Sparky Reviews The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Copyright - Vortex Inc., Fathom Events, and Dark Sky Films. This picture is from the official Texas Chainsaw Massacre Facebook page.

Trigger Warning: Cannibalism and Discussion of Extreme Violence.

Hello fellow readers. I hope you are all having a wonderful day, afternoon, or evening depending on when you’re reading this review.  Within this review, I will be discussing the horror film classic, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

With that said, I will discuss topics that maybe disturbing to some audiences.  This includes cannibalism and acts of extreme violence with the use of multiple torture devices that is seen throughout horror films.  While I will not be going into great detail to ensure that the film isn’t completely spoiled, I will be discussing the main topics of the film.

If these topics are unsetting or something you do not wish to read, feel free to either skip this review or save it until you’re in a better position if you decide to read it.  If this isn’t the review for you, that’s totally fine. As a horror film fanatic, I completely understand why horror isn’t for everyone. Feel free to subscribe to get alerted for the next review.  I’ll catch you in the next review.  With that said, thank you for reading this trigger warning and let’s continue to the review!

There Are Some Horror Stories That Leave Lasting Impacts

Within the film industry, there are some films that are so significant that they leave an imprint on a genre. To the point where if someone says a film, you instantly think of that genre.  Just a few examples are Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, and The Holiday just to name just a few films of the vast list.  One of the film genres that leaves an imprint is the horror film genre.  Halloween is a time when a lot of people see the iconic horror franchise mascots.  Even with horror merchandise, the iconic horror film mascots are displayed.

Some of the most notable ones are Michael Myers, Jason, Ghost Face, Art the Clown, and in most recent years, Trick or Treat.  However, there is one horror icon that appears from time to time.  This character is the one and only Leatherface from the horror classic, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM8PkAhU1S0

Coming from the eerie and truly frightening film, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface brings to the surface the unsettledness and disturbing ideas of cannibalism.  One of the things that makes horror such a fascinating film genre is that it reflects the fears and uncertainness of elements in life.  With Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the film follows a group of friends as they travel to their friend’s father’s house in a rural town in Texas and they find more than they expect as the group slowly starts to disappear after visiting the next-door neighbor.   

From this description, this would be the point a lot of people would turn off the film and put on something else.  To be honest, I did the same thing for years.  Actually, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the reason I never went back to horror until I was in college studying in Cinema and Television.  Granted, I saw this film when I was a preteen, maybe eleven or twelve years old.  To that day, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was imprinted in my brain as a film that I absolutely hated.

Now, as I stand here after watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre on ironically enough Texas Chainsaw Day at AMC theaters with a much better perspective on horror films and with a film degree, I’m given a choice to review this film with a unique perspective than the twelve-year-old that I was.  Will this second viewing be better than the first time? Will there be elements that I see now as not only a horror film enthusiast but also someone who knows what to look for in film? Grab some popcorn, make sure your running shoes are on, and let’s find out together.  In this episode of Sparky Reviews, I’m going to be diving deeper in the horror film classic, Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Uses Highly Effective and Intelligent Cinematography

One of the things that is so fascinating about Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the advance use of cinematography. This was one avenue I was not expecting. This is especially true for a film made in 1974. 

In modern day, horror films have been established legitimately standing in the film industry with state-of-the-art cinematography and groundbreaking storytelling. A perfect example of this is this year’s highest grossing horror film, The Backrooms. In the same breath, last year’s most award-winning horror film was Sinners. Safe to say, the horror genre has been having win after win.

With Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this was the first time in a long time that a horror film used static shots, crooked camera angels, and extreme zooming camera techniques. These types of camera angles cause unsettling energy, extreme anxiety, and as if something is watching the characters. 

To be honest, I was not expecting this level of advanced camera angles that was used in a 1974 horror film about a cannable who kills people. Texas Chainsaw Massacre uses such advanced forms of camera shots and cinematography in order to create an unsettling atmosphere. 

The Horror of Texas Chainsaw Is Genuine and Creates an Atmospheric of an Unsettling Environment

Just like the cinematography, the use of the theme of Texas Chainsaw Massacre is genuinely what makes this film so masterful. Leatherface use a chainsaw to kill his victims and then cannibalism as a form of disposal.

Those two statements alone would cause any person regardless of how they feel about horror films to shudder.  Chainsaws aren’t a quick death. This horrifying weapon is used to slice through bone, blood vessels, nerves, flesh, and not an instant death.  Meaning that if you somehow survive being torn apart, you then get to die a slow painful death.

The other thing about chainsaws is that they are extremely loud.  Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the reasons why so many haunted houses and scare places during Halloween use chainsaws.  They’re loud, cause massive amounts of damage, and it’s genuinely terrifying to be chased by someone who has one.  Which is where Texas Chainsaw Massacre excels in is the use of sound design.

Sure, there is music that is in the film. Actually, the film soundtrack is incredibly well done for the amount of money this film had in its budget.  However, the sound of the chainsaw is one of the main focal points of the sound design.  Leatherface’s use of this incredibly aggressive destructive weapon to attack and potentially kill his victims is already horrifying enough.  This unfortunately is where Leatherface continues the level of depravity with his use of cannibalism.

Now, cannibalism isn’t new within the horror genre.  However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the more upsetting and unsettling topics discussed.  There has always been a complete repulsion from people about the idea of eating another human being as a source of meat.  Unless there’s cultural significance or under the direst of circumstances, cannibalism is a monstrous to most humans. 

Within Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the films use of cannibalism under tales the whole feeling of the film.  There’s a foreshadowing of the use of human meat with the talk of the old slaughterhouse that was significant to the main character’s family and abundance of “meat”. 

At first, audiences are quick to suspect that it’s meat from the slaughterhouse.  Then with the further uneasiness of the film, that speculation quickly becomes apparent that those aren’t animal meat but human meat.

While Texas Chainsaw Massacre themes are inherently horrifying and done in a way that is amazingly done, the characters are the true bread of this series.

While Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Story Isn’t Anything Exciting, The Characters are Defiantly the Selling Point

One of the things I will say about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is that the story is a character driven story.  Essentially, a character driven story is a type of story telling where the the characters drive the story forward.  Within horror films, sometimes the story is pushed to the side.  Not completely forgotten but put together with very little thought.  This is mainly because writers know that a majority of horror film enthusiasts are only there to see a main character trying to escape from a monster or entity. 

While this is a formula a lot of people expect, it doesn’t mean that it’s completely set in stone.  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre changed the dynamic of horror films for the better.  Sure, the third act do focus on Leatherface trying to get the main character.  However, what changes the perspective on this film is the fact that the film focuses a good hour or so on the main characters eventually stepping into who the main villain is. 

Now, these characters aren’t getting the type of character development as deep as some films.  However, from a horror film in 1974, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a significant character driven story to the point where the audience feels something for these characters. 

Discussion About The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

So, now I want to hear from all of you. Have you seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Let me know in the comments what you think about this film.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

If you’d like to watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, feel free to watch it for free on Tubi and if you have a Peacock account, they also have the film to watch.  If you wish to purchase the film, feel free to head over to Apple TV,

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