The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

"The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

- Opening Monologue read by John Larroquette

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American horror slasher film. It was directed by Tobe Hooper, written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper, and produced by Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper, Jay Parsley, and Richard Saenz. It starred Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen, and John Dugan. Released on October 11, 1974, it initially drew a mixed reception from critics. In the years, it has since gained a reputation as one of the best and most influential horror films. It led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books and video games.

Plot
When Sally (Marilyn Burns) hears that her grandfather's grave may have been vandalized, she and her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), set out with their friends to investigate. After a detour to their family's old farmhouse, they discover a group of crazed, murderous outcasts living next door. As the group is attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wears a mask of human skin, the survivors must do everything they can to escape.

Why Its a Slaughterhouse

 * 1) It was responsible for helping to lay the groundwork for the slasher genre, even before Halloween.
 * 2) It made the hitchhiker and abandoned houses popular clichés in slasher films.
 * 3) The cinematography has an old, grainy look which gives it an ominous feel.
 * 4) The opening narration by John Larroquette sets up the mood very well.
 * 5) Good acting.
 * 6) Excellent casting.
 * 7) The iconic camera sound.
 * 8) Great, eerie and creepy soundtrack.
 * 9) It was shot entirely in the film's setting of Texas.
 * 10) Apart from his horror iconicity, Leatherface is also a very scary and intimidating villain: He's like 6 feet tall, he's fat and strong enough to carry his victims and hang them in meat hooks, he doesn't talk and only moans and shrieks, we never see his face as he only wears a human-face-made mask, and never lets go of his terrifying chainsaw that for some reason never runs out of fuel.
 * 11) The infamous dinner scene is likely one of, if not, the most terrifying scene in any horror movie. Especially with the main character Sally screaming in agony.
 * 12) *Fun fact, those screams are actually real screams as actor Marilyn Burns implied that the dinner scene drove her insane and terrified her. And it really shows.
 * 13) Despite the title, there aren't any chainsaw kills. In fact, there's very little blood in general, and it's a good thing. Unlike many modern horror movies that rely on gore and shock content, this film relies on suspense, tension and atmosphere to scare it's viewers rather than graphic gore, and that's a very different approach to the horror genre.
 * 14) Several cast members are Texas natives while Marilyn Burns and Gunnar Hansen were raised there.
 * 15) What makes the movie overall so scary? It's based on true events, for real. The movie is based on Ed Gein's true heinous crimes; that reason is enough to send shivers down your spine.

The Only Bad Quality

 * 1) It does take awhile for stuff to happen.

Reception
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre received a mixed reaction upon its initial release. Afterwards, it is considered one of the greatest—and most controversial—horror films of all time and a major influence on the genre. Based on 61 reviews published since 2000, the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 89% of critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 8.11/10. The site's critical consensus states, "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.".

Trivia

 * Similar to Psycho, this movie was loosely based on the real life serial killer Ed Gein. However, while Psycho focused more on Ed Gein's fascination with his mother, this movie focused more on Ed Gein's cannibalism and the fact that he liked to wear the skin of his deceased mother.
 * While the original theatrical release poster and many references to the film render its title as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the official spelling is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, per the film's opening credits. This is also the title under which the film is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
 * The film was banned in several countries including, Brazil, France, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Singapore due to its violent content.
 * Tobe Hooper originally meant for the movie to get a PG-rating, which is why he kept some of the violence off-camera.