r/Ijustwatched • u/aalvis2000 • 10d ago

IJW: Texas Chainsaw Massacre [1974]

I finally watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre today and was surprised at how little blood there is. Same with Halloween—both kicked off the slasher craze without tons of gore. Granted I grew up in the slasher film error, but I definitely appreciate how atmosphere and suspense can be way scarier than all the blood in the world.

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u/tree_or_up 10d ago

Yeah it manages to be incredibly brutal with almost no gore. It’s one of a kind (though I agree with your point about Halloween) in so many ways. So many films from reboots to sequels to films that are just inspired by it have failed to capture that utter mayhem and dread.

If you’re curious to learn more about it, read up on the making of it. It was probably one of the most grueling and distressing shoots in the history of mainstream horror. There was at least one panic induced psychotic break, someone actually cut another actor’s finger for scene and sucked the blood, the cinematographer narrowly escaped getting hit by the actual chainsaw, it was filmed in crazy south Texas heat in the middle of summer, there was rotting meat all over the place, among other things.

I think part of what gives it that sense of immediacy is that the actors and crew were pushed to their absolute breaking points in extreme environmental conditions.

It’s a wonder the director Tobe Hooper wasn’t sued and that most of the people who experienced the making of it don’t seem to hold much of a grudge.

It’s a fascinating chapter in the history of filmmaking to read up on

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u/aalvis2000 10d ago

I really love hearing the background of films, how they were made, etc. it really does provide insight. Thanks for the tip regarding Halloween.

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u/CreativeCthulhu 10d ago

Someone recently posted about being a baby in that house while they were filming. It was interesting to read about from their perspective.

My older cousin showed me that when I was waaay too young, in the mid-80’s. The sound of that hammer hitting dude in the head reminded me so much of the sound of slaughtering livestock that it broke me for a long time.

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u/RandomNerdNPC 10d ago

Hi.. I think they’re banning movies with so much gore in them back in the day.

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u/beebs44 8d ago

Bruh, I didn't make it past the hitchhiker scene as a kid