Texas Chainsaw 3D

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Texas Chainsaw 3D
TheTexasChainsawMassacre3DPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Luessenhop
Screenplay by
Story by
Based on
Produced byCarl Mazzocone
Starring
CinematographyAnastas N. Michos
Edited byRandy Bricker
Music by John Frizzell
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release date
  • January 4, 2013 (2013-01-04)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million
Box office$47.3 million

Texas Chainsaw 3D (stylized on-screen and in home media simply as Texas Chainsaw) is a 2013 American 3D slasher film directed by John Luessenhop, with a screenplay by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms.

Contents

It is the seventh installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and serves as a direct sequel to the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . The film stars Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Tremaine "Trey Songz" Neverson, Tania Raymonde, Thom Barry, Paul Rae, Bill Moseley, and Gunnar Hansen in a "special appearance".

The story centers on a woman who, upon discovering she's adopted, goes on a road trip with her friends to collect her inheritance, and ends up encountering the serial killer, Leatherface.

Texas Chainsaw 3D was released on January 4, 2013, and grossed $47.3 million while receiving negative reviews from critics. A prequel that takes place before the original film, titled Leatherface , was released in 2017.

Plot

In 1973, the people of Newt, Texas, led by Burt Hartman, arrive and burn down the farmhouse of the murderous Sawyer clan in an act of vigilante justice. The arsonists are proclaimed heroes of the community, and the entire Sawyer family is killed. However, an infant with a burn mark on her chest is found by one of the townsmen, Gavin Miller, who promptly murders her mother, Loretta Sawyer. Gavin and his wife take the child into their care and raise her as their own daughter.

In 2012, a young woman named Heather discovers that she was adopted after receiving a letter informing her that her grandmother, Verna Carson, has passed away. Heather, her boyfriend Ryan, her best friend Nikki, and Nikki's boyfriend Kenny travel to her grandmother's home to collect her inheritance. Along the way, the group picks up a hitchhiker named Darryl. Upon arriving, Heather is given a letter from Verna's lawyer Farnsworth that she neglects to read. As the group explores the house, they decide to stay the night. Heather and her friends leave to buy food and supplies, leaving Darryl behind to look after the house. Darryl begins stealing valuables and is killed by Leatherface when he unlocks the door to the basement freeing him.

Heather and her friends return to find the house ransacked. While Kenny is preparing dinner, he goes downstairs to the cellar where Leatherface impales him on a hook, before killing him with a chainsaw. Heather finds Verna's decomposing body upstairs and is attacked by Leatherface in the kitchen, but she manages to escape. Nikki and Ryan draw the attention of Leatherface, while Heather gets in the van and picks up her friends. Leatherface cuts one of the tires with his chainsaw, causing the van to crash, killing Ryan on impact. He chases Heather to a nearby carnival, where Deputy Carl is patrolling the grounds.

While at the police department, Heather begins digging through the files, learning how the Sawyer family was killed and empathizing with them. The sheriff and Hartman send an officer to investigate the Carson estate. Over the phone, the officer reports his findings. He finds Nikki hiding in a freezer, but inadvertently shoots her dead before he himself is killed by Leatherface with an axe. Leatherface cuts the skin from the officer's face and uses it to create a new mask. Enraged by the officer's findings, Hartman vows to end the remaining Sawyers. Heather leaves the station and meets with her lawyer at a bar. He tells her that Leatherface is her cousin, Jedidiah "Jed" Sawyer, who survived the burning of the farmhouse. Heather escapes the bar when Hartman finds her and runs into Deputy Carl in his patrol car. As they drive away, Carl reveals himself as Burt's son. He kidnaps her and takes her to the Sawyer family's slaughterhouse, and ties her up to lure Leatherface.

Listening over the deceased officer's police radio, Leatherface learns of Heather's location and goes to the slaughterhouse to kill her, but releases her after seeing a Sawyer sigil birth mark on her chest. Leatherface is attacked from behind by Hartman and his friend Ollie. Heather takes the opportunity to escape. As Hartman and Ollie prepare to throw Leatherface into a meat grinder, Heather returns and kills Ollie, and tosses Leatherface his chainsaw. In the struggle, the sheriff arrives but hesitates to stop Leatherface from killing Hartman. Leatherface severs both of Hartman's hands with the chainsaw, causing him to fall into the meat grinder.

The sheriff lets Heather and Leatherface go. Afterwards, Leatherface and Heather return to the Carson Estate, where Heather reads the letter from Verna. It informs her that her real name is Edith Rose Sawyer, that Leatherface lives in the basement behind the metal door and that he will protect her for the rest of his life, but it also requests that she take care of him in return. After seeing Leatherface burying Verna's body with great care, Heather accepts how his mental state drove him to commit his crimes. She also notes how elderly he's become and accepts him as her only family.

Cast

Production

Following the release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in October 2006, Platinum Dunes executives Bradley Fuller and Andrew Form stated in January 2007 that the company would not be producing the third film in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot franchise. [1] In October 2009, it was announced that Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate Films were attempting to purchase the rights to the franchise from New Line Cinema, with Twisted Pictures producing and Lionsgate distributing. According to Variety writer Michael Fleming, the plan was to create a contemporary film in 3-D, with Stephen Susco writing the script. The contract, with rights-holders Bob Kuhn and Kim Henkel, would be for multiple films. [2] A trilogy of films were planned with Susco writing and James Wan directing the first installment and Hooper helming the second. [3]

In May 2011, Lionsgate announced that it would be partnering with Nu Image to produce the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and that John Luessenhop would direct the film. Mazzocone would act as producer, with production having been set to begin in June 2011. Mazzocone also stated that the story would pick up where Tobe Hooper's original film ends. [4] Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan were brought in to write the script; Kirsten Elms and Luessenhop worked on rewrites and script polishing. [5]

Gunnar Hansen, who portrayed Leatherface in the 1974 original film, was cast as Boss Sawyer. [6] Similarly, Marilyn Burns portrayed Sally Hardesty in the original film but was cast as a nurse in Texas Chainsaw 3D. [7]

Under the working title Leatherface 3D, [8] principal photography took place in Shreveport, Louisiana between June and August 2011. [9] The film was shot with a production budget of $20 million [10] and on a 28 day schedule. Markus unexpectedly had to take over the second unit as stereographer. Production switched to a 24-hour shooting schedule in order to meet the filming deadline. [11]

Release

Texas Chainsaw 3D was originally scheduled to be released theatrically on October 5, 2012 but was delayed to a January 4, 2013 release. [12] On May 14, 2013, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D, which includes an UltraViolet digital copy of the film along with multiple commentaries and featurettes, an alternate opening and the trailer. [13]

Reception

Box office

On its opening day, Texas Chainsaw 3D took first place, earning $10.2 million. [14] The film debuted in first place, making $21.7 million. [15] It went on to make a total of $47.3 million worldwide. [16]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 19% of 79 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "As an ugly and cynical attempt to rebrand Leatherface as horror anti-hero, Texas Chainsaw 3D is a bold move for the franchise." [17] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 31 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [18] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, with 63% of moviegoers being under the age of 25. [19]

IGN editor Eric Goldman wrote, "A few fun 3D-aided jump-scares aside, Texas Chainsaw 3D is a generic and laughable attempt to follow the original." [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Texas Chain Saw Massacre</i> 1974 film by Tobe Hooper

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen. The plot follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. The film was marketed as being based on true events to attract a wider audience and to act as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate. Although the character of Leatherface and minor story details were inspired by the crimes of murderer Ed Gein, its plot is largely fictional.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2</i> 1986 film by Tobe Hooper

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a 1986 American black comedy slasher film co-composed and directed by Tobe Hooper, and written by L. M. Kit Carson. It is the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and the second installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson, Bill Moseley, and Jim Siedow. The plot follows Vanita "Stretch" Brock, a radio host who is victimized and abducted by Leatherface and his cannibalistic family; meanwhile, Lt. Boude "Lefty" Enright, the uncle of Sally and Franklin Hardesty—both prior victims of the family—hunts them down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunnar Hansen</span> American actor and author

Gunnar Milton Hansen was an Icelandic-born American actor and author best known for playing the mentally impaired cannibal Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chop Top</span> Fictional character

Robert Sawyer, better known as "Chop-Top" is a fictional character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise; created by Tobe Hooper and L. M. Kit Carson, Chop-Top makes his first appearance in the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) as one of the film's villains and the main source of its black humor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Burns</span> American actress (1949–2014)

Marilyn Burns was an American actress. She was known for playing Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which established her as a scream queen and a catalyst of the final girl trope. She was involved in two more films of its resulting franchise: a cameo in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995) and a supporting role in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013). In 2009, she was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival.

Caroline Williams is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Stretch in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. Her other film roles include Alamo Bay (1985), The Legend of Billie Jean (1985), Stepfather II (1989), Days of Thunder (1990), Leprechaun 3 (1995), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Halloween II (2009), and Hatchet III (2013). Williams has made guest appearances on several television series such as Hunter (1987), Murder, She Wrote (1992), ER (1996), Suddenly Susan (1996), Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1997), The District (2003), and Grey's Anatomy (2010).

<i>Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III</i> 1990 film by Jeff Burr

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a 1990 American slasher film directed by Jeff Burr and written by David J. Schow. It is the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), and the third installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Kate Hodge, William Butler, Ken Foree, Tom Hudson, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Unger, and R.A. Mihailoff. The film follows Leatherface and his cannibalistic family stalking a motorist couple in the backroads of Texas.

<i>The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> 1995 film by Kim Henkel

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 1995 American slasher black comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Kim Henkel. It is the fourth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, and Robert Jacks. The plot follows four teenagers who encounter Leatherface and his murderous family in backwoods Texas on the night of their prom. It features cameo appearances from Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, and John Dugan, all stars of the original film.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (2003 film) 2003 film by Marcus Nispel

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, written by Scott Kosar, and starring Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, and R. Lee Ermey. Its plot follows a group of young adults traveling through rural Texas who encounter Leatherface and his murderous family. It is a remake of Tobe Hooper's 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the fifth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Several crew members of the original film were involved with the project: Hooper and writer Kim Henkel served as co-producers, Daniel Pearl returned as cinematographer, and John Larroquette reprised his voice narration for the opening intertitles.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning</i> 2006 film by Jonathan Liebesman

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a 2006 American slasher film and a prequel to the 2003 film. The sixth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, it was written by Sheldon Turner from a story by Turner and David J. Schow, directed by Jonathan Liebesman and co-produced by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. The film's story takes place four years before its predecessor. It stars Jordana Brewster, Diora Baird, Taylor Handley, Matt Bomer and R. Lee Ermey.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (franchise) American horror franchise

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American horror franchise created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. It consists of nine films, comics, a novel, and two video game adaptations. The franchise focuses on the cannibalistic spree killer Leatherface and his family, who terrorize unsuspecting visitors to their territories in the desolate Texas countryside, typically killing and subsequently cooking them. The film series has grossed over $252 million at the worldwide box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Hardesty</span> Fictional Character

Sally Hardesty is a fictional character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. She made her first appearance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as a young woman investigating her grandfather's grave after local grave robberies—crossing paths with Leatherface and his cannibalistic family in the process. In this film and later in The Next Generation (1995), she was portrayed by Marilyn Burns. Olwen Fouéré was cast in the sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). The character, renamed Erin Hardesty and played by Jessica Biel, also appeared in a remake of the original film in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Susco</span>

Stephen Susco is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for writing horror films such as The Grudge, The Grudge 2, and Texas Chainsaw 3D. His directorial debut film, Unfriended: Dark Web, had its premiere at SXSW on March 9, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leatherface</span> Main character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series

Leatherface is a character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. He first appeared in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as the mentally disabled member of a family of deranged cannibals, featuring his face masks and chainsaw. Created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, Leatherface was partially inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, in addition to confessions by serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley. The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, video games, and comic books; appearing in all nine films in the series.

John Luessenhop is an American film director and screenwriter. He graduated from University of Virginia, Georgetown University Law Center, and film schools at UCLA and NYU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Chainsaw House</span> House in Kingsland, Texas, US

The Texas Chainsaw House is located in Kingsland, Texas, on the grounds of The Antlers Hotel. This 1900s late Edwardian farm house was featured prominently in Tobe Hooper's horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as the home of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family, before it was moved to this location from Williamson County in 1998. The then-dilapidated farm house originally sat on Quick Hill Road during the July–August 1973 filming of the movie. The original site is where La Frontera is now located, in Round Rock.

<i>Leatherface</i> (2017 film) 2017 American horror film

Leatherface is a 2017 American horror film directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, written by Seth M. Sherwood, and starring Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Grasse, Sam Strike, and Lili Taylor. It is the eighth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM) franchise, and works as a prequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013), explaining the origin of the series' lead character.

<i>Night Killer</i> 1990 Italian film

Night Killer is a 1990 Italian slasher film directed by Claudio Fragasso. On its release in Italy, it was promoted as being part of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film is not part of the series and bears little content from the previously released films.

<i>Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by David Blue Garcia

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2022 American slasher film directed by David Blue Garcia, with a screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin, from a story by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues. It is the ninth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Set fifty years after the original film, the story focuses on the serial killer Leatherface targeting a group of young adults and coming into conflict with a vengeful survivor of his previous murders. The project is a joint-venture production between Legendary Pictures, Exurbia Films, and Bad Hombre. The film stars Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Latimore, and Alice Krige.

References

  1. ↑ "Platinum Dunes Talks 'Texas 3', Upcoming Slate". Bloody Disgusting . The Collective. January 6, 2007. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
  2. ↑ Fleming, Michael (October 8, 2009). "Twisted moves to 'Texas'". Variety . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ Jenkins, Jason (March 4, 2022). "'Leatherface' – Stephen Susco and James Wan Tear into the Chain Saw Sequel Trilogy That Almost Was [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D Revs Up". ComingSoon.net . May 9, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  5. ↑ Kit, Borys (July 19, 2011). "Singer Trey Songz Joins Cast of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Original Leatherface Returns for 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D'!". Bloody Disgusting . June 15, 2011. Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  7. ↑ Heinitz, Lexi (September 8, 2021). "What Ever Happened To The Final Girl From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?". Looper . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Miska, Brad (October 17, 2012). "[Set Report] 'Texas Chainsaw 3D'!". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ Lussier, Germain (October 17, 2012). "'Texas Chainsaw 3D' Set Visit: A House Of Horrors Rebuilt, A Franchise Revered". /Film . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ "2013 Feature Film Study" (PDF). FilmL.A. Feature Film Study. May 2014. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  11. ↑ "'Texas Chainsaw 3D' Carries Footage From Hooper's Classic, Originally Rated NC-17!". Bloody Disgusting . October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ Stewart, Andrew (February 28, 2012). "'Sinister,' 'Chainsaw 3D' stake new release dates". Variety . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  13. ↑ Barton, Steve (April 15, 2013). "Home Video Trailer for Texas Chainsaw 3D Revs Up". Dread Central . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Friday Review: 'Texas Chainsaw' Massacres Competition". Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ "'Texas Chainsaw 3D' is strong No. 1; 'Promised Land' disappoints". Los Angeles Times . January 6, 2013. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Texas Chainsaw 3D". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 10, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  18. ↑ "Texas Chainsaw 3D". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Box Office Report: 'Texas Chainsaw' No. 1 With $23 Mil; 'Django' Strong No. 2 With $20.1 Mil". The Hollywood Reporter . January 6, 2013. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2020. Texas Chainsaw, costing $20 million to produce
  20. ↑ Eric Goldman 3 Jan 2013 (January 4, 2013). "Texas Chainsaw 3D Review: Here's Your Invitation to Come Join Leatherface..." IGN . Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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