Iconic horror film gets a modernized remake that's as well done as it is blood-soaked.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This isn't some lark crafted to make you jump out of your seat and then start laughing. You don't dare laugh. This is the real thing.
Efforts to expand the envelope of grotesquery make the film repulsive and suspenseless, and it sorely misses original director Tobe Hooper's grisly, wily sense of humor.
It's as if they didn't know whether to do a faithful remake or a modernist departure, and the result is a dissatisfying middle ground.
A bold, boisterous, bloody good time - and any old-school Horror Freak able to get over the "How dare they?!?" attitude should absolutely find a lot to enjoy here.
That it escaped the straight-to-video bin suggests that Hollywood's contempt for today's youth audience has reached a new level.
You'll be frightened, at least a few times. But you'll also be bored with these uninspiring young folks.
There's nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking here, but the film delivers with enough consistency to warrant a qualified recommendation for those seeking a few extra scares at this time of the year.
It's just as guilty as Blair Witch 2 for smothering bare-bones fright with ladles of gore.
This particular reconceptualization actually does an impressive job of capturing the nasty dread of the original.
One gets the feeling the movie is little more than product meant to entice the unsuspecting -- neither new nor improved, merely the same wine in a different bottle.
Remakes are invariably a letdown; this one, at least, doesn't slip too far.
Rather than exhilaration, this bilious film offers only entrapment and despair. It's about as much fun as sitting in on an autopsy.
All we really get is a Chainsaw that sputters before it splatters, leaving the sleepy audience anxious to saw logs.
The remake moves faster and sounds louder, but comes off as callous rather than creepy.
A lot more violent and a tad less creepy than the 1974 original, the much-changed remake delivers enough gory, belligerent mayhem to keep horror fans screaming.
This bloody, exploitative mess is the cinematic equivalent of a dumpster fire -- stinky but insignificant.
While the remake is a faithful up to a point ... there is still plenty of fun for those of us who've practically memorized every stitch in Leatherface's mask.
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