Massacre à la tronçonneuse

For a slasher horror movie, it has everything - group of friends, iconic killer, interesting kills, creepy atmosphere and jump scares. Plus, there is a great cinematography, acting is good, and it doesn't look cheap. I think it's very underrated, people are expecting Oscar worthy movie for a slasher. It isn't and it isn't trying to be. Along with Wrong turn, Jeepers Creepers, it's a classic slasher horror movie of the early 2000s. I remember watching these and many other horrors in the early 2000s with friends, renting dvd movies all summer and watching together... it was so much fun. Unlike movies today (neither better nor worse), that recognizable vibe of the movies 15-20 years ago is lost, but not forgotten.

The original is a classic, I guess that's why there's a copy of it at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

Taken as a remake, this is a good film. The story was different enough to keep me guessing, the characters were, uhhh, fleshed out a little more. While the original at times seemed like a documentary, this one was a straight-up horror movie, though without too many of the cliches that make modern horror movies tedious.

On it's own, this was a very good horror movie. Well-filmed, well-acted, suspensful, with good characters. The kids in this movie are not all just obnoxious kids--they get into trouble because of a good deed, so I found myself rooting for them, even the annoying one or two. The casting of Lee Ermey as the sheriff is icing on the cake; he definitely brought the movie up a few notches.

While not a classic, this remake is worth seeing.

I am a hardened spectator; that means, I have only seen a couple films in my whole life which I considered scary. I like horror films but usually get disappointed with them, as 99% of them do not frighten me in any way. This one did. It is an extremely consistent and successful effort to create a sense of horror which is, in the end, the ultimate means of the genre. It is not even about the plot; it is about the director's possibility to create an atmosphere of hopelessness which penetrates the film from the beginning on. The tension is built in a masterful manner, cinematic means like light, soundtrack and camera shots highlight the events in the most fitting way, the pace is just right, all elements contribute to a consistently thrilling and gruesome outcome. This film seems very modern in its effects and camera style but somehow retro in its imagery which is a successful tribute to the original version of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". A seldom example of a good remake.

The horror/sci-fi movie critic Richard Scheib coined the term "Backwoods Brutality" to describe the slew of low-budget movies that emerged in the 1970s which had as their main theme the violent and abrupt destruction of middle-class serenity. The concept has occasionally found expression outside of the horror genre (Straw Dogs, Deliverance), but since Wes Craven's Last House on the Left (1972), it has been a mainstay of the horror genre. Even thirty years later, the basic idea continues to be remade and re-interpreted.

In my view, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is the most successful exponent of the genre. As it often is in the American variations of this genre, the TCM takes the so-called blue state/red state dichotomy to a grotesque extreme: the backroads of the Deep South is another country and its inhabitants exhibit uncontained contempt for every unsuspecting wayfarer. Its use of tension, which is meticulously established in the movie's first 45 minutes, and release -- the last 45 minutes -- is almost elegant in its simplicity. Throughout, violence is used in sparing and sudden bursts until the adrenaline-fueled final act, during which it is mercilessly sustained.

With some minor qualifications, this description also fits Marcus Nispel's 2003 remake. Here the enlarged budget and technical expertise have worked both for and against the film. On the one hand, a variety of new elements have been added to the story. Some, like the mysterious little boy or the ending, are so-so, while others, like Leatherface's skin mask or the "extended family," are effective. On the other hand, the professionalism and attention to detail demonstrated by Nispel and Daniel Pearl (whose cinematography here is magnificent) on down to those responsible for filming locations and set detail, is consistently impressive.

So the basic "tension-release" framework has been lifted from the original but instead of improving on it the filmmakers have saddled it with characters, situations, drama, and violence. (We learn from the DVD extras, happily, that some "tender moments" were left on the cutting room floor.) I give it a 7 because ultimately I think it works as a horror movie on its own terms -- in fact, I don't think a better American horror movie has been made since 2000 -- and Nispel/Kosar deserve credit attempting to revise the concept in minor ways for fans of the franchise. On the balance, however, the original's low-budget guerilla-like realism as well as some of its visceral power has been compromised.

Of note, finally, is the performance of Jessica Biel. Having earned her acting chops on the Christian TV show/cheesefest, Seventh Heaven, Biel has as of late found a niche playing physically tough, but likable and intelligent characters. She's quite excellent here; as it was for the original TCM's Marilyn Burns, Biel's performance is exhilarating and intense -- a kind of endurance test. But one easily believes she has the acuity and toughness to survive the ordeal.

It is very safe to say that the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) was a cultural phenomenon for horror movies and helped change the shape of the entire genre. The movie provided all the essential elements that are vital in horror movies because when it comes down to it, these elements come from what the people want to see. We want to see the twisted things in our imaginations and nightmares come to life and what I love about TCM is it is something that could really happen to you. Sure the movie is a little cheesy now and I think Franklin was hilarious, but its the direction that counts. To me Leatherface is the greatest killer of all time, I like him better than Freddy. I love him because he is very stripped down, he's not supernatural and reacts to pain like any normal human would. He has all the essentials such as a very creepy image and psychotic behavior. Nobody can hold a candle to Leatherface.

Ok enough of that, let me get on to the review of the REAL Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I will not say anything about the story because I want everyone to see it for themselves while knowing very little about the story. It takes a lot for a movie to impress me when the anticipation level is hitting the sky because I expect so much and usually always get disappointed, this happened with Terminator 3. With the "new" TCM, it stays true to the roots that made the first one a hit, but this one BLEW me away.

Lets start with the cast. Everyone was amazing and fit in perfectly. I had doubts about Jessica Biels at first but now I see her in a brand new light. I could see no ounce of weakness in any of the characters. The moods expressed throughout the movie were flawless and very convincing. The acting plays a huge role because the better the acting, the more real the feel is, thats when you step into the shoes of the people in the movie and live it out with them. This is what makes and breaks movies and I'm proud to say the cast delivered.

The story line has been totally changed. This story is 100 times better than the original, I was very impressed. There are far more twists and turns and because the storyline has such a high thrill value, it keeps you glued to your seat. Our theater was packed and only 2 people that I know of left for bathroom breaks. I have never seen this happen before with a movie. Anyway, the storyline could not have gotten any better. One reviewer said some of the stuff in the movie was predictable, that is total BS, this movie has so many turns that you have no idea whats going to happen next.

Now onto the star of the movie, LEATHERFACE. I thought nobody could top Gunnar Hansen from the first TCM but Leatherface in the new one is the best one I have ever seen. He is bigger, scarier, meaner, and crazier than ever. He is the main focus as far as enemies go and I think its great, this pretty much paid tribute to him and it shows everyone that he is the guy to be reckoned with. The moment he did the first kill I knew this movie was ON and had a feeling it would top any slasher movie ever made.

In closing let me say that when this movie ended, A LOT of people started clapping and cheering. I saw no disappointed faces leaving that theater and this was the first movie ever in which my high anticipation was exceeded, let alone met. I don't care what ANYONE says, the original, while still a classic and will always be in our hearts, can't even come close to this one. Storyline, imagery, jump scenes, kills, twists etc.., this movie has it ALL and leaves a lasting impression strong enough to make you want to go pay $7.50 all over again and again and again until you get sick of it. Michael Bay, a lot of people doubted you when you signed on to this but I always defended you and let me say, I know you have shut all those people up. Job well done!