“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is the pinnacle of horror movies, permanently stored in the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA, New York.

Development of Leatherface

The second aspect of the realistic production is the art team's commitment. In fact, this film was based on an incident that actually happened. The Ed Gein case was the inspiration for Hitchcock's `` Psycho '' (1960). This is a bizarre crime in which he became mentally ill due to a twisted love and hate relationship with his widowed mother, and as a result of various circumstances, he ended up making furniture using human bones and skins dug up from other people's graves.

In this film, the director and art team referenced that incident, but succeeded in creating an interior that is even crazier than it. The carcasses of real animals were dissected in large quantities, and the work is so thoroughly authentic that I hesitate to write about it here.The exquisite sense of craftsmanship creates a crude feeling that makes you feel as though it was made by a murderous family. has been done.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Production designer Robert Burns' greatest achievement is probably the sculptural design of Leatherface, the film's icon and the best heel in movie history. I've seen him attack with a chainsaw while wearing a giant apron and a mask made from the skin of a corpse, making noises like a pig, and the ending is sure to leave you traumatized.

There are three types of leather masks forcibly sewn with wire, one of which is a female version for the dining table, and the last one, which is made up wildly and dons a permed wig, rushes towards true madness. Leatherface in the chase scene is really bad and scary.

Director's cinematic exploration

Finally, what adds to the realism is the 16mm film photography and eerie sound effects. The film has a grainier, rougher feel than 35mm film, giving it a documentary-like feel and helping to give the audience the illusion of being a party to the incident. Also, there is no music to liven things up, all there is is a harsh metallic sound. It's true that due to the low budget, there wasn't enough room to shoot in 35mm or compose the music, but its rawness is also good.

Also, if you look closely, you can see that the cuts are quite decent, and the angles and camera work are well-calculated. Even the murder scenes were directed in a controlled manner, with the audience's ratings in mind. On the contrary, it stimulates the imagination and makes it even more frightening. Looking at the making of the movie, there were a lot of reshoots, which is surprising? It can be seen that the director goes through trial and error.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

The script only contained a rough outline, and it seems that many decisions were made on set, but you can tell that he was calm and steady in making the movie. Tobe Hooper may have been able to pursue what he wanted to do with his youthful inclinations, but he did not make the film recklessly just for the sake of momentum; he was seriously trying to create a new era of horror films.

After filming, it took a year and a half to edit, and we finally succeeded in creating the perfect horror film. Ironically, many of the staff and cast had forgotten about the movie and were surprised when it was completed.

Monsters are everywhere...