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Movies / On DVD / The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

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Reviews Counted:151

Fresh:54

Rotten:97

Average Rating:4.8/10

Consensus: An unnecessary remake that's more gory and less scary than the original.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: On August 20th, 1973, police were dispatched to the remote farmhouse of Thomas Hewitt, the former head-skinner at a local slaughterhouse in Travis County, Texas. What they found within the confines... On August 20th, 1973, police were dispatched to the remote farmhouse of Thomas Hewitt, the former head-skinner at a local slaughterhouse in Travis County, Texas. What they found within the confines of the cryptic residence was the butchered remains of 33 human victims, a chilling discovery that shocked and horrified a nation in what many still refer to as the most notorious mass murder case of all time. Wearing the grotesque flesh masks of his victims and brandishing a chainsaw, the killer, known as “Leatherface,” would gain infamy when sensational headlines were splashed across newspapers throughout the state of Texas: “House of Terror Stuns Nation – Massacre in Texas.” Local authorities would eventually gun down a man wearing a leathery mask and declare they had their killer, which abruptly closed the case; however, in the years that followed, many close to the grisly murder case would come forward to level accusations that police had botched the investigation and knowingly killed the wrong man. Now, for the first time, the only known survivor of the killing spree has broken the silence and come forward to tell the real story of what happened on a deserted rural Texas highway when a group of five young kids inadvertently found themselves besieged by a chainsaw-wielding madman, one who would leave a trail of blood and terror that would forever become known as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” New Line Cinema presents The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a terrifying journey into a heart of unimaginable darkness as five young adults are stranded in a rural Texas town, only to find themselves fighting for their lives against Leatherface and his bizarre clan. Inspired by the 1974 classic film of the same name, the new film stars Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel and Eric Balfour. Co-starring are screen veteran R. Lee Ermey, Lauren German, David Dorfman, Andrew Bryniarski, Terrence Evans, Heather Kafka and Marietta Marich. Marcus Nispel, the mastermind behind many of the most powerful images and story-telling themes in contemporary music videos and commercials, makes his feature film directorial debut. New Line Cinema presents in association with Michael Bay and Radar Pictures a Platinum Dunes/Next Entertainment Production. The film is produced by Michael Bay and Mike Fleiss. The executive producers are Ted Field, Jeffrey Allard, Guy Stodel, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. The screenplay is by Scott Kosar (based on a screenplay by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper). The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by cinematographer Daniel Pearl (who also served as director of photography on the original 1974 release), production designer Greg Blair, costume designer Bobbie Mannix, special effects make up artist Scott Stoddard, special effects coordinator Rocky Gehr, editor Glen Scantlebury and composer Steve Jablonsky. New Line Cinema will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (rated “R” by the M.P.A.A. for “strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content”) in theaters nationwide on October 17th, 2003. [More]

Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Eric Balfour, Erica Leerhsen

Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Eric Balfour, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Lauren German, R. Lee Ermey

Director: Marcus Nispel

Director: Marcus Nispel
Screenwriter: Scott Kosar
Producer: Michael Bay, Mike Fleiss, Andrew Form
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Reviews for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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You realize how hard this is on me, to have to tell you what a superb job director Marcus Nispel has done re-creating, yet also revising, 1974's grisly, gristly, protein-centric masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/17/03
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post

So utterly unimaginative it doesn't even count as hommage; it's just a smudgy copy of a still chilling original.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/17/03
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Next to this redundant, pointless and witless retread, the classic status of Tobe Hooper's original version is officially beyond dispute.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/17/03
Geoff Pevere
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star

Really nothing more than clever, exploitative marketing. But, taken alone, it's a reasonably satisfying diversion.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
10/17/03
Phoebe Flowers
Phoebe Flowers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mainly it's a vapid, vicious thrill ride that washes away immediately.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
10/17/03
Ted Fry
Ted Fry
Seattle Times

Unlike movies such as Seven, there isn't enough style in the new The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to justify the bloodbath, and it's riddled with too much been-there-done-that to endure as a classic.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
10/17/03
Peter Hartlaub
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle

Highlight: Biel in a meat locker. A very chilly meat locker. Lowlight: pretty much everything else.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
10/17/03
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

Merely (and mildly) reshuffling the oft-imitated elements of Tobe Hooper's teens-vs.- hillbillies psychodrama.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
10/17/03
Steve Schneider
Steve Schneider
Orlando Weekly

The new Massacre lowers the bar much the way the original 'dead teenager' horror flick did way back in 1974, and makes a mockery of that industry self-policing rubber stamp known as the ratings board.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
10/17/03
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

For those who've seen the original, no surprises will be unearthed other than an altered story (not for the better) and more gore.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
10/17/03
Kim Morgan
Kim Morgan
Oregonian

Does convey the sense of being caught in a nightmare. A stupid person's nightmare.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
10/17/03
Bob Campbell
Bob Campbell
Newark Star-Ledger

A splatterfest remake that relentlessly assaults the senses and mind with no discernable redeeming social value.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
10/17/03
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Just as humorless as the original, but it's also slicker, glossier and resoundingly artificial.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
10/17/03
Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald

While the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was genuinely creepy, this one is simply explicit.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
10/17/03
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

A scary and nauseating film, which is precisely what it set out to be and that's what makes it such a cut above the rest.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/17/03
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

Offers full, living meaning to the word 'gratuitous' as it applies to film violence and is an exercise in being grossed out.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/17/03
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

Gruesome enough; what it lacks is a distinctive revolting personality of its own.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
10/17/03
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

If you're into this stuff, it's a fun, scary time.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
10/17/03
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It is nearly as tense and nasty as the original and, to be fair, features far better acting, most notably by Jessica Biel, who is compelling even when she isn't about to burst out of her wet T-shirt.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
10/17/03
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

A lame re-do of the 1974 cult classic that lacks not only the gritty and grim 'charm' of the first film, but also features little in the way of shocks, thrills or chills.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
10/17/03
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

January 31, 2008: Platinum Dunes, New Line Announce Plans for New Nightmare on Elm Street
In a move that should surprise no one, New Line has announced a partnership with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes banner to reboot the Nightmare on Elm Street series. More...

November 14, 2007: Marcus Nispel to Direct Friday the 13th Reboot?
You can't keep a good man down. Nor, apparently, can you keep an undead, hockey mask-wearing lunatic off the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Marcus... More...

May 09, 2007: Jessica Biel: "Street Fighter"?
Remember that pretty rotten Jean Claude Van Damme movie that was based on a video game called "Street Fighter"? Well, you can bet the producers of the new version wish... More...

January 18, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: "Hitcher" Aims to Terrorize Moviegoers
After a busy MLK frame which concluded with the Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood lets the dust settle this weekend as only one new film enters wide release - the horror remake... More...

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