The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [UMD for PSP] | Andrew Bryniarski, John Larroquette

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [UMD for PSP] | Andrew Bryniarski, John Larroquette | She said they were all going to die and the girl wasn't lying

DVDs:

The Texas Chainsaw...

	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [UMD for PSP] Andrew Bryniarski, John Larroquette New Line Home Video, 2005 average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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Inspired by a true story and the classic 1974 film. A group of teenagers take a detour from a road trip and what happens next is beyond anyone's darkest fears and raw nightmares.

One of the greatest horror films of all time

This movie was a lot of fun to watch the first time i watched and it continues to be fun. Splattery joy and plenty of jumpy scenes, but not scary (im not easy to scare though). this did scare my two friends.Better than the old one and the prequel. Still the prequel is also worth a look.

She said they were all going to die and the girl wasn't lying

Well, this 2003 remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" creeped me out. Of course I waited until late at night to watch it, which is what you were supposed to do with a horror movie, because lately even when a horror film has a good start, such as "Jeepers Creepers," they almost always end up being laughable. Now, I will not go so far as to say this is a great horror film, and I am not suggesting that it replace the raw power of Tobe Hooper's original in any one's mind, but it sure creeped me out more than anything I have seen in a while (except for last month when I watched "The Exorcist" again).

What does this remake have working in its favor? Well, first the film is selective in what it takes from the original. We have the same beginning with the grainy film and the same narration talking about "one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history" (again narrated by a now considerably more famous John Larroquette), and we have the same basic idea that a group of teenagers in 1973 make the mistake of running into Leatherface and his kin. But in terms of the specifics the screenplay by Scott Kosar does not treat the original like gospel: the hook is still there, but we lose the bizarre dinner scene where the original really lost me.

I was also surprised to see that cinematographer Daniel Pearl is back to show what he has learned since 1974, which is apparently a note. Maybe the music video sensibilities of director Marcus Nispel have something to do with this at well, but this horror film looks the way that horror films are supposed to look. You know that things are going well when you are getting the wiggins and the sun has not yet set in the film. There are plenty of bad things to see in this film, but the camera does not wallow on them the way so many splatter flicks do.

Maybe part of the effectiveness of this remake is that for those of us who watched the original we know the basics of what is going to happen so that there is a sense of anticipation that no matter what is happening on screen something really bad is about to happen. But if I were going to point to something else beyond the cinematography it would be the fact that this time Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) is not the really scary one. No, the honor goes to R. Lee Ermey who brings his drill sergeant from hell to the character of Sheriff Hoyt. Even before Leatherface shows up these teenagers are in way over their heads.

Ripe for the slaughter are good girl Erin (Jessica Biel), her boy friend Kemper (Eric Balfour), young stud Andy (Mike Vogel), the friendly hitchhiker Pepper (Erica Leerhsen), and for comic relief stoner Morgan (Jonathan Tucker). They are driving through Texas to get to a concert when they almost run over a disoriented and frightened girl walking along the road. They try to help, but she is beyond help and so, as she plainly tells them, are they.

Biel, still trying to put her good girl image from "7th Heaven" behind her, manages to play a scream queen without going off the deep end like she did in "Gear" (even in a freezing meat locker). Often these films come down to the good girl character trying to survive the maniac with their weapon of choice and in that regard Biel is one of the better to come along. Yeah, she is smart and sexy, but for once when she gets to the part where she has to fight back you actually believe she might pull it off.

This is a grim and relentless film that assaults its audience as much as it does its characters. After so many horror films that fail on that score perhaps the biggest shock is any film could get this far doing what it is supposed to be doing and if you come here expecting a cathartic ending abandon hope on that score right now. Also, when you decide to watch it late at night, remember not to turn all the light out.

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Texas Hold 'em. Then Kill 'em.

When you talk about the TV shows Desperate Housewives, 7th Heaven, CSI, The OC and even The Guiding Light wouldn't you think it strange to mention The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the same breath? Similarly, when you say R. Lee Ermey you're usually not talking about 2003 and 2006's Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, right?

The main actors in both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beinning (2006) were plucked right out TV. And R. Lee Ermey?...He starred in both Texas 2003 and 2006, but we all know what we really associate that guy with...the colorful Full Metal Jacket (1987) boot camp sergeant, of course.

Ah, and let's not forget the up and coming Jessica Beil (2006's The Illusionist); while the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw was one of her first big screen films, I expect that we'll see a lot more leading roles from this fine young talent in the future.

I was lucky enough to find a very inexpensive 2 pack on sale at Amazon for the price that just one of the disks is selling for today. Unfortunately, as of this writing I see that Amazon isn't offering the same deal, but the two pack is still available.

Enough trivia. About the movies.

Might as well start at The Beginning (2006). The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning was perhaps one of the top 5 most shockingly brutal movies that I have ever seen. Torture. Brutal murder. Intense violence. All acted out superbly by a cast that mostly made you believe that this horrible stuff was happening.

The Beginning was directed by short-resumed Horror vet Jonathan Liebesman, and he mostly kept it real. He made his actors take their rolls seriously, unlike so many Horror movies that throw in teenage camp to dumb down the shock. Liebsman had only a few "oh c'mon that would never happen" scenes versus almost an "oh my God" ever 5 minutes throughout the 96 minute Horror gala (that's like 25 'oh-my-Gods').

The over the top and stretch the imagination scenes are enough to bring the film down a notch, but I was out of breath after exposure to so much shock and awe by the time the credits rolled. So The Beginning was affectively above average.

The thing about The Beginning is that you know it's not the end. No happy ending expectations here; just a sense of dread for all who come in contact with Sheriff Hoyt's family of degenerates. The Beginning is the prequel that plays right into The Texas Chainsaw 2003 remake of the original 1974 Tobe Hooper cult classic that shocked the nation. Hooper had oversight as a producer in both Texas 2003 and 2006.

2003's remake was probably about 1/2 as brutal as the 2006 (unrated version) story of The Beginning, so that should speak volumes as to how to set your expectations. Texas 2003 continues the murderous story of the unfortunate that ventured to close to Sheriff Hoyt's jurisdiction.

Shock and awe (or should I say shock and gore) should not be confused with greatness. Both Texas 2003 and 2006 were good Horror movies. They were better gross-out movies. So all in all, if you're into Horror, these moves do indeed epitomize the genre. They are good...not great. If you are rating these on shock these two are at the top of the list. If you're looking for other impressionable films to have crossed the screen in the past 25 years or so, click on my name above and check out my Amazon Listmania List of 15 Flicks Guaranteed to Leave A Permanent Impression.

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IF IT AIN'T BROKE...

Having seen the 1974 original, I looked forward to seeing this re-make. The original had a quasi-documentary feel to it with its grainy footage and cast of virtual unknowns. The film was a visual cornucopia of terror and horror, though there was actually very little gore shown on screen. The unusually macabre sets and the relentless sound of the chainsaw bandied by Leatherface were enough to make the viewer tremble.

This re-make has stuck relatively close to the original in terms of a general story line, though there are, of course, some differences. In the re-make, a group of teens set off in their van on their way to a concert in Texas, where they end up in a rural area. After picking up a dazed, female hitchhiker, their world is turned upside down when she does the unspeakable.

They go looking for help and, unfortunately, come across a house inhabited by one heck of a family of crazies. From the moment they do so, the teens run hither and dither, as they are chased by a chainsaw wielding, leather faced maniac. Unlike the original, this film is a real slasher type horror film with plenty of blood and gore. This is the real difference between the original and the re-make.

While the re-make has much better production values than the original, as well as better acting by its cast, the original was far scarier. The director of the original, Tobe Hooper, did far more with far less. Still, if you are a fan of bloody slasher films, this is worth a rental. Better yet, rent both the original 1974 version, as well as this re-make, and then judge for yourself as to which is the superior horror flick.

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