Wow. How embarrassing. But yeah.
I still remember fondly that 2004 sophomore (high school) Spring Break where Keiran, Adam, and I spent days and nights hanging out watching movies. This was shortly after my movie viewing awakening, brought on by Goodfellas, Kill Bill, and Pulp Fiction. The most memorable movie from that Spring Break is Thirteen. I was not the least bit rebellious and that movie showed me a teenage recklessness I could only fulfill in my imagination. The other movie I distinctly remember from that period is the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The two things I remember are: 1) R. Lee Ermey, and 2) us three dudes trying to figure out, on VHS, if the panties peeking out from Jessica Biel’s jeans was a thong or not. So yeah,
is accurate enough.
I must admit I haven’t rewatched the movie since, so the (probably) answerable question lives on as to what kind of underwear JBiel was wearing.
4040:
6060:
Here’s the giveaway for people that don’t watch too many horror films:
8080:
Over to you, you mad man, Chick!
tomchick
1964
There has never been a non-awful Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. Not a one. Fight me!
l’m looking for some frames and should have something up tomorrow.
-Tom
Skipper
1965
As a slasher pic, it led the wave that was to come behind it, including Halloween and Friday the Thirteenth. You can’t throw it under the bus saying it was awful when what came from it did it so much better. It deserves at least some credit for bringing the sub-genre along.
The actual Leatherface movie, however, yep. I’m in total agreement that it sucked. I never saw the reboot above but Biel’s midriff was pretty nice, I imagine.
tomchick
1966
How does that vindicate the quality of Texas Chainsaw Massacre? I don’t deny it’s influential, which has nothing to do with whether it’s awful. There’s a whole sub-genre of haunted house stories that swap in an inbred cannibal family where the ghost used to be. These can be traced back to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and as near as I can tell, they’re all terrible. The only exception I can think of would be the Home episode of X-Files. Maybe Alexander Aja’s remake of The Hills Have Eyes?
Also, crediting Texas Chainsaw Massacre with inspiring slasher films is a stretch. I’d argue Halloween and Friday the 13th are much more indebted to Black Christmas, Peeping Tom, and Italian giallo than Tobe Hooper’s gross and clumsy student film.
I will agree with this if I can change the word “credit” to “blame”. :)
Here’s another hot take: the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot is far far better than the original, because unlike Tobe Hooper, Michael Bay* knows how to get a movie made.
-Tom
* He didn’t direct, of course, but he knew enough to hire a guy who makes music videos.
tomchick
1967
Sorry to derail the discussion of how Tobe Hopper is a terrible director who some people think once made a good movie, but I would like to pose a question to all of you:
In what movie will you see this at the 20:20 mark?
-Tom
Arioch
1968
Final Destination 2, I think.
tomchick
1969
Bingo! You got it, Arioch. How did you do that? Because the lead actress, AJ Cook, is recognizable? I don’t think I know her from anything else. She’s palavering with her dad in the 20:20 about some backstory stuff. But the movie can afford a breather at that point because we’ve just seen the high point of the entire Final Destination series: the set-up and execution of that highway wreck. That’s some really chilling stuff and, to my mind, Final Destination has never been better.
The 40:40 is from the movie’s most egregious misdirection, for how death catches up with this kid in the dentist’s office. It’s a little something for fans of Marathon Man and none of it matters. Psyche! Then glass falls on him when he leaves the building. I hoped this frame would give it away, but you can’t really tell from anything in the shot that it’s supposed to be a dentist’s office.
The 60:60 is the coked up guy who gets Cubed by a bobwire fence:
The 80:80 is AJ Cook in a van that she has to drive into a lake because plot plot something plot storyline plot:
Over to you, @Arioch!
-Tom
rhamorim
1970
AJ Cook from Criminal Minds? (I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in any other movie/series)
Arioch
1971
I just caught the beginning on television and couldn’t change the channel until the ladder falls into the eye. Such a fun and gruesome movie. Also I really liked the misdirection of it being another teen horror movie, with the sterotypical kids being killed immediately after the premonition.
Skipper
1972
That movie series has done so much for making us all a little afraid of the unexpected stuff like this. hard to believe this one wasn’t done. Nice pick, Tom!
As far as slashers as a sub-genre, I feel ya. Then again, I feel like for every sub-genre of horror like that, there just hasn’t been a master of it that took it to the level of amazing.
I also agree that the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre wasn’t stellar in any way. I guess I inferred it was good? I didn’t mean too, only that it laid the groundwork for better. It moved the needle I guess, but one thing is for sure, it seemed like it had a budget of ten bucks, maybe fifteen on a good day.
This makes me think we should have a discussion of the best cheap movie ever made?
Arioch
1973
Okay, in which movie will you see this at 20:20?
Matt_W
1975
Why does that shoe have no laces?
That’s a weird and rather unsettling shot.
Arioch
1977
Not Caddyshack. I think the 40:40 won’t help much, but here goes:
Arioch
1979
Goddamn, that’s right!
Here are the other shots:
60:60
80:80 (very obvious)
And the 100:100. I was glad to get all main characters.
I’m not sure if it holds up, but back when I watched it (about the time Gabriel Knight 1 was out) its voodoo theme was quite fresh and interesting to me.
aeneas
1980
The image of the fan has stuck with me since I saw it in the theater.
Arioch
1981
It’s a great shot and the reason I chose this movie.
aeneas
1982
Ok. I cant imagine that this will last past this one.
A 2020 for your consideration.
