Though his profile may not be as high as Freddy, Jason or Michael, Leatherface remains one of the strangest horror killers to exist — because of his mental state, he’s basically a 3 year old boy in a gigantic body. Because of this, I’ve always found him sympathetic, even with his horrific acts. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most affective films ever made. Despite being nearly bloodless, whenever I watch this film I walk away from it thinking I’ve seen the goriest film I’ve ever seen. Director Tobe Hooper achieves this with bizarre set environments and a completely anarchic sensibility without much else. Modern horror films could really learn something from this flick.
So pumped this made it this high on the list. I feel like in recent years the quality and badassery of this movie has been muddied by sequels and remakes, as well as the increasingly horrible sub-genre of “Hillbilly horror” that was clearly inspired by Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But I re-watched it recently and it is as good as the first time I saw it. Leatherface’s first (nearly bloodless and completely music-less) mallet attack is still one of the scariest and most chilling scenes in any film I’ve ever seen.
I was lucky to be able to see this on the big screen last week and it was overpowering. I have always loved this film, but seeing it large and loud was a completely new experience for me. I was also able to see The Shining on the big screen. Those 2 films had been fighting for the #1 spot for me for a couple of years now, but I think TCM edged it out after this showing. The sounds of the film add so much. I think the most harrowing part of the film is Marilyn’s screaming. It’s so loud and goes on for so long and it just feels real. The first mallet strike may be my #1 3 seconds in film of all time, but Marilyn’s screaming is what stays with me the most.
So pumped this made it this high on the list. I feel like in recent years the quality and badassery of this movie has been muddied by sequels and remakes, as well as the increasingly horrible sub-genre of “Hillbilly horror” that was clearly inspired by Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But I re-watched it recently and it is as good as the first time I saw it. Leatherface’s first (nearly bloodless and completely music-less) mallet attack is still one of the scariest and most chilling scenes in any film I’ve ever seen.
I loved the introduction of Leatherface, nothing fancy, just brute force.
I was lucky to be able to see this on the big screen last week and it was overpowering. I have always loved this film, but seeing it large and loud was a completely new experience for me. I was also able to see The Shining on the big screen. Those 2 films had been fighting for the #1 spot for me for a couple of years now, but I think TCM edged it out after this showing. The sounds of the film add so much. I think the most harrowing part of the film is Marilyn’s screaming. It’s so loud and goes on for so long and it just feels real. The first mallet strike may be my #1 3 seconds in film of all time, but Marilyn’s screaming is what stays with me the most.