For some reason when I first heard of a prequel to the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I said to myself that now this remake thing is going way to far. I mean really a prequel to a remake of one of the most brutal films ever made. I mean the remake that came out in 2003 was pretty scary, but in my opinion it didn’t live up or do the original justice. However my point of view does not stand with this now titled prequel: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. If there is one film that does pay it’s respects to the original it’s this one.
What I mean by paying it’s respects is that this script actually took some substance from the original 1974 film and incorporated it into this film. Not only do we get the whole back story on how the family came to be, but we get a few scenes that are kind of a new take on the family supper scene of the original, and the classic Leatherface chases the girl though the woods scene. We get all that with this script. It’s not shot for shot the same scene we see in Hoopers classic. But it’s kind of a reminder of the roots of where this story came from. What we get is a simple yet effective script, there no in-between bullshit it straight to the point. We get the history of how this killer family from Texas came to be. We find out who is related to who. We see the birth of Leatherface, and how he was born. We get to know him as a worker in the local Slaughter house, when he commits his first murder. Gets his first chainsaw, and we even lean who the victim is who’s face will become Leatherfaces famous mask. All this is told and shown throughout the film. And we finally learn the whole back story of this icon of horror.
The acting in this film is pretty good. However my hat is off to the one and only Lee R. Ermey for stealing the show again. We even find out how he becomes the sheriff. Andrew Bryniarski is great as Leatherface. I think having a part where you don’t have to speak, but act like a madman is a hard thing to do. And Andrew pulls it off really well. He has really bought Leatherface back to his roots in the last two films. The rest of the cast did pretty well also, but I didn’t enjoy them as much as the fine actors I just mentioned above.
As far as effect go, trust me folks, this has got to be the bloodiest of all the Texas Chainsaw films. It full of plenty of gore filled make-up effects and some dam good chainsaw and sledgehammer action. We get plenty of heads beaten in, bodies cut up to pieces, Teeth knocked out, heads bashed into the ground. Arms and faces skinned and dissented. you name it, it’s in this film. there is plenty of gore to satisfy the most vicious of gore hounds.
Overall, I am pleased with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. I won’t go on record as saying it’s the best horror film of 2006, but its a dam good one. I’m sure that this film will appear on a lot of people top ten lists before the year is though. I liked this picture, just like the Dawn of the Dead remake, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning pays homage to it’s original source. And in my back respect pats off. Go check this film out while it’s in theaters. Not only is it a history lesson to one of horror greatest villains of all time, It’s one hell of a dam good movie.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
