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Late to the Party: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

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texas chainsaw massacre

When Tobe Hooper tragically passed away, I was devastated. Poltergeist is one of my favorite horror movies, and it’s actually the film that got me into the genre to begin with. So did I feel like a fraud for having not seen the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Yes. But, I knew I had this article planned out, so I waited. For the sake of journalism. You’re welcome.

When it was finally time for me to watch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, I lapped it up like a dehydrated dog after a long and sun scorched day.

I loved this movie. Normally, when a film has been hyped up for so long, it can be a bit of a disappointment when it comes time to finally watch it. It doesn’t always live up to the widespread cultural praise. But let me tell you, friends, this one did.

via IMDb

Whether intentional or not, the film makes a strong statement about the meat industry. The jobs that were once occupied by Leatherface’s family are rendered obsolete by technological advancements. Humans are given the same brutal and inhumane treatment as any animal that may find its way into a slaughterhouse – posing the idea that, deep down, we’re all just a bunch of meat sacks.

There’s a dichotomy between the earlier scenes of camaraderie between the characters as they blast down the highway in their crowded van, waxing on about Astrology (that pointedly acts as foreshadowing for the terrors to come), versus the manhandling of the victims as they fall prey to Leatherface. Their humanity is disregarded; they are simply hunks of flesh to be torn and consumed.

via Crave Online

Even though the brutality takes place off-screen, it’s still noted as one of the most horrific films of all time. By casting relatively unknown actors, Hooper ensured that the horror felt real. We connect with Sally because, to us, she is that character. We’re not watching some starlet scream as she feigns fear – we’re connecting with a terrified and exhausted stranger who frantically fights for her life.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre brought the idea of the hulking masked maniac to the forefront of the horror genre, dragging the modern scream queen along in his wake. It also gave us one of the rare instances of a paraplegic character who was not used for a plot gimmick. Franklin’s narrative is included because he’s a focal character, which is not a perspective we often see in horror films.

via IMDb

There are stories about the hellish experience of making the film (overwhelming temperatures mixed with unwashable costumes and decomposing animal carcasses really don’t mix), and now that I’ve seen it, I totally believe it. But there’s something so genuine about litetrally putting your blood, sweat, and tears into a movie. Everyone was fueled by passion – or likely, in some cases, misery – and it makes the final product so incredibly visceral and sincere.

This movie really stuck with me. I’ve somehow watched most of the sequels, and I had seen the remake, but going back to the roots of the whole thing with that informed history made me appreciate it even more, I think. The ending, in particular, is intense and chilling perfection. The pure desperation and manic terror is palpable. It makes me shiver, I love it so.

via The Film Rush

If you also have yet to see this incredible classic of a film, please, don’t wait any longer.

(As a side note, I’m a huge fan of True Detective (season one, of course), and I hadn’t realized how much of the Childress household is an homage to the farmhouse in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. But now I know. And I want to re-watch that series for the 10th time. So… I’m going to do that.)

 

To reach about how Ed Gein inspired The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, click here!

Stay tuned for next week’s Late to the Party with Jacob Davison!

Header image by Chris Fischer

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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