The Sawyer Massacre

Before watching, I knew this was a crowdfunded, low budget, fan movie based upon the original classic horror movie "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I thus went in with relatively low expectations, thinking it would be a fun little romp that looked liked a student film project.

However, I instead found myself blown out of the water. Steve Merlo, the writer and director of this project, obviously knows his source material well and took a great deal of care and attention to craft a worthy prequel in the form of "The Sawyer Massacre". The camera work and lighting was absolutely top notch and spot on. Whoever did the sound mixing and color balancing did a phenomenal job of recreating the feel and tension of the original source material. However, this was not just a copy of that horror classic. Instead, it had a compelling original story that tied in seamlessly as a worthy prequel. Indeed, I'm a little sad for the cast and crew that this was an unofficial fan project because I do think it would stand up well if they were allowed to release it for profit. Essentially, it is not just a cheap student project where everyone smiles and nods and pats the filmmakers on the head but rather a solid movie in and of it's own right.

Now, don't get me wrong. It had it's share of problems. There were a few scenes that were not explained adequately to the audience. For example, the protagonists all getting captured and then we see them waking up from being unconscious without being told how they got to be that way. It also suffered from what I call "horror movie logic". In real life, the plot would have been over quickly and most, if not all, of the protagonists would have survived in mostly one piece. However, as is common with horror movies in general, the protagonists make horrible errors of judgement that lead them into deep trouble. Also, somehow, as an audience, we are expected to believe that someone lumbering slowly with a chainsaw could outrun people running away for their life as fast as they can. :-p

If you are willing to suspend your disbelief however, and just assume that's the way things work in horror movies, you will be deeply rewarded. The practical effects were phenomenal and convincing in their gore and depravity. They really looked like people getting seriously wounded. The acting, for the most part, was solid. The strongest performances came from the characters Jimmy, Allison, Rex and Grandpa. All of their dialogue, expressions, intonation and portrayal of dark evil or abject terror were flawless. Indeed, I believe you would be hard pressed to find better performances from seasoned professional actors. The sets were beautiful yet horrific. The camera work was top notch and the ambient background noise and soundtrack really helped to build the necessary tension for the viewer.

All in all, I think the cast and crew did a phenomenal job in bringing The Sawyer Massacre to life. It is an extremely entertaining and satisfying romp if you enjoy a good horror movie. And the best part? As it is a fan movie, it is entirely free. I would definitely suggest you look it up on YouTube. An hour and a half well spent. :-)

For a fan film this was really good everyone did pretty good the gore was on point and you could really feel the tension going at times leatherface looked really good to. Rex was awesome too . I have a few theories about a few things though like does the construction guy get away and what happened to Drayton we never see him again after that one scene. But I really loved it the score was good too. I hope Steve continues this route of film making he has a bright future ahead! Everyone involved played a solid role Jimmy side story was very heartfelt as well and again I loved that one scene at the beginning with the construction guy over seeing the power grids the sound in the background just adds a eerie feel to the scene! Great job to all.

I was pleasantly surprised by this low budget indie.

The location was ideal and set the tone for the film. The characters of Drayton, Leather Face and Rex were sufficiently menacing and they carried the story along nicely. The victims characters were interesting and they had back stories that fleshed them out. I believe great care was taken to keep the "look" authentic to the time period (vehicles, home decor ect.) . The butcher room was scary and blood covered giving the victims no hope of escape. Steve Merlo will be a name to follow and I look forward to his future projects. I think it was an awesome idea to release this fan film on YouTube allowing it as much exposure as possible. Nice job Steve and crew the film kept me entertained.

The Sawyer Massacre is a standout fan film that pays a hauntingly authentic tribute to Tobe Hooper's 1974 classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. What truly sets this film apart is its expert direction and meticulous editing, which together recreate the raw, unsettling atmosphere of the original.

The direction is a masterclass in capturing the essence of 1970s horror. The film's pacing mirrors the slow-burn tension of the original, building dread without relying on over-the-top scares. The choice to minimize the musical score enhances the sense of isolation and unease, allowing ambient sounds to amplify the horror. Merlo's attention to detail in recreating the look and feel of the era is evident, from the vintage vehicles to the rustic interiors, immersing the audience in the time period.

The editing in The Sawyer Massacre is both precise and gritty, effectively mirroring the rawness of the original film. The use of jump cuts and abrupt transitions heightens the sense of chaos and unpredictability, keeping viewers on edge. The film's pacing is deliberate, allowing moments of tension to breathe before delivering shocking reveals. This careful editing ensures that each scene contributes to the mounting sense of dread, culminating in a climax that is both satisfying and terrifying.

This is a fan film telling a prequel of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre .

The story starts off with a group of young adults on a road trip, a group on a camping trip, a couple passing through and a few bored women looking for some action. The couple passing through stops at a gas station looking for food and is greeted by and elderly man and a very greetful off set man named Rex who guides them to a farm and a house where Rex's grandfather has the food.

With hesitant upon arriving with Rex he says to go to the house while he fetches the food. The couple manages to go inside but what awaits them is more than doubts and creepiness.

This fan film follows the formula and roots of the classic, the less usage of a score adds the feeling creepiness and unease on its own through out each scene.

The story fixates on the characters emotions than just actions and invites the viewer to feel and even hope they live though this nightmare. It almost sets up that the old man sawyer of how he can't stand to see people killed but later enjoys watching as seen in TCM. The Hitchiker makes a cameo as a crazed kid working at the gas station than digging graves and making grotesque art.

Grandpa makes a large part of this story and even directs when and who to kill. Leatherface is straight to the kill and even changes faces almost as if he uses the faces he cuts as a different emotion. We are invited into Terrors home room by room. It can give the audience the suspense as to how much time the victims have before Leatherface gets them.

This fan film does fair well with good film shots, the acting performance fits the moments, the characters fit and Rex makes a chilling invitation for death to visit. For TCM fans you'll want to witness a more personal experience on this one.