My readers know that
even though I am technically a teenager, I abhor almost every single
movie that the studios target at my demographic. However, every once in
a while, the true teen in me bleeds through the surface of my skin, and
I actually find myself enjoying a film that I should be hating. This is
one of those times.
The truth is—anyone
that isn’t a male, between the ages of thirteen and thirty will despise
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. My father, for one, shares an
opinion with Roger Ebert, in thinking that it’s one of the worst movies
of all time. Even though it may be well-made, it does feature senseless
violence and is a totally desensitizing experience, without a doubt. But
it’s its young masculine appeal that makes it the movie that it is. If
you belong in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s target audience,
you’ll find it to be a viscerally engaging and entertaining experience.
However, if you do not, I wouldn’t recommend seeing it.
While this is a remake
of Tobe Hooper’s original creation, which has obtained cult-classic
status, many aspects of the story have changed. However, the original
idea remains the same. Based on true events, The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre takes us on a journey down south, and will send chills down
the spines of many. A group of teens are on a road trip to a Lynyrd
Skynyrd concert, when they pick up a freakish hitchhiker who commits
suicide in the back of their van. They stop in the nearest town to
report it to the sheriff, who, at first, seems a bit odd, to say the
least. Before long, they are all led to the house of a crazy, masked
psycho who tries to kill them with a chainsaw and use other torturous
methods. One is killed right away, whereas the others must find a way to
escape from the town without their van, which is broken during all of
the chaos. It’s one of the few movies that have actually scared me, in
recent years. We actually care about the characters; even though they
may be clumsy and stupid, the development of their innocence makes us
actually pull for them, and hope that they make it out alive.
Even those that dislike
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will not be able to deny that it’s
well-done. From the photography to the direction, the filmmakers have
reached near perfection. However, my favorite aspect of the film is the
sexy Jessica Biel’s performance as Erin, our heroine. She’s convincing
and charismatic, glowing in practically every scene that she’s in.
Without a strong lead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would leave us
let down, due to lack of attachment. We can be thankful that Biel does
the job right.
Those who think that
they will like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre know who they are, and
I suspect that ninety-five percent of them are in the age range that
I’ve proposed. Even my dad liked the original when he was twenty-one.
That evidence, supporting my recommendation, is as hard and cold as you
will feel as you leave the theatre.
