The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | |
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Directed by | Marcus Nispel |
Screenplay by | Scott Kosar |
Based on | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Daniel Pearl |
Edited by | Glen Scantlebury |
Music by | Steve Jablonsky |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes [4] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $9.5 million [5] [6] |
Box office | $107.4 million [5] |
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel in his feature directorial debut, with a screenplay by Scott Kosar. The film stars Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker and Erica Leerhsen in lead roles, with Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, and R. Lee Ermey in supporting roles.
The plot follows a group of young adults traveling through rural Texas who encounter the sadistic Leatherface and his murderous family. This film is a remake of the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper, and it serves as the fifth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Several original crew members, including Hooper and Kim Henkel, returned as co-producers, with Daniel Pearl reprising his role as cinematographer, and John Larroquette providing the voice narration for the opening intertitles.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre premiered on October 17, 2003 and received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its pacing, writing, and lack of character development. The film emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing over $107 million worldwide on a budget of $9.5 million. The film's success marked the first production by Platinum Dunes, a company that went on to produce remakes of several other notable horror films.
A prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, was released on October 6, 2006, though it received mixed reviews and was less successful at the box-office.
On August 18, 1973, five young adults—Erin, her boyfriend Kemper, Erin’s brother Morgan, and hitchhikers Andy and Pepper—are traveling to a concert after purchasing marijuana in Mexico. While driving through rural Texas, they encounter a traumatized hitchhiker walking aimlessly on the road. She speaks incoherently about "a bad man" before pulling out a revolver and fatally shooting herself.
Seeking help, the group stops at a nearby gas station where a woman named Luda Mae directs them to meet Sheriff Hoyt at a local mill. Upon arriving, they find a boy named Jedidiah, who claims Hoyt is at home drinking. Erin and Kemper leave to search for Hoyt, while the others remain at the mill. The two eventually reach a rundown plantation house, and Erin is let inside by Monty, an amputee, to use the phone. While Erin is inside, Kemper is attacked and killed by Thomas "Leatherface" Hewitt, who drags his body into the basement and mutilates him, finding an engagement ring Kemper had planned to give to Erin.
Back at the mill, Sheriff Hoyt arrives, disposes of the hitchhiker's body, and grows suspicious of the group. When Erin returns to the plantation house with Andy, Leatherface attacks them with a chainsaw. Andy sacrifices himself to allow Erin to escape, but Leatherface captures him, cuts off his leg, and hangs him on a meat hook in the basement. Erin returns to the mill, but Hoyt soon arrives and forces Morgan to reenact the hitchhiker's suicide with an unloaded gun. Hoyt then takes Morgan to the Hewitt house, beating him en route.
Inside the house, Andy tries in vain to escape from the meat hook, while Leatherface terrorizes Erin and the others. As Erin and Pepper attempt to flee, Pepper is killed, and Erin finds herself trapped in a trailer with two women who drug her. She awakens at the Hewitt house, surrounded by the family: Leatherface, Luda Mae, Hoyt, Monty, and Jedidiah. The family reveals Leatherface's disfigurement was caused by a skin disease, and they have taken it upon themselves to care for him.
In the basement, Erin discovers the bodies of Leatherface's previous victims, including Andy, who begs for death. Erin mercifully kills him and rescues Morgan. With Jedidiah's help, they escape the house, but Leatherface catches up and kills Morgan. Erin flees to a slaughterhouse where she severs Leatherface's arm with a meat cleaver, managing to escape.
Erin is eventually picked up by a trucker who stops at the gas station for help. Realizing the danger, she sneaks the kidnapped baby from the family’s care and escapes in the sheriff's car. Hoyt attempts to stop her, but Erin runs him over multiple times, killing him. Leatherface tries to attack her as she drives away, but she escapes with the baby. Two days later, the investigation of the Hewitt house leads to the deaths of two officers at the hands of Leatherface, leaving the case unresolved.
On December 5, 2001, CreatureCorner.com reported that Michael Bay's newly created company, Platinum Dunes, which was established to produce low-budget films, had set its sights on remaking The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Early reports indicated that the remake would be presented in a flashback format, with actress Marilyn Burns—who starred in the original film—reprising her role as an aged Sally Hardesty and recounting the traumatic events of the original story. It was also confirmed that the filmmakers had already secured the rights to the 1974 film.
Initially, it was announced that the original creators, Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, were involved in writing a script for the remake, though it was unclear if their script would ultimately be used. In June 2002, Marcus Nispel was confirmed to direct the film, marking his feature directorial debut. [7] Nispel admitted that he was initially opposed to the idea of remaking such an iconic film, calling it "blasphemy." However, he was convinced to join the project by his longtime director of photography, Daniel Pearl, who had also shot the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and wanted to bookend his career by working on both films. [8]
Screenwriter Scott Kosar later signed on to write the screenplay for the remake. [9] Like the original 1974 film, this version was loosely inspired by the real-life crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein, whose gruesome acts also inspired the novels Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs, both of which were later adapted into films. [10]
The screenplay of the film was written by Scott Kosar, who would later write the screenplays for The Machinist and Platinum Dunes' remake of The Amityville Horror. [11] [12] This project marked Kosar's first professional job as a screenwriter, and he later recalled feeling both thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to write the script for the remake. Recognizing early on that he was working with "one of the seminal works of the genre," Kosar understood that it would be impossible to surpass the original film. In discussions with the film's producers, Kosar expressed the view that the new version shouldn't attempt to compete with the original, as it had been made under entirely different circumstances.
In earlier drafts of the script, the main character, Erin, was revealed to be nine months pregnant throughout the events of the film. However, this plot point was ultimately removed from later drafts at the insistence of producer Michael Bay. [13]
Jessica Biel, known for her role in the television series 7th Heaven, was cast as the lead character, Erin. [7]
For the role of Leatherface, Andrew Bryniarski, who had previously worked with producer Michael Bay on Pearl Harbor (2001) and remained friends with him, personally approached Bay to express his interest in the part. Initially, another actor, Brett Wagner, was cast in the role. However, Wagner was hospitalized on the first day of filming and was subsequently fired for misrepresenting his physical abilities. With the role of Leatherface suddenly vacant, the filmmakers contacted Bryniarski to offer him the part, which he gladly accepted. In preparation for the role, Bryniarski followed a diet of brisket and white bread, bringing his weight to nearly 300 pounds. Bryniarski would later reprise his role as Leatherface in the film's prequel. [14]
Director Marcus Nispel initially preferred shooting The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake in California, but producer Michael Bay suggested Texas as the filming location, having previously shot there three times. [15] Principal photography commenced in Austin, Texas, in July 2002 and lasted for 40 days. [16] Nispel aimed to differentiate the remake from the original by employing more traditional narrative techniques, as he did not want to create a shot-for-shot replication of the original's documentary-like style. [17] Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, who also worked on the original 1974 film, explained during an on-set interview: "People ask me, 'Is it going to be as gritty and grainy as the last one I did?' No. I did that. There's no point in making the exact same film with the exact same look." [18]
The remake features nods to the original film, including the return of John Larroquette as the narrator. [19]
The weather during filming was notably hot and humid, which posed challenges for the cast and crew. Andrew Bryniarski, who portrayed Leatherface, performed all of his own stunts while wearing a "fat suit" that increased his weight from nearly 300 lbs to 420 lbs. The suit heated up quickly, requiring Bryniarski to stay hydrated throughout filming. The Leatherface mask, made from silicone, also proved difficult to breathe through. Multiple prop chainsaws were used for Bryniarski, including ones that emitted smoke and others that were live chainsaws. [14]
There were two soundtrack albums released by Bulletproof Records/La-La Land Records for the film; the first was meant for regular audiences featuring popular metal music and was released on November 4, 2003. [20]
The second was the film's original score as composed by Steve Jablonsky. This was released on October 21, 2003, and has a run time of 50:25. [21]
Trailers and TV spots used a version of This Mortal Coil's cover of "Song to the Siren", which was just recorded for the trailer and was sung by the singer Renee of the band Moneypenny. [22]
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in North America on October 17, 2003, across 3,016 theaters. [23] The film grossed $10.6 million on its opening day and went on to conclude its debut weekend with a total of $29.1 million, ranking number one at the U.S. box office. [23] Seventeen days after its release, the film had grossed over $66 million in the United States alone. [24]
Internationally, the film opened in various countries in the subsequent months, including a Halloween release in the United Kingdom, and earned an additional $26.5 million. [25] With a North American gross of $80.6 million, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieved a worldwide total of $107 million. [5] Made on a budget of $9.5 million, the film became the highest-grossing entry in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, even when adjusted for inflation. As of 2018, the film's inflation-adjusted gross would have exceeded $162 million. [5]
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its pacing, writing, and lack of character development.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a 37% approval rating based on 159 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's consensus reads: "An unnecessary remake that's more gory and less scary than the original." [26] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 38 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews." [27] However, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a relatively favorable grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [28]
Critics were divided on the film. Manohla Dargis of the Los Angeles Times praised the film's polished cinematography by Daniel Pearl, while noting: "The remake moves faster and sounds louder, but comes off as callous rather than creepy." [29] Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "an effectively scary slasher film" despite its absurd premise. [30] William Thomas of Empire rated it 3 stars out of 5, writing, "You'll have to overcome resentment towards this unnecessary remake before you can be properly terrorized, but on its own terms, it plays well." [31]
However, others were more critical. Roger Ebert gave the film 0 stars out of 4, calling it "a contemptible film: Vile, ugly and brutal. There is not a shred of reason to see it." [32] Variety described the film as an "initially promising, but quickly disappointing retread of a hugely influential horror classic." [33] Similarly, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 2 stars out of 4, criticizing the film for being "soulless" and stating that while the director Marcus Nispel had a "sharp eye," the film lacked the raw intensity of the original. [34] Dave Kehr of The New York Times echoed these sentiments, calling it a "bilious film" offering "only entrapment and despair." [35]
On SBS' The Movie Show , Australian critic Margaret Pomeranz revealed that this was the first film she walked out of, after just half an hour, refusing to rate it. [36] Fellow host David Statton gave it 1 star, with Pomeranz stating, "I choose to embrace movies, but certain genres, like this one, are not to my taste." [37]
In contrast, Jamie Russell of the BBC offered some praise, calling the film "a gory, stylish, and occasionally scary push-button factory of shocks and shrieks" but questioned why the filmmakers didn’t create an original script or sequel rather than a remake. [25] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film two stars out of five, describing it as a "bullish revival" and noting its unsubtle nature but acknowledging the grotesque atmosphere. [38]
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released on VHS and DVD on March 30, 2004, by New Line Home Entertainment. [39] The standard edition included special features such as seven TV spots, a soundtrack promo, trailers, and a music video for "Suffocate" by Motograter. On the same day, a two-disc Platinum Series Edition was released, featuring a collectible metal plaque cover and an array of additional content. This edition included three filmmaker commentaries (with producer Michael Bay, director Marcus Nispel, and others), crime scene photo cards, deleted scenes, an alternate opening and ending, and documentaries such as Chainsaw Redux: In-Depth and Gein: The Ghoul of Plainfield. Other features included cast screen tests, an art gallery, the "Suffocate" music video, a soundtrack promo, and DVD-ROM content, including a script-to-screen feature.
A UMD version of the film was released on October 4, 2005, followed by its Blu-ray release on September 29, 2009. [40] [41]
Stephen Hand authored a novelization of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which was published on March 1, 2004, by Black Flame. [42] Hand had previously written the novelization for Freddy vs. Jason, also for New Line and Black Flame. [43]
A prequel to the film, titled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, was released on October 6, 2006. Set four years prior to the events of the 2003 remake, the film explores the origins of Leatherface and his family's murderous tendencies.
The financial success of the film spurred a wave of horror film remakes throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Influenced by its success, numerous franchises revisited their original films, including House of Wax , The Wicker Man , The Omen , Halloween, My Bloody Valentine 3D , Friday the 13th , A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Child's Play . These remakes, however, were generally met with mixed to negative reviews and have been heavily criticized by both audiences and critics for being unnecessary additions to their respective franchises. [44]
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.
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.
Marcus Nispel is a German film director and producer, best known for several high-profile American remakes such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as an extensive career in television commercials and music videos.
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.
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.
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.
Andrew Bryniarski is an American actor and former bodybuilder, best known for portraying Leatherface in the remake of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Zangief in Street Fighter, and Steve Lattimer in The Program.
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.
Scott Kosar is an American screenwriter whose films include The Machinist, the 2003 remake of the classic horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror. In June 2006, he was presented with the Distinguished Achievement in Screenwriting Award by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Kosar was appointed the Hunter/Zakin screenwriting chair at UCLA for 2009–2010.
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.
Jonathan Liebesman is a South African film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films Darkness Falls (2003), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Battle: Los Angeles (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
The popularity of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film-series and of its main character, Leatherface, led to the publication of several comic books based on the franchise. In 1991, Northstar Comics released a miniseries titled Leatherface — a loose adaptation of Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III — that ran for four issues. In 1995, Topps Comics released Jason Vs. Leatherface, a three-issue miniseries that had Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th fame moving in with Leatherface and his cannibalistic family.
Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, from a story by Shannon, Swift, and Mark Wheaton. It is the twelfth installment in the Friday the 13th franchise. The film stars Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, and Derek Mears. It follows Clay Miller (Padalecki) as he searches for his missing sister, Whitney (Righetti), who is captured by Jason Voorhees (Mears) while camping in woodland at Crystal Lake.
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.
Bradley Fuller is an American film and television producer. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, partnering with both Michael Bay and Andrew Form.
Texas Chainsaw 3D is a 2013 American 3D slasher film directed by John Luessenhop, with a screenplay by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms.
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.
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.
Focus had previously handled Platinum Dunes' debut project The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which grossed more than $100m worldwide.