974 original.

An official remake was released by Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema in 2003. It was followed by a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, in 2006. A seventh film, Texas Chainsaw 3D, was released on January 4, 2013. It is a direct sequel to the original 1974 film, with no relation to the previous sequels or the 2003 remake. A prequel, titled Leatherface, was released exclusively to DirecTV on September 21, 2017, before receiving a wider release on video on demand and in limited theaters, simultaneously, in North America on October 20, 2017. The latest entry, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was released exclusively on Netflix on February 18, 2022.

Works cited

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Media publications

• https://www.salon.com/2003/09/11/eli_roth/
• https://www.salon.com/2022/05/01/ti-west-x-pearl/
• https://www.rogerebert.com/features/you-like-this-face-jumping-into-the-void-with-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-texas-chainsaw-massacre
• https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre-turns-50-leatherface-1235033174/
• https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/texas-chainsaw-massacre-venice-film-festival-19739654.php

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Further reading

• Bessette, Eliot (September 2022). "Emotional Point of View in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre". Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. 62 (1). Michigan Publishing: 36–59. doi:10.1353/cj.2022.0062.
• Chambost, Christophe (April 27, 2021). "Southern Discomfort: Clanking, Rattling, and Screaming in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)". Miranda. University of Toulouse: 1–16. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
• Kattelman, Beth (June 2011). "'We Dare You to See This!': Ballyhoo and the 1970s horror film". Horror Studies. 2 (1). Intellect Ltd: 61–74.
• Sbravatti, Valerio (Fall 2016). "Story-Music / Discourse-Music: Analyzing the Relationship between Placement and Function of Music in Films". Music and the Moving Image. 9 (3). University of Illinois Press: 19–37. JSTOR 10.5406.

External links

• Official Site
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre at IMDb
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre at the TCM Movie Database
• Original 1973 Leatherface script at the Internet Archive