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Published: 2013-09
Total Pages: 24
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Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Commentary (films not included). Pages: 23. Chapters: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist, Salem's Lot, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Lifeforce, Dance of the Dead, Mortuary, Eaten Alive, Crocodile, Toolbox Murders, The Funhouse, The Damned Thing, Eggshells, The Apartment Complex. Excerpt: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the hitchhiker, the proprietor, and the main antagonist, Leatherface. The film follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. Although it was marketed as a true story to attract a wider audience and as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate, its plot is entirely fictional. The character of Leatherface and minor plot details were inspired by the crimes of real-life killer Ed Gein. Hooper produced the film for less than $300,000 using a cast of relatively unknown actors drawn mainly from central Texas where the film was shot. The limited budget forced Hooper to film seven days a week for long hours so he could finish as quickly as possible and reduce rental costs on the equipment. Due to the film's violent content, Hooper struggled to find a distributor. Eventually, however, Louis Perano of Bryanston Pictures purchased the distribution rights. Hooper limited the quantity of onscreen gore in hopes of securing a "PG" (Parental Guidance) rating, but the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated it "R" (Restricted; children under 17 require a parent or guardian). The film faced similar difficulties internationally. Upon its October 1974 release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was...