THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) in '70s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)

Author	Comment
Saturday8pm		#201	[-]
Nov 17 09 1:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	capmonte wrote: I loved the Frugal Gourmet. Continuing on with the odd food theme, I just saw Gunnar Hansen, as a judge, on some Food Network show where cake makers competed to make a horror-themed cake. Ahhh, jeez, that's surreal! and a more than a little wrong ...
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Saturday8pm		#202	[-]
Nov 17 09 1:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ryanbrennan wrote: I was watching local chefs Julie Benell and David Wade here locally long before I every heard of Julia Child -- but only because of the limited programming available on Saturday afternoons in the early sixties. Unfortunately, neither of them resembled Leatherface. Ryan ... dunno when Child appeared originally, but never realized until fairly recently that all those shows of hers I watched in The '70s were reruns ... perhaps early '70s? Graham Kerr. The Galloping Gourmet was famous for an extreme closeup of his reaction to the daily dish, his eyes closed, that big, hammy smile, "Terrific!", then going Iggy Pop style out in the audience to extend an invitation to a female member of the audience to join him. Then, the heart attack ... Out go the heavy creams, in the with the heart-friendly ingredients on "Take Kerr". His timing was always perfect for the food trends.
MikeTheMook		#203	[-]
Dec 8 09 3:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	MikeTheMook wrote: I hear alot of people on here saying their local Walmarts or BestBuys have that disc set real cheapo! But never in any of those stores around where I live!! You guys have great stores near you!! Well, my local Walmart finally had it! This is awesome for $5.00!! Nice tin case, alot of extras! I'll be getting into this later.
Tripod.aic		#204	[-]
Dec 9 09 2:35 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	MikeTheMook wrote: Well, my local Walmart finally had it! This is awesome for $5.00!! Nice tin case, alot of extras! I'll be getting into this later. Sounds like you have the same version that I have. Is it a two-disc edition?
RKS		#205	[-]
Dec 9 09 3:35 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I saw that for $5.00! They also had the TALES FROM THE CRYPT/ VAULT OF HORROR midnight movie for $5.00! Excuse me......You want me to do what with my what now?
MikeTheMook		#206	[-]
Dec 9 09 7:21 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tripod wrote: MikeTheMook wrote: Well, my local Walmart finally had it! This is awesome for $5.00!! Nice tin case, alot of extras! I'll be getting into this later. Sounds like you have the same version that I have. Is it a two-disc edition? Yes indeedy Tripod! And RKS, beware!! Those two movies TFTC/VOH have scenes edited, like an old tv broadcast was "edited for television". Well, on further thought I believe TALES is intact, but VAULT has scenes edited. But for $5.00, you'll at least have TALES for a good price! Last Edited By: MikeTheMook Dec 9 09 7:26 AM. Edited 1 times.
Tripod.aic		#207	[-]
Feb 18 10 11:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I recently read an article about the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, which described it as a sort of dark, "Brothers Grimm"-style fairy tale. I must admit that I had never thought of it that way, but that description makes a lot of sense. The film is quite surreal, and the cannibalism aspect----not to mention the weird, over-the-top characters-----bring to mind such tales as "Hansel And Gretel" (the witch fattening up the kids in order to eat them) and "Alice In Wonderland" (all the strange characters she encounters in her adventure, such as the Mad Hatter).
MikeTheMook		#208	[-]
Feb 19 10 8:50 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, you certainly had two grim brothers in this movie. That's interesting. Where did you see that article?
Tripod.aic		#209	[-]
Feb 21 10 12:58 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	MikeTheMook wrote: That's interesting. Where did you see that article? I can't seem to remember where exactly, but it was recently. I'm thinking it was probably in that book I bought "101 Horror Films To See Before You Die". I'm away from home at the moment, so I'm unable to check.
ejazzyjeff		#210	[-]
May 21 10 9:29 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I remember also seeing TCM at the theater in the 80's when Jason/Freddie was popular. But before I saw the movie, I remember there was a TV special back in either the late 70's, early 80's with Anthony Perkins as the host of a horror movie special where they showed clips of horror movies. And the clip they showed from TCM was when that kid is standing in front of the metal sliding door and it slides (or slams) open and leatherface brings that mallet down, scared me to death. At that time I thought I would never be able to watch this movie.
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Kmckeon		#211	[-]
May 21 10 12:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	TCM is one of the few horror films that's actually upsetting - not once does it ever stop to let you relax, or assure you it's only a movie. And despite its title, the only graphic footage is when Leatherface cut his own leg at the end. Even when the girl is put on the meathook, you never see it go in or through. Everything from the soundtrack to the editing keeps you off kiilter. NOTHING IS SAFE IN THIS FILM. I love the fact that they never play the kid in the wheelchair for sympathy or portray him as an angel. He's just another character. And unlike LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, TCM doesn't leave you wanting to take a shower after it's over.
pringly		#212	[-]
May 23 10 4:07 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I love this movie too. I was leery at first to even watch it because of its reputation as a slasher movie. I did break down though and saw it in my mid-20's. Its one of the best horror films every made and could have been better if they had better actors for the family (leather face excluded). >>>>> the clip they showed from TCM was when that kid is standing in front of the metal sliding door and it slides (or slams) open and leatherface brings that mallet down, scared me to death.<<<<<< Actually, the kid enters, without permission, what seems to be a normal house asking if anyone is there. He continues in to the entrance hallway until he get to the opening of the door when leather face comes out of no where (from behind the door way) and slams him in the head with the mallet. He falls down and convulses on the floor until leather face hits him again with the mallet. Then leather face drags him into the other room and violently slams the iron door shut while ominous music starts. The door itself looks so out of place with what was previously seen of the house. That scene is burned into my consciousness. I think its probably one of the best in the horror film genre. It is set up so well. There are a few clues as the kids approach the house that something is not quite right within, but there are other touches like the swing in the front yard and the generally homey look it has from the outside which mask whats inside. Once he slides that door though which looks like something you'd see in a slaughter factory, you know something horrible is in that house.
MikeTheMook		#213	[-]
Sep 9 10 8:23 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	pringly wrote: I love this movie too. I was leery at first to even watch it because of its reputation as a slasher movie. I did break down though and saw it in my mid-20's. Its one of the best horror films every made and could have been better if they had better actors for the family (leather face excluded). >>>>> the clip they showed from TCM was when that kid is standing in front of the metal sliding door and it slides (or slams) open and leatherface brings that mallet down, scared me to death.<<<<<< Actually, the kid enters, without permission, what seems to be a normal house asking if anyone is there. He continues in to the entrance hallway until he get to the opening of the door when leather face comes out of no where (from behind the door way) and slams him in the head with the mallet. He falls down and convulses on the floor until leather face hits him again with the mallet. Then leather face drags him into the other room and violently slams the iron door shut while ominous music starts. The door itself looks so out of place with what was previously seen of the house. That scene is burned into my consciousness. I think its probably one of the best in the horror film genre. It is set up so well. There are a few clues as the kids approach the house that something is not quite right within, but there are other touches like the swing in the front yard and the generally homey look it has from the outside which mask whats inside. Once he slides that door though which looks like something you'd see in a slaughter factory, you know something horrible is in that house. The scene you described so well above is the first real punch in the gut for me in this movie, as it was some 25 years ago when I first saw it at a midnight movie. For the remaining hour or so I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat. This film did to me what all the FRIDAY THE 13THs, HALLOWEENs, and the like could not. It caused me to be truly afraid.
happydude33		#214	[-]
Sep 10 10 11:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ejazzyjeff wrote: I remember also seeing TCM at the theater in the 80's when Jason/Freddie was popular. But before I saw the movie, I remember there was a TV special back in either the late 70's, early 80's with Anthony Perkins as the host of a horror movie special where they showed clips of horror movies. And the clip they showed from TCM was when that kid is standing in front of the metal sliding door and it slides (or slams) open and leatherface brings that mallet down, scared me to death. At that time I thought I would never be able to watch this movie. When I was 12, my older sister brought home a horror movie for us to watch when my folks were out of town. Then she got a date and told me to watch it by myself. It was TCM. And it seemed pretty tame to me. Until the sliding door scene. That changed everything! I watched the rest and nothing compared to the shock of that. I've seen very few horror movies that have had the same kind of impact. And I have to shamefully admit that I don't own this movie. I should probably look for one of those 5 buck deals you good people seem to be finding.
JSWalsh		#215	[-]
Sep 12 10 1:02 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	While all the 'squishy' scenes like the dinner one are great, when I think of this movie I think of the mood, the tone. The scene that REALLY hit me was when the door suddenly slides open, then WHAM! with the hammer--done. It was so sudden and so brutal, yet shot in an almost distant way, the opposite of pushing in close to see, say, knives going in and blood spurting or whatever. The music, the grainy imagery, the damned house. Just an amazing atmosphere. Suspense is all about being in an environment that makes you worried even before there's anything to be worried about as an immediate threat, and this works so well at achieving that.
Monster Jungle Xray		#216	[-]
Sep 12 10 10:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Certainly the doorway scene is one of the most effectively done in modern horror films. Another thing that gets me is seeing all the half buried cars surrounding the property that clue you in that the Sawyer family has been doing this for a long, long time. One of my favorite shots is the one where the camera follows one of the girls to the house looking up from near the ground. The house is in broad daylight, but still it is so unsettling.
JSWalsh		#217	[-]
Sep 12 10 12:23 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"Daylight horror" is the creepiest kind, to me. I'd forgotten about that shot, thanks for the reminder, will have to pop in the DVD to check that out. (Another great 'daylight horror' flick is THE REFLECTING SKIN). Hmmm, is there a thread about 'daylight horror' here?
blackbiped		#218	[-]
Sep 12 10 3:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Funny you should mention it--another board recently had a thread on that very topic: http://rateyourmusic.com/...ssage?message_id=2873482 Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way. Porfle's Secret Blog HK and Cult Film News Andersonvision.com
JSWalsh		#219	[-]
Oct 3 10 4:00 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for posting that ,will check out some of those. It's one of the reasons I like TCM so much--we think we're safe if we can SEE what's coming at us, but that's not always the case, which is scarier. It's also tougher to make a scary daytime horror, I think.
brianalbright		#220	[-]
Dec 30 10 2:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Here's a bit of TCM ephemera I've always wondered about -- I read in an old Village Voice review (by Michael Goodwin in 1976, if you can find it) that at the Empire Theater premiere in San Francisco, people in the audience began leaving the theater mid-way through (or staggering, or running, depending on who is telling the tale) and some of them were even vomiting, or there was some sort of big melee associated with the premiere. Anyone know any other details on this? I couldn't find anything in the SF Chronicle archive (although Goodwin claimed this incident made the papers). Any material in any of the books or the DVDs of this film that would shed some light? The Voice article used to be on Google News Archive, but has disappeared.
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THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)