Summary:
On August 20th 1973, police were dispatched to the
remote farmhouse of Thomas Hewitt, a former head-skinner at a local
slaughterhouse in Travis County, Texas. What they found within the confines of
his cryptic residence was the butchered remains of 33 victims, a chilling
discovery that shocked and horrified a nation in what many still call the most
gruesome mass murder case of all time. Brandishing a chainsaw and wearing the
grotesque flesh masks of his victims, the killer became forever known as
"Leatherface" when sensational headlines were splashed across newspapers
throughout the state of Texas: "House of Horrors Stuns Nation - Massacre in
Texas." Police and FBI eventually gunned down a man wearing a leathery mask and
declared they had their killer and abruptly closed the case. However, in the
years that followed, many close to the grisly murder case would come forward to
level accusations that police had botched the investigation and knowingly killed
the wrong man. Now, for the first time, the only known survivor of the killing
spree has broken the silence and come forward to tell the real story of what
happened on that deserted rural Texas highway when a group of five young kids
inadvertently found themselves besieged by a chainsaw wielding madman who would
leave a trail of blood and terror that would forever be known as The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre.
Review:
Marcus Nispel and New Line Cinema produce an updated version of a classic
horror film based on the true events in Travis County, Texas. But fans of
the classic horror flick might be disappointed when they realize the film
has been reduced to a dumbed-down teenage horror movie. The demographic
for this movie is young twenty-somethings starving to see Jessica Biel
run around in a tank top and low-riding jeans.
Although this may be the case, the flick has a couple of redeeming
points. For instance, the casting of the villains/family was dead on and
helps amplify the level of horror in the film. Secondly the newsreel footage
provides an unique touch which sets the scene for movie-goers who are probably
too young to remember the original 1974 film by Tobe Hooper.
The biggest pitfall of the movie is the horrible teenage casting with the
exception of Jessica Biel. None of the characters besides Biel have any
level of believability or acting prowess whatsoever. At a certain point in
the movie you're just waiting for the kids to die so that movie can be over
before you scratch your eyes off.
In the end if your not a young twenty-something whose a fan of teenage
horror flicks this might not be the film for you. Fortunately for New Line
Cinema, since the film was budgeted at a mere 13 million dollars it is
certainly destined to make a profit.
See this movie if you're a fan of:
Cabin Fever (2003)
Jessica Biel (Actress, The Rules of Attraction, Summer Catch, 7th Heaven
(TV))
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
House of the Dead (2003)
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