Gas Chainsaws

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American horror film/cult film, written, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, who had writing credits. The film features a cast of many non-professional actors, including Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal and Paul A. more...

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Partain. The film, despite its label as excessively graphic, does not rely so much on explicit gore to generate terror in the audience as it does on pacing, suspense, the deserted location and dramatic tension.The film has developed a dedicated cult following.

The plot of the film revolves primarily around a group of friends on a road trip in rural Texas. The purpose of the road trip is to visit the hometown of Sally and Franklin's father in order to check on their grandfather's grave after reports of grave robbing. After their van runs low on gas, the group of friends visits the childhood home of Sally and Franklin's father where they are attacked by a family of cannibalistic men, including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.

The film was an independent production, produced on a budget of just $83,532 and went on to gross $36,000,000 at the US box office in 1974 — making it the most successful independent film ever until surpassed by Halloween in 1978. While it is not the first of its specific genre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre influenced subsequent films in the sub-genre. The film is the first of four Chainsaw films (completed or pending) directed by Hooper and Henkel. In 2003, it spawned a remake.

Plot

Bickering siblings Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and wheelchair-bound Franklin (Paul A. Partain) visit their grandfather's grave in a cemetery in rural Texas with their companions, Sally's boyfriend Jerry (Allen Danziger), his friend Kirk (William Vail), and Kirk's girlfriend Pam (Teri McMinn) after hearing that the graveyard has been vandalized and corpses have been constructed into figures. While driving to the Hardesty's now deserted former house they encounter a skinny, mechanical-looking, heat-struck, crazy hitchhiker. However, after he torments them and threatens Franklin with violence they kick him out of the van.

Running low on gas, the group pull over at a Gulf filling station/barbecue, where the strange looking owner says that they won't have any fuel until later that afternoon. Upon learning where the teens are going, the owner advises them against going there. The group finally arrives at the Hardesty farm. Following Franklin's directions to a childhood swimming hole, Kirk and Pam set off to find it while the others stay at the old house. Finding the swimming hole dried up, Kirk and Pam hear the sound of a gas-powered generator which attracts them to a farmhouse nearby. While there they encounter a camouflaged junkyard of vehicles and finally discover the house. Kirk investigates to inquire about buying gasoline and is eventually attacked by a huge man, named Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) with a sledgehammer while Pam is outside. Pam then enters searching for Kirk, but also falls prey to Leatherface, and is hung onto a meat hook.

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