The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 American horror film, and a remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. It is a reboot of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, marking its fifth installment, and was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay. It was also co-produced by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper, co-creators of the original 1974 film.
This film is the first of many horror remakes to come from Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production company which also remade The Amityville Horror, The Hitcher, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Though met with negative reception from critics, the film was well received by fans, and grossed $107 million worldwide above its $9.5 million budget, making it a strong financial success. A sequel was planned, but was later made into a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
Plot
On August 18, 1973, five young adults, Erin (Jessica Biel), her boyfriend Kemper (Eric Balfour) and their friends Morgan (Jonathan Tucker), Andy (Mike Vogel), and Pepper (Erica Leerhsen), are on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert after returning from Mexico to buy marijuana. As they drive through Texas, they pick up a distraught hitchhiker (Lauren German) they spot walking in the middle of the road. After trying to talk to the hitchhiker, who speaks incoherently about "a bad man", she pulls out a .357 Magnum and shoots herself in the mouth.
The group goes to a nearby eatery to contact the police where a woman named Luda Mae (Marietta Marich) tells them to meet the sheriff at the mill. Instead of the sheriff, they find a little boy named Jedidiah (David Dorfman), who tells them that the sheriff is at home. Erin and Kemper go through the woods to find his house, leaving Morgan, Andy, and Pepper at the mill with the boy. They come across a plantation house and Erin is allowed inside by an amputee named Monty to phone for help. When Erin finishes, the old man asks her for help. When Kemper goes inside to look for Erin, he is killed with a sledgehammer by Thomas Hewitt aka "Leatherface" (Andrew Bryniarski). Leatherface drags Kemper's body into the basement to make a new mask, and discovers an engagement ring intended for Erin.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) arrives at the mill and disposes of the hitchhiker's body, wrapping her in cellophane and putting her in his trunk. When Erin returns she finds that Kemper is still missing. Andy and Erin go back to Monty's house, and Erin distracts him while Andy searches for Kemper. Monty realizes Andy is inside and summons Leatherface, who attacks him with his chainsaw. Erin escapes and heads towards the woods, but Leatherface slices Andy's leg off and carries him to the basement, where he is impaled on a meat hook.
Erin makes it back to the mill, but before she can leave the sheriff shows up. After finding marijuana he orders Erin, Morgan and Pepper to get out of the van and lay in the dirt. The sheriff forces Morgan back into the van, and after giving him the gun he took from the hitchhiker, he tells him to reenact how she killed herself. Morgan, scared and disturbed by the sheriff's demands, attempts to shoot him only to find that the gun is unloaded. Sheriff Hoyt handcuffs Morgan and drives him to the Hewitt house (a drive which includes a brutal beating), taking the van's key with him. Erin manages to hot wire the truck but one of the wheels falls off. Leatherface arrives immediately after and starts hacking through the roof.
When Pepper attempts to run she is chased and killed by Leatherface. After seeing that Leatherface is wearing Kemper's face as a mask, Erin runs and hides in a nearby trailer belonging to an obese middle-aged woman (known only as 'Tea Lady'), and a younger woman named Henrietta, who offer her tea. The women act strangely, and after telling Erin they don't have a phone for her to call for help, a telephone rings and Henrietta tells someone on the other end "she's here". Erin discovers they have kidnapped a child when she sees that the baby with them is the same child in a photograph with the hitchhiker, however, the tea is drugged and she passes out before she can leave the trailer. Erin wakes up at the Hewitt house surrounded by the Hewitt family: Leatherface, Luda Mae, Sheriff Hoyt, Uncle Monty, and the little boy Jedidiah. Luda Mae tells Erin that her excuse for her son Thomas' actions is that he was tormented his whole life because of a skin disease that left his face disfigured, and she felt no one cared for her family besides themselves. Erin is taken to the basement, where she finds Andy. After several failed attempts to help him off the hook, she stabs him to end his suffering.
Afterwards, she finds a debilitated Morgan handcuffed in a bathtub. Jedidiah, who does not agree with his family's actions, leads them out of the house. Jedidiah rejects Erin's plea to come with them, and distracts Leatherface long enough for them to escape. Erin and Morgan find an abandoned shack in the woods and barricade themselves inside. Leatherface breaks in and discovers Erin but Morgan attacks Leatherface, causing him to drop his chainsaw. Leatherface lifts Morgan entangling his handcuffs in the chandelier and saws through his groin, killing him. Erin runs out of the shack and escapes through the woods, pursued by Leatherface. She finds a slaughterhouse and hides in a locker. Leatherface opens the locker across from hers and she attacks him with a meat cleaver, chopping off his right arm. Erin runs outside and flags down a trucker, who she tries to convince to drive away from the Hewitt's house, but he stops to find help at the eatery. Erin sees Luda Mae and Sheriff Hoyt talk to the trucker, while Henrietta watches over the kidnapped baby in a highchair. When Henrietta walks outside to join Luda Mae and Sheriff Hoyt, Erin sneaks the baby out of the eatery and places her in the sheriff's car. Erin hot wires the car and Hoyt tries to stop her, but she runs him over repeatedly until he is dead. Leatherface suddenly appears in the road and makes one last attempt to stop her with his chainsaw, but he is too slow and Erin escapes with the baby.
Cast
- Andrew Bryniarski as Thomas Hewitt / Leatherface, a serial killer who wears masks made of human flesh to hide a rare skin disorder that has left him disfigured and caused him to be ridiculed by others.
- Jessica Biel as Erin who, along with her boyfriend Kemper and her 3 friends, makes an ill-fated trip to Texas. She is the only survivor.
- R. Lee Ermey as Charlie Hewitt Jr. / Sheriff Hoyt, the brother of Thomas Hewitt / Leatherface and the only sheriff the town has left.
- Eric Balfour as Kemper: Erin's boyfriend, and the 'leader' of the group. He is the first to die.
- Jonathan Tucker as Morgan: Erin and Kemper's stoner friend who accompanied them on their trip to Texas. He is the 'nerd' of the group and the fourth and final one to die.
- Erica Leerhsen as Pepper: a hitchhiker who the group met hours prior to the events of the film. She is the second to die.
- Mike Vogel as Andy: Erin and Kemper's friend who accompanied them on their trip to Texas. He is the third to die.
- David Dorfman as Jedidiah Hewitt: A child member of the Hewitt family, who disagrees with his family's actions. He is possibly an orphan from one of the Hewitt's previous victims.
- Marietta Marich as Luda Mae Hewitt: The matriarch of the Hewitt family.
- Terrence Evans as Monty Hewitt: A grumpy old amputee, and the uncle of Leatherface and Charlie Hewitt.
- Heather Kafka as Henrietta Hewitt: Charlie Hewitt's significant other.
- Kathy Lamkin as Tea Lady Hewitt: Henrietta's obese mother.
- Lauren German as Teenage girl hitchiker: Her family was killed by the Hewitt family prior to the film, she managed to survive but committs suicide due to the psychological trauma.
Production
Development
In December 5, 2001 Creature Corner.com reported that Michael Bay's newly created company Platinum Dunes (which was created in order to produce low budget films), had set its focus on remaking The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Early announcements on the site indicated that the story would be told in flashback with actress Marilyn Burns who starred in the original film would reprise her role as an aged Sally Hardesty recounting the events in the film. It was later announced that the filmmakers had already purchased the rights to the original film. Early in the film's production the original films makers Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel would be writing a script for the film, but it was unknown at the time whether or not that their script would be used. In June 2002 it was announced that Marcus Nispel would direct the film in his directorial debut.
Scott Kosar later signed on as the film's screenwriter. In Kosar's earlier drafts, the original age of the hitchhiker was 15â€"16 years old but was later changed in order to fit the age of the principle cast.
Casting
Jessica Biel who previously starred in the television series 7th Heaven, was revealed to cast as the main character Erin. In her audition for the film, Erica Leerhsen (who portrayed Pepper in the film) screamed so loud during her screen test that people in other parts of the building called the police because they thought that someone was being attacked. Lauren German who portrays the hitchhiker at the beginning of the film originally auditioned for the role of Erin but lost to fellow star Jessica Biel, actresses Katie Holmes, and Jessica Alba were all considered for the role of Erin before it was announced that Biel had got the part. Actor John Larroquette would reprise his role as the film's narrator in the film.
Dolph Lundgren was first considered for the role of Leatherface but turned down the role in order to spend time with his family. Actor Andrew Bryniarski heard about the film's development, who also starred in Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor and stayed friends with him afterwards personally met with producer Bay and asked him for the role of Leatherface. Another actor was cast for the role before Bryniarski, on the first day however the actor was hospitalized and fired. Without an actor for the film's main antagonist the filmmakers called and asked if he still wanted the role which he accepted. In order to prepare for the role, Bryniarski ate a diet of brisket and white bread in order to get his weight to nearly 300 pounds. Bryniarski would later reprise his role as Leatherface in the film's prequel.
Filming
Filming began on July 22, 2002 and wrapped up in September that same year and was filmed in several locations in Texas including Austin and Granger. It was filmed with many of the same crew from the original film. The film includes several references to the original film including the bumper sticker on the back of Kemper's van which says "Nothing is true/Everything is permitted, which references the original film's claim to be based on actual events. The weather during filming was very hot, and humid. Bryniarski, who portrays Leatherface in the film did all his own stunts, and was forced to wear a 'fat suit' gave added to his near 300 lbs to 420 lbs. The suit also heated up quickly so that the actor had to ensure that he drank a lot of fluids before a shoot. Leatherface's mask was also a problem, the mask was made out of Silicone and was difficult for the actor to breath out of. The crew had many prop chainsaws for actor Bryniarski to use with some chainsaws that puts out smoke, and live chainsaws. On the final day of shooting his scene, actor Eric Balfour stripped from his film wardrobe and walked off set, only wearing a baseball cap.
Connection to actual events
This film, like the 1974 original, as well as Psycho, was inspired by Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. Gein skinned human bodies and made furniture out of them, but he acted alone and did not use a chainsaw. Most of his "victims" were already dead and he "only" personally murdered two people. The film's opening claims the events are factual, a use of the false document technique (filming of the first film was from July 15, 1973 to August 14, 1973, while the event took place on August 18, 1973).
Reception
Critical response
The film received mostly negative reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes shows a rating of 36% for the film with the consensus "An unnecessary remake that's more gory and less scary than the original." Metacritic, another review aggregator, calculates an average of 38%, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Roger Ebert gave the film a rare 0 stars out of 4, calling it 'A contemptible film: Vile, ugly and brutal. There is not a shred of reason to see it. Those who defend it will have to dance through mental hoops of their own devising, defining its meanness and despair as "style" or "vision" or "a commentary on our world."' Variety gave the film a negative review calling the film "Initially promising, but quickly disappointing retread of hugely influential horror classic". Peter Travers from Rolling Stone panned the film, awarding it 0 / 4 stars stating, "Director Marcus Nispel, acclaimed for his ads and music videos, has a sharp eye and the good sense to hire Daniel Pearl, who shot the first Chainsaw. But all the bad-rehash mojo from Friday the 13th to The Blair Witch Project has infected Scott Kosar's script. Hooper went for primitive, Nispel goes for slick. Hooper went easy on the gore, Nispel pours it on" and called the film "soulless". Dave Kehr from New York Times gave the film a negative review stating, "Rather than exhilaration, this bilious film offers only entrapment and despair" further commenting that the film was about as much fun as sitting in on an autopsy. The film earned a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Remake or Sequel, but lost the award to Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
Box office
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in North America on October 17, 2003 in 3,018 theaters. It grossed $10,620,000 on its opening day and concluded its North America opening weekend with $28,094,014, ranking No. 1 at the box office. The film opened in various other countries and grossed $26,500,000, while the North American gross stands at $80,571,655, bringing the worldwide gross to $107,071,655. All based on a $9.5 million budget, the film was a commercial success.
The film's box-office success was notable for starting a long line of remakes of 70s/80s horror films that continues to the present day.
Home media
The film was released on VHS and DVD March 30, 2004 through New Line Home Entertainment. Special features include seven TV spots and trailers and a music video for Suffocate by Motograter. A two-disc Platinum Series Edition was also released that same day, containing a collectible metal plaque cover, 3 filmmaker commentaries with producer Michael Bay, director Marcus Nispel and others, crime city photo cards, deleted scenes, an alternate opening and ending, Chainsaw Redux: In-Depth documentary, Gein: The Ghoul of Planifield documentary, cast screen tests, art gallery, 7 TV spots & trailers, Suffocate by "Motograter" Music video, and DVD-ROM Content including script-to-screen
A UMD version of the film was released on October 4, 2005 and on Blu-ray on September 29, 2010.
Novelization
Stephen Hand wrote a novelization that was published March 1, 2004 by Black Flame. Hand previously wrote the novelization for Freddy vs. Jason, also for New Line and Black Flame.
Music
There were two soundtrack albums released by Bulletproof Records/La-La Land Records for the film; the first was meant for regular audiences featuring popular metal music and was released on November 4, 2003. The second was the film's original score as composed by Steve Jablonsky. This was released on October 21, 2003 and has a run time of 50:25.
Trailers and TV spots used This Mortal Coil's cover of "Song to the Siren", which was originally performed by Tim Buckley.
"Lynyrd Skynyrd"'s "Sweet Home Alabama" is heard at the beginning of the film. This is a continuity error as the song wasn't released until June 1974, although it was available on the Second Helping album which was released in April of the same year.
Soundtrack
- "Immortally Insane" by Pantera
- "Below the Bottom" by Hatebreed
- "Pride" by Soil
- "Deliver Me" by Static-X
- "43" by Mushroomhead
- "Pig" by Seether
- "Down in Flames" by Nothingface
- "Self-Medicate" by 40 Below Summer
- "Suffocate" by Motograter
- "Destroyer of Senses" by Shadows Fall
- "Rational Gaze" by Meshuggah
- "Archetype (Remix)" by Fear Factory
- "Enshrined by Grace" by Morbid Angel
- "Listen" by Index Case
- "Stay in Shadow" by Finger Eleven
- "Ruin" by Lamb of God
- "As Real As It Gets" by Sworn Enemy
- "Five Months" by Coretez
Score
- "Leatherface" (2:45)
- "He's a Bad Man" (4:02)
- "Erin and Kemper" (1:07)
- "Hewitt House" (1:09)
- "Driving with a Corpse" (1:24)
- "Kemper Gets Whacked/Jedidiah" (1:56)
- "Crawford Mill" (1:50)
- "Interrogation" (3:50)
- "Andy Loses a Leg" (1:41)
- "You're So Dead" (3:33)
- "Hook Me Up" (2:40)
- "My Boy" (3:15)
- "Morgans Wild Ride/Van Attack" (4:35)
- "Mercy Killing" (2:59)
- "Prairie House" (3:13)
- "Final Confrontation" (5:25)
- "Can't Go Back" (3:55)
- "Last Goodbye" (1:00)
References
External links
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the Internet Movie Database
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Box Office Mojo
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Rotten Tomatoes