A 50-year-old horror classic reaches a whole new level of appreciation

Inclusion in the National Film Registry is a cause for celebration among film enthusiasts each year, as the Library of Congress selects 25 new films for preservation for their artistic, historical, and cultural value. I am. As with awards like the Oscars, public selection influences selection, not just criteria that don’t extend to the whims of the moment. That leads to some interesting and notable choices in a genre where the facts are often overlooked until much later.

2024 includes some particularly notable works in this category. Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” This is not the first time the National Film Registry has honored a horror film, with previous entries including John Carpenter’s “Halloween” and Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” But Texas Chainsaw is a grindhouse exploitation that has always had a bad reputation. Its inclusion in the National Film Registry proves its impact and influence in a way never seen before.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the ultimate grindhouse movie

Tobe Hooper’s films rejected the mainstream in every way

In the early 1970s, even as America was struggling with the fall of the Nixon administration and the end of the Vietnam War, the film landscape was changing. The system was broken and people became cynical about the future. At the same time, the establishment of the MPAA rating system in 1968 allowed filmmakers to more openly explore adult themes such as sex and violence. Horror movies, in particular, have benefited from deregulation, allowing us to enjoy terrifying themes and images that were not possible just a few years ago.

In the DVD commentary for the film, Hooper mentions that he was working at the University of Texas when social forces coalesced around the idea of ​​a horror film. He noticed that local news outlets heavily featured violence in news stories and drew comparisons between Vietnam’s atrocities and the fact that the government routinely lies about what is happening there. I cited it. The Ed Gein serial killer was the final touch that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho and the Houston murder of Elmer Wayne Henry.

Hooper and co-screenwriter Kim Henkel conceived the story of a terrifying family hiding in plain sight in rural Texas. As he later explained, “Here the humans were the real monsters, just wearing different faces, so I put a literal face on my monster in the movie.” The resulting film was Fifty years later, it’s still shocking. Shot for just under $140,000, the film follows five teenagers on a road trip who run out of gas after encountering a suspicious hitchhiker.

They seek help from a secluded farmhouse, only to be attacked by its inhabitants. It’s a twisted family of cannibals and grave robbers who routinely eat cannibalism. Their most prominent member, “Leatherface”, wears a mask made of human skin, and other accessories in their home are made of human body parts. One survivor of the group of five finally escapes the horror at the film’s conclusion, pursued by Leatherface with his specialty chainsaw.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre showed America’s dark side

The outsider’s perspective made the slasher a huge hit.

When “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was released, critics were extremely mixed. While some praised its clever technical merits, many were appalled by its graphic content and dark message. The film was rated “X” despite the fact that violence is almost entirely implied. Although the film was eventually downgraded to an “R” rating, it still caused an uproar upon release. The film was banned in several countries and many theaters refused reservations due to its content. As is often the case, this controversy piqued public curiosity, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre quickly gained a reputation as a “forbidden” film. Through a long theatrical run (boosted by cult festivals and midnight screenings), the film grossed well over $30 million.

Over time, its reputation improved exponentially among the critical community, who recognized the larger themes that Hooper had inserted into the film. Of course, horror fans have always understood its true power. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was touted as a “true story” when it was released, but this is a huge stretch. At the same time, the film feels chillingly plausible, and Hooper’s background in documentary filmmaking lends it the feel of events unfolding in real time.

Horror movies aim to hold a mirror up to humanity, revealing people’s fears and sometimes exposing harsh truths in their dealings. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, like no other horror film before or after, achieved that goal. The National Film Registry simply recognizes that accomplishment and the fact that “grindhouse” movies sometimes say more about the world than Oscar winners.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is currently streaming free with ads on Peacock TV and Pluto TV.