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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - Directed by Tobe Hooper
"The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history."
I am reviewing the first slasher movie I've ever seen (unless you want to count Scary Movie, and I don't think most people would), and I saw it today: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I specifically chose this one because it was entirely tame. I'm surprised it's still considered an R movie. The Temple of Doom was a bloodier movie than this. But overall, this movie proves something that we have been ignoring for a long time: sometimes, one little nightmare's all it takes to scare ya'.
One of the first slashers ever, this movie is about a group of teenagers travelling through Texas and making their way to an old home owned by one of their fathers. However, the house is occupied. And among the disturbing rubble and trash is an unexpected guest who seems to have no intention at all except the worst kind: murdering them all. How many of them will make it out in one piece?
Let us take a moment to remember that the scariest things in life aren't based on backstories and character development. Sometimes, we just get a nightmare. I don't get them, usually, but I'm aware of how things can be scary without a story. It's a low-budget, low made film and a surprisingly suspenseful film. I suppose one could easily say it has no right to be as scary as it is, but it was.
Why was it scary? Well, what wouldn't be scary to a young person occupying an empty house where a murderer is waiting to chop you to bits? And it becomes even more scary when you realize the man's surrounded by people who are just as insane and deranged, and hope seems scarce.
The way Hooper filmed it was like a documentary, not carefully and steadily building suspense, but manically twitching all over the place to create an uneasy feeling, sort of a reminder that this isn't a film that prides itself on the way of the artiste. The music and sound editing is properly manic, too. The way the sound is edited makes every sound just as chaotic as the terrible situation when the going gets rough and chilling.
That's all I really have to say about this movie. It's a pretty simple movie, I won't dissect it (sorry). For eighty minutes only tainted by bad teenage actors for the first 50 minutes, it's a very suspenseful movie.
"The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history."
I am reviewing the first slasher movie I've ever seen (unless you want to count Scary Movie, and I don't think most people would), and I saw it today: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I specifically chose this one because it was entirely tame. I'm surprised it's still considered an R movie. The Temple of Doom was a bloodier movie than this. But overall, this movie proves something that we have been ignoring for a long time: sometimes, one little nightmare's all it takes to scare ya'.
One of the first slashers ever, this movie is about a group of teenagers travelling through Texas and making their way to an old home owned by one of their fathers. However, the house is occupied. And among the disturbing rubble and trash is an unexpected guest who seems to have no intention at all except the worst kind: murdering them all. How many of them will make it out in one piece?
Let us take a moment to remember that the scariest things in life aren't based on backstories and character development. Sometimes, we just get a nightmare. I don't get them, usually, but I'm aware of how things can be scary without a story. It's a low-budget, low made film and a surprisingly suspenseful film. I suppose one could easily say it has no right to be as scary as it is, but it was.
Why was it scary? Well, what wouldn't be scary to a young person occupying an empty house where a murderer is waiting to chop you to bits? And it becomes even more scary when you realize the man's surrounded by people who are just as insane and deranged, and hope seems scarce.
The way Hooper filmed it was like a documentary, not carefully and steadily building suspense, but manically twitching all over the place to create an uneasy feeling, sort of a reminder that this isn't a film that prides itself on the way of the artiste. The music and sound editing is properly manic, too. The way the sound is edited makes every sound just as chaotic as the terrible situation when the going gets rough and chilling.
That's all I really have to say about this movie. It's a pretty simple movie, I won't dissect it (sorry). For eighty minutes only tainted by bad teenage actors for the first 50 minutes, it's a very suspenseful movie.