The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Details

A great 'reimagining' of the original

Lets face it. the original film sucked. The shock value which made it so controversial back in the 70s was laughable when the film was finally re-released. The plot of the film was decent enough, but for the most part the murders and acting weren't up to par.

Thank god then for this 'reimaginging' of the orignal. Since this is a 'reimaginging' rather than a remake, liberties have been taken throughout to expand and elaborate on things much more greatly, as well as give the film a wider appeal.

The gore on show in this film is simply flowing from every scene. Leatherface really goes to town with his chainsaw, and there is one POV shot going THROUGH a bullet hole in someones head that simply blew my mind.

The teen cast don't provide great performances; they're there to do what the gotta do - be worthless bait for Leatherface to have his way with. The exception to this is Jessica Biel, who actually does a good job as the 'screaming heroine who runs away alot'. I however, really liked Pepper, played by Erika Leerhsen. She really know how to look good.

The showstealer of this film however is R. Lee Ermey as the twisted Sheriff Hoyt. Best known for his role in Full Metal Jacket, Ermey does what he does best here with plenty of great one liners and shouting.

If you hated the orignal, give this a try as you may be pleasantly surprised. If you were a fan of the original, be prepared to be let down as the plot couldn't be further away from the original if it tried. Overall though this slasher horror film goes straight for the jugular and will keep you entertained throughout.

When I heard they were doing a remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre I can't say I was particuarly excited. I had imaged of them turning it into 'Scream 10 with chainsaws. I'm glad and suprised to say that they actually did a very good job of capturing not only nasty atmosphere from the original, but also the feeling of the film. Sure it's not quite as gritty, much to do with the original being shot on a shoestring budget, but it's definetly not an experience you'll be forgetting in a hurry. Good to see a modern horror film that almost goes back to the spirit of old horror films as well, none of this post ironice teen slasher nonsense. It's a very cool film that I highly recommend, the last 30 minutes are more intense than probably the last 3 years of US horror films put together.