It’s “Shock-tober” – a month to celebrate horror for 31 days – I will share one shocking Halloween movie with you every single day of the month –
Don’t scream, it will be fun! All thirty-one of these movies capture what makes Halloween so much fun – because we all love to be scared, shocked and unnerved in the dark – and what better way to kick it off than with one of the greatest, and most unsettling horror experiences ever:
Fire Up Your Chainsaws!
Let’s begin with what many consider the most “horrifically raw” horror film of all time! “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is not only an iconic horror film – it was groundbreaking for it’s “documentary” feel, and a great way to kick off “Shocktober!”
First, check out the iconic trailer:
What A Classic Shocker!
Director Tobe Hooper offered up a new vision of horror in 1974, when his film was so raw that many people thought it was real!
The plot is simple: five teenagers in a car have a couple of strange encounters before ending up at an old family home…where the horror begins!
Say Hello To “Leatherface!”
Gunnar Hansen played “Leatherface”, one of the most shocking characters in movie history – the “raw” feel of the movie made it almost impossible to watch – especially when they are invited to the family “dinner”…
According to the great IMDB website, Director Tobe Hooper claims to have gotten the idea for the film while standing in the hardware section of a crowded store. While thinking of a way to get out through the crowd, he spotted the chainsaws!
Gunnar “Leatherface” Hansen hit his head on doorways and other objects several times during the shoot because the Leatherface mask severely limited his peripheral vision and the three-inch heels he wore made his 6’4″ frame too high to clear all obstacles!
Horrific – But No Blood!
The most shocking thing about “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is that it isn’t very bloody! As IMDB reports:
“This is because Tobe Hooper intended to make the movie for a “PG” rating, by keeping violence moderate, language mild, and having most of the horror implied offscreen rather than shown in great detail onscreen. However, this plan had actually backfired, and made the film even more horrifying. Because despite cutting and repeated submissions, the Ratings Board insisted on an “X” rating!”
This movie is almost TOO intense to watch, which is why it has become such a horror classic…and a great way to kick off “Shocktober 2016!”
Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Books / Media, Cult Movies, Exploitation films, Great Films, Grindhouse, Halloween, Hollywood, Horror films, Independent Cinema, Movies, Uncategorized
Reblogged this on johnrieber and commented:
Sharing last year’s Shocktober countdown again – enjoy!
I readily recall the fuss at the time, though I didn’t actually watch this until some years later. It still had a lot of power though, and was one of the original films dubbed ‘video nasties’ here, that also included ‘I Spit On Your Grave’.
Best wishes, Pete.
Pete, it’s going to be 31 days of “Shocktober” – a film a day – and yes, this was a “video nasty” although it had very little blood at all!