Product Description

Tobe Hooper's original classic in an incredible 3 disc edition including brand new features.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13459 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-11-03
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: Dolby, PAL
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 80 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This sensational, extremely influential, 1974 low-budget horror movie directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist, Lifeforce, Salem's Lot), may be notorious for its title, but it's also a damn fine piece of moviemaking. And it's blood-curdling scary, too. Loosely based on the true crimes of Ed Gein (also a partial inspiration for Psycho), the original Jeffrey Dahmer, Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker and wind up in a backwoods horror chamber where they're held captive, tortured, chopped up, and impaled on meat hooks by a demented cannibalistic family, including a character known as Leatherface who maniacally wields one helluva chainsaw. The movie's powerful sense of dread is heightened by its grainy, semi-documentary style--but it also has a wicked sense of humour (and not that camp, self-referential variety that became so tiresome in subsequent horror films of the 70s, 80s and 90s). OK, in case you couldn't tell, it's "not for everyone", but as a landmark in the development of the horror/slasher genre, it ranks with Psycho, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. --Jim Emerson

Special Features
Tobe Hooper's original classic in an incredible 3-disc edition in a limited edition steelbook including brand new special features:

Remastered from new high definition transfer;
New 5.1, 2.0 and remastered original mono audio mixes;
Commentary with Tobe Hooper, cinematographer Daniel Pearl and actor Gunnar Hansen;
Commentary with actors Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danziger and art director Robert A. Burns;
"The Shocking Truth" documentary;
"Flesh Wounds" documentary;
A tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen;
Interview with Tobe Hooper and writer Kim Henkel;
"Off The Hook" with actor Teri McMinn;
"The Business of Chain Saw" with production manager Ron Bozman; Deleted scenes, outtakes and galleries

Synopsis
A quiet summer drive through rural Texas ends in violent tragedy when several youths encounter a chainsaw-wielding psychopathic killer and his demented family. Tobe Hooper's gruesome tale of terror is loosely based on the Ed Gein killings, which actually occurred in Plainsfield, Wisconsin. Shot in a neo-documentary style, this incredibly influential horror film spawned numerous sequels and imitations.

Customer Reviews

Who will survive and what will be left of them
Having seen most of the very best horror films as a youngster in the 1980's, I never got to see this until it was finally lifted from it's ban in 1999 and I have to be honest, when I did see this for the first time, I was a little disappointed, I am now convinced that the reason for this was because of all the hype and the fact that I had waited such a long time to see it plus I watched it in the daytime (not a good idea for a horror film of this quality). I say this because everytime I have watched it since that disappointing first time, I find it more scary on every repeated viewing and I seem to appreciate it more and more as up until about two years ago (at the time of writing) this wasn't even in my top ten horror films, it definitely is now and it will probably stay there for the rest of my life.

This film has such a depressing and grim feel to it and to me this is all the scarier for it as a horror film, it is probably for this reason that some people find it boring because I did on first viewing. if like me you are a huge fan of horror movies and was disappointed with this on first viewing, not because of the lack of gore (if that is all you are interested in then watch the remake) but because it just didn't somehow do it for you, then I would urge you to watch this a few more times late at night as you might just change your opinion about it, I am sure if I can then other people can (I can't be that unique).

For me, it is the all less is more that makes this film scary and from the moment that the youngsters stop and investigate the ghost town like house in the unbearable heat of Texas, I always get a creepy feeling that someone is watching their every move and this is because of the genius directing of Tobe Hooper, I have seen the remake of this and don't find it anywhere near as tense and claustrophobic as this original, then there is that unforgettable ending, in my opinion this is the greatest last 3 minutes to a horror film ever.

It is no coincidence that most of the scariest horror movies are low budget and this is another one of them because most of the actors look tired and depressed because at the time of filming they really were and this is to their credit that they worked so hard to make this the classic that it now is. A little tip to any director that wants to make a classic horror movie, over produced means less scary, watch this as an example. OUTSTANDING HORROR.

A landmark film
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made and its raw power remains undiminished to this very day. Made in the hot wastelands of Texas in 1974 with an incredibly low budget, director Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist) has somehow created a genuine fright machine which changed the face of the horror genre completely. The story revolves around a group of teenagers being chased, terrified and murdered when they stumble upon a canabilistic family in the countryside. The main character, Leatherface, has become one of the most notable villians in cinema history; his remorseless killings were loosely based on real life 1950's Texan murderer Ed Gein. You will know already whether this sort of film is for you - if you enjoy slasher thrillers and behind-the-seat suspense, this is the ticket. I stress however that this does not come beautifully presented or has special effects - it is filmed much similar to that of a documentary and is often described as 'gritty'. But don't let this put you off - this actually adds to the realism of the situation and makes it a much scarier experience. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic of its generation and deserves to be part of any respectable film collection. Just don't watch it alone.

This is the ultimate TCM
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the great horror movies.

Filmed in the 70's on a shoe string budget it comes across as it is meant to as a grimy and sleazy shocker.

The usual bad acting in places doesn't matter one bit as you get drawn in knowing you are watching one of cinemas legendary films. It will shock you how little blood is actually shown on the film.

This is a fantastic edition with some amazing extras and the steel book looks great. I just hope that they have now covered everything and this is the last run.

5 Stars and please no 8 disc mega definitive edition next year.