The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Review

by David N. Butterworth (dnb AT dca DOT net)
October 24th, 2003

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003)
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2003 David N. Butterworth

**1/2 (out of ****)

    OK, let's cut to the chase. While not as good as Tobe Hooper's
claustrophobic,
relentless, and influential horror classic from 1974, the slightly bigger budget
remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" from uber producer Michael Bay ("Pearl Harbor") is, by all accounts, surprisingly decent.

    I never thought I'd hear myself say that since Hooper's film is one of my all-time favorites, a masterwork of impending terror that would inspire hundreds
of future horror flicks. Without it there'd be no chainsaw torture sequence in Brian De Palma's "Scarface," for example, no blatantly "derivative" pieces like... well, "Pieces"--apparently "you don’t have to go to Texas for a chainsaw
massacre."

    Gus Van Sant redid "Psycho" so what's so strange about Bay redoing "Chainsaw"?
Well, the pitch meeting must have been mighty interesting for one thing. "Remake
"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"? Er, why exactly?" The rationale I've heard flaunted
around here the most is that today's generation of moviegoers should be afforded
the opportunity to see this film. I guess those making that statement have never
heard of the home video market.

    Bay probably did it because he could. The new film is helmed by Marcus Nispel who cut his teeth shooting music videos (clearly a Bay requirement).

    Scott Kosar's screenplay is extremely faithful to the original however (penned by Hooper and producer Kim Henkel) with a few modern day updates and flourishes, including some spurious bloodletting (the first film was notable for its unpredictable lack of gore). In 1973, five hapless teenagers are driving
across Texas in their Vanagon when they pick up a hitchhiker. In the first film,
a crazed Edwin Neal cuts himself with a knife before the teens turf him out. In the redo, our crazy female wanderer blows her head off after first commenting
that they're all going to die.

    Looking for help, the kids stumble across an old farmhouse which doubles as a slaughterhouse for a family of cannibals with some curious ideas as to which cuts of meat make the best barbecue. "Who will survive, and what will become of them?" to quote the original's tagline. Indeed.

    Well, Erin survives. Just. As played by Jessica Biel ("The Rules of Attraction")
she gives Marilyn Burns from the 1974 film a (literal) run--and more than a few screams--for her money.

    The low-budget nature of the original is gone, of course, and with it a lot of the intensity. Hooper reportedly imported thousands of animal bones to dress his sets and, in the severe Texas heat, conditions on the shoot were so nauseating that one cast member was quoted as saying he'd kill the director if he ever saw him again. You felt that. Missing too are Hooper's brilliant ambient score and inventive camerawork, as well as Robert "Buzz" Knudsen's creepy
sound effects.

    But there are many smart similarities, from the opening narration (again by an unrecognizable-sounding John Larroquette), to the imposing family homestead
with its creaky porch and subterranean abattoir, right on down to
Leatherface's
mask of human skin. There's even humor to be found here--the producers of this film have certainly done their homework and their respect for the original shines
through in the details. Daniel Pearl photographed Hooper's film and he's back as cinematographer here.

    If "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is a hit--and I can't think of any reason
why it won't be--then perhaps we can expect more remakes of cult horror films like this one. Actually we don't have to wait too long since an official retread
of George A. Romero's apocalyptic masterpiece "Dawn of the Dead" (this time around starring Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley) is scheduled for release next year.

--
David N. Butterworth
[email protected]

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