Halloween (1978) vs. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).

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Which 70s slasher horror classic do you think is better?

Halloween had a more convincing villain for me perhaps. We don't know the villain wants to murder people he just does. But in TCM, we have a co-conspiracy of brutal murderers who are into some very weird stuff, so I feel that maybe these villains warrant more explanation therefore, but we don't get it, compared to Halloween, where there is at least some explanation from the Loomis character.

On the other hand, Halloween is a bit awkward in the sex and nudity scenes, cause they actually show a whole intercourse scene before a couple is murdered and it was just strange and felt unnecessary. I also feel that the teen characters, were just not that interesting, and even though they are suppose to be average, they are perhaps too average.

Where as TCM doesn't care to have any sex or nudity and just focuses on the plot more, and is more taut as a result.

Halloween has a much better ending where was TCM's ending feels kind of anticlimatic.

I also like how Halloween makes no apologies for being fiction, where as TCM tried to shoehorn in that it was based on a true story, to attract audiences.

What do you think?



Halloween

Very different type of horror movies. Chainsaw was in your face sudden pitiless butchery, where as Halloween set a mood and kept the audience anxious. To top it off the music might have been the best score EVER in a horror movie, or right up there.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I'd have to re-watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre again to truthfully decide, but I'm leaning towards Halloween because of one thing and one thing only.


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Gotta go with the saw. It's raw nightmare atmosphere (and the based-on-true-events schtick actually lands, justifying the anticlimax - but then again the final shot of the movie does that anyway) and doesn't dick around as much as Halloween does.
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In the recent Horror Countdown I had them at 4 and 5 with TCM just edging out Halloween. Halloween is a superb slasher but TCM is a serious gut punch. Halloween takes a bit to get going after the first scene whereas TCM has an uneasy feeling right of the bat and doesn't let up.



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I'd have to go with Texas of course. It's more of a brutal in your face kind of film, especially that dinner scene. Seeing the close up of Sally's eye in her state of fear is priceless. Halloween has its tense moments, but Texas has a more realistic feel to it. I even read that Jerry's scream when he sees Leatherface is genuine because the actor who played Jerry, Allen Danziger, didn't see Gunnar Hansen until that scene so it scared the hell out of him.
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