The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

March 16th 2009 23:46

When horrorphiles got wind that Michael Bay was producing a remake – ahem, re-imagining – of Tobe Hooper’s seminal shocker The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), they were none too impressed. Marcus Nispel’s remake of one of modern horrors untouchable movies was the first of a wave that continues to build. In its wake all the other important or influential modern horror movies are being plundered. Much early there was Tom Savini’s 1990 colour take on George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968), but the less said about that ill-conception the better.

Screenwriter Scott Kosar wisely sets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) in the same time frame as the original: 1973. Essentially the movie is the same, but there are notable differences, some of which work well, and others which don’t work. The movie was lambasted by critics and audiences alike when first released, and fair enough. The remake appeared slick and pretty, and had none of the genuine sense of filth and squalor of the original, nor did it possess the raw, palpable sense of realism.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Jessica Biel, Mike Viogel, Erica Leerhsen, Jonathon Tucker, Eric Balfour

Erin (Jessica Biel), Morgan (Mike Vogel), Pepper (Erica Leerhsen), Andy (Jonathon Tucker) and Kemper (Eric Balfour)

Tobe Hooper’s original movie has an overwhelming atmosphere of nightmarish dread that permeates the skin like rancid fat. There really hasn’t been a movie like the original. Not even Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left (1972) comes close in exuding such a horrifying authenticity (despite its legion of fans Craven’s movie comes across as unbearably amateurish and painfully unwatchable). Director Nispel doesn’t attempt to recreate the original’s atmospheric intensity, but he does capture something else, which I was only privy to when watching it again recently; a pitch-black sense of humour.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) R. Lee Emery

R. Lee Ermey as Sheriff Hoyt

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Andrew Bryniarski

Andrew Bryniarksi as Leatherface

Curiously Hooper injected a (more obvious) sense of humour into his much-maligned sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986), but Nispel takes an element of Hooper’s touch of absurdist comedy and fuses it to his re-envisioning, not that you’d notice it outright. It becomes apparent after a couple of viewings. Of course a lot of the original movie’s fans would be disgusted at such a concept; turning a dark masterpiece of horror into something to snigger and chortle at, but it’s not that kind of comedy, it’s the kind of morbid humour that gets under the skin, but you never actually laugh, if you get my drift.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Mike Vogel

A revolting moment has Morgan checking out the meat on display in a hick grocery store

The basic plot elements are still in place; five young folk pick up a hitchhiker who inadvertently leads them to the household of a deranged family of cannibals - including a monstrous retard wearing a mask of human skin and armed with a chainsaw - where they are all killed and butchered, except for one who manages to escape with her mind in tatters. But all the characters names have been changed and new characters have been introduced.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Hewitt house

The Hewitt house of very ill repute

The most significant changes are the role of the hitchhiker which has been changed from a creepy male acid casuality to a semi-catatonic young woman (Lauren German), and the role of the original Old Man. He’s become Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey), while the Grandfather has become Old Monty (Terrence Evans). It’s the Sheriff who steals the show in the remake, both in character and performance; Ermey delivers a truly frightening and repulsive figure of abusive authority, the head son of the murderous Hewitt family. Forget Andrew Bryniarksi (I dig the surname) as Leatherface, he’s no Gunnar Hansen. There’s also a brief, notable, but unnecessary reveal of Thomas “Leatherface” Hewitt’s ravaged face.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Jessica Biel, Heather Kafka and Kathy Lamkin

Erin gets a nasty surprise from Henrietta (Heather Kafka) and the tea lady (Kathy Lamkin)

There’s a great scene (not in the original) when Erin (Jessica Biel) stumbles across a trailer-home. Inside a young mother, Henrietta (Heather Kafka) and an obese woman (Kathy Lamkin) are having tea. Erin is hysterical and wakes the baby. Henrietta gives Erin drugged tea. Erin sees that the baby bears no resemblance to the mother, “You stole her!” she exclaims, “This baby is mine!” Henrietta snaps back with a look of lying menace on her face.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Jessica Biel

Erin hides from Leatherface

The acting is solid, the five young adults are all likeable enough to warrant empathy for their predicament. It has to be said that Jessica Biel is distractingly sexy in her denim jeans and white halter top, with curves more dangerous than the one that killed Jan , with a powerful set of lungs. Beil spends most of the movie in a perpetual state of hysterical motion, mostly being chased by Leatherface brandishing his lethal phallic machine. However Erin does get to execute a brutal act of retribution, and it’s not against Leatherface.

Leatherface gettin' revved up

Cinematographer Daniel C. Pearl who just happens to be the original movie’s director of photography and he achieves some terrifically moody lighting here (albeit slicker), also excellent is the movie’s production design, especially the foreboding Hewitt homestead which features even more prominently in the prequel (which isn’t half bad, but probably due to Ermey’s significant role). Also of note is the use of the chilling sound effect used in the original’s memorably nightmarish opening montage sequence: the whine of the old-fashioned camera flash. Damn creepy.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre should be viewed as a stand alone slasher flick, rather than wasting energy comparing it unfavourably to the original. The original is untouchable. The re-imagining is just that, and it works. Yes, there are a couple of entirely implausible moments (like one character losing half a leg, yet not bleeding to death). It was never gonna be an outstanding horror movie, but it has much to recommend (even if it’s just to perve at Jessica Biel in a wet top with a derriere you could bounce a sledgehammer off, ahem!), and a great poster design to boot.

Here's the excellent trailer featuring that brilliantly unnerving camera flash whine:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

6 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Kleonaptra

March 17th 2009 00:13

Kalikapsychosis

Ive actually seen them both, but I cant really remember them. Sadly, Ive become one of those sad, doddering people (that I swore I would never be) who grasps the tv controller on a Saturday night, brow furrowed as I stare at the flickering screen, goin, "baby, have I seen this?"

Its a poor state of affairs. I'll have to get em on DVD and do a refresher.

Comment by Damo

March 17th 2009 06:53

a derriere you could bounce a sledgehammer off,

Now that is a great quote.

Comment by Bryn

March 17th 2009 07:12

Horrorphile

Kleo, it distresses me greatly that you cannot remember these movies, they are so distinctive, especially the first, although if you saw it when it first came out, that is 35 years ago. Still. You need to do a refresher.
I have the same problem, I've discovered, with books. I've been sent my entire book collection from New Zealand that was in long term storage and numerous books I'm looking at the cover and title and thinking, "Sheeesh, have I read this or not??"

Damo, whew. I was a tad concerned the comment might be construed as sexist by more conservative readers ...

I thought it was a doozy myself.

Comment by Damo

March 17th 2009 09:41

Bryn

Anyone who goes to Texas Chain Saw Massacre expecting it to be politically correct is kidding themselves.

The tradition of the scantily clad female screaming in terror needs to be up held somewhere.

Comment by Kleonaptra

March 17th 2009 22:40

Kalikapsychosis

I know, its terrible. I would have seen them both about 5 years ago. I think its because Ive seen so many movies now, the scenes get mixed up in my head, so Im not sure which movie Im remembering. That and the fact I havnt had the cash flow to include all the best films to my DVD collection.

Comment by Bryn

March 18th 2009 01:37

Horrorphile

Damo, yes, yes, I was referring more to my own objectification of the female body.

Kleo, I hear you. If I had oodles of spare cash I'd have no more room for my DVD collection. As it is my wife is very concerned about the "plague" of DVDs that are engulfing our apartment

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