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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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121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Iconic horror film gets a modernized remake that's as well done as it is blood-soaked.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
10/16/03
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

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.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
10/16/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Junky and disposable but fast most of the time.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/16/03
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today

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.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
10/16/03
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
10/16/03
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

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.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
10/16/03
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

That it escaped the straight-to-video bin suggests that Hollywood's contempt for today's youth audience has reached a new level.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
10/16/03
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News

You'll be frightened, at least a few times. But you'll also be bored with these uninspiring young folks.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
10/16/03
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
10/16/03
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

It's just as guilty as Blair Witch 2 for smothering bare-bones fright with ladles of gore.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/16/03
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

This particular reconceptualization actually does an impressive job of capturing the nasty dread of the original.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
10/16/03
Michael Rechtshaffen
Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
10/16/03
Gary Dowell
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News

Remakes are invariably a letdown; this one, at least, doesn't slip too far.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
10/16/03
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Rather than exhilaration, this bilious film offers only entrapment and despair. It's about as much fun as sitting in on an autopsy.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/16/03
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

She screams. He chases. She runs. We yawn.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
10/16/03
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

All we really get is a Chainsaw that sputters before it splatters, leaving the sleepy audience anxious to saw logs.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
10/16/03
Jackie Loohauis
Jackie Loohauis
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The remake moves faster and sounds louder, but comes off as callous rather than creepy.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
10/16/03
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
10/16/03
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

This bloody, exploitative mess is the cinematic equivalent of a dumpster fire -- stinky but insignificant.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
10/16/03
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

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.

Full Review Source: Horror.com | comment Comment
10/16/03
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Horror.com
 
 
121 - 140 (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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