Some will say Leatherface is the granddaddy of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Ghostface, and so many more slasher film monsters. (666 bonus Movie Night points if you can name the movies that those killers are from; I’ve linked free versions to 3 of them.)
This film is well known for its chainsaw wielding, leather mask wearing, killer big bro, and some may assume infamy for its blood soaked violence. The thing is most of it is only implied blood soaked violence — Tobe Hooper films the victims from behind which blocks out the action from the viewer when Leatherface attacks with his saw. It also puts you in the seat of those under attack which increases the terror in the viewer.
This movie is also well known for the final girl movie trope. The definition of the final girl is in the name; these are the last women standing from the movies whose killers I listed in the first paragraph: Laurie Strode, Alice Hardy, Nancy Thompson, and Sidney Prescott. The term final girl was introduced by Carol J. Clover in Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film in 1987. Basically the final girl movie trope is the woman who survives while her friends do not and she battles/escapes from the big baddie at the end.
The film hits on several other horror tropes including cannibal family in the backwoods and dumb young people going ‘in there’ (as we all yell at the screen, don’t go in there!). One surprising trope that it doesn’t do? Nudity. Also no sex and all the bewbs are covered in this movie except for the men’s.
In order to promote the film they pushed the narrative that this movie was based on a true story: It was not, although there are some nods to Ed Gein (The Butcher of Plainfield) in it. The mask that Leatherface wears and the interior of the Sawyer home are eerily similar to Ed Gein’s grisly collection including human bones, a wastebasket made of human skin, human skin covering several chairs, and human skulls mounted on bedposts. If you want to read the entire insane list that was found in Gein’s home click on the link above, but be forewarned it is fucking bonkers.
Speaking of that mask, Leatherface actually has 3 different masks used throughout the film. In a dissociative manner Leatherface has 3 distinct parts of himself that are reflected in what covers his face. The actor who portrayed Leatherface, Gunner Hanson, has said of the different masks,
He uses the masks to express the context he is in and how he will behave–his state of mind.
I think we all do that, just not to that extreme.
J. M. Logan, the special effects creator of the three masks described them as the Killer, the Old Lady, and the Pretty Lady. The Old Lady was the caretaker for the family and the Pretty Lady just wanted to be loved.
BTW, wow there are so many great covers of the Talking Heads song Psycho Killer. 3 versions for 3 Leatherfaces.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre stars Marilyn Burns, Gunner Hansen, Edwin Neal, Teri McMinn, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, John Dugan, and Jim Siedow. Directed by Tobe Hooper.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available with subscription on Peacock, AMC+, and Prime; free with ads on Tubi, Pluto TV, Xumo Play, and Plex; $2.99-3.99 in
the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is a complete opposite from tonight’s movie, it’s Donald Duck in Trick or Treat.
Our next Movie Night selection starts our month of cooking & dining related movies with Eating Raoul. Available with subscription on HBO Max; free with ads on Plex; free on YouTube; $3.99 in the usual places. The full schedule for November will be available next week. I have picked the Thanksgiving matinee, it will be Planes, Trains And Automobiles.
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BONUS TRIVIA:
Director Tobe Hooper claims to have gotten the idea for the film while standing in the hardware section of a crowded store while Christmas shopping. While thinking of a way to get out through the crowd, he spotted the chainsaws.
Slashers flicks are not my jam either, but this is considered such a classic and I know there are many who love it ; I appreciate its role in cinema, so that is why I picked it. I frequently go with safe choices so this is me being edgy! lol
I will warn the part of the film that annoyed me was too much screaming near the end, I muted some of it. You may want to do the same, it does not take away from the film IMO.