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That new chainsaw from Texas ain’t so good.

Well, I finally saw the Texas Chainsaw "reimagining," and boy, did I ever get my hopes up for this one. I'll be honest -- I probably bought into the hype a little too well, and compacted with the number of great reviews I'd read, the flick had little chance of living up to what I was expecting. Still...good God. Many would say that comparing it to the original causes a rift in objectivity, but seriously, it's like they chopped off all of the really twisted stuff, replacing it with more of the same old crap and hoping the added gore would keep you from noticing. The changes seem designed more to make the movie conventional enough to be a money-generator than any sort of creative new ideas or "well, what if we did this instead?" hope shots. For what it is, I guess it's okay, but "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" breaks no new ground and doesn't even hold up against those other lousy sequels on a "depraved joyride" level. It's just made better, performed better. The story itself? Definitely not better.

The only thing I'd give 'em credit for is for playing the horror hand straight. The atmosphere is correct, but that's about it. The characters do enormously stupid and unrealistic things to remain in the line of fire, and basically, what you get is something that's just a few notches above any of the "Friday the 13th" movies...albeit with a better cast. This movie was just way too artificial to succeed in what it set out to accomplish.

That said, is it worth seeing? Yeah, I guess so. I have to wonder if I'd be this critical had I not gone in with such high expectations -- I'm sure it's a factor, but really, our group of six left the theater seeming more apathetic to the past two hours than anything else, and we've got wildly varying tastes. All in all, you're not doing yourself any huge injustice by missing this one, but compared to most of the other horror flicks to come out in this past year, it works well enough. It just doesn't go beyond working "well enough," and that's the big issue for me. Oh well.

Posted by Matt on 10/30/2003. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 63 comments

hehe tim bits that word is so fuckin funny.

Chestnuts roasted by Jared @ 10/31/2003 2:58 PM

Haven’t seen the film, but that’s because I’m currently away at school in Edmonton and some of the theatres here cost $15 to see a movie. Add in $5 for a large Coke and I say NO THANK YOU.

However, in my hometown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (yes, that is a real place), tickets are only $7

Chestnuts roasted by geffin98 @ 10/31/2003 3:38 PM

I think there is a quantifiable difference between seeing a film at an obsolete shopping centre multiplex built in the 70s and 80s with the tiny screen and seeing a film at one of the newer places like the Paramount or the AMC Forum 22, with the huge screens and the state-of-the-art surround sound and much more comfortable seating, so, in all honesty, I don’t usually mind paying a couple of dollars extra to see most films, and, for things I’m sorta interested in seeing but don’t feel like paying full price to see, I just go to one of the cheaper first run places like the Dorval cinema.

But I’m a guy whom prefers watching matinees, and, 95% of the time, I see movies alone (I don’t understand the stigma against that), so a $4 difference in the ticket price doesn’t bother me too much. Obviously, the increased ticket prices will be more of a bother for groups, but, like I implied, you don’t have to see a film at the nicest theatre if there’s a cheaper first run theatre nearby (though far enough away that they both will be showing the same films).

Chestnuts roasted by Steve Brandon @ 10/31/2003 4:00 PM

I remember way back when I first saw the Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I was just a wee lad, and was watching it with my friend, when about three quarters through the movie my friends mother came in, turned off the movie, and lectured us about how all this screaming was demeaning to women *she was a proto-feminist, or so she called herself*

also: I pay $13.50 to see movies (canadian funds)

Hey Geffin98, I’m in Edmonton too

Chestnuts roasted by Mezzanon @ 10/31/2003 4:12 PM

Well, i can always take a trip to the run-down shak that used to be a theatre…it’s only 6 bux…but then it’s shit…

Chestnuts roasted by Xen @ 10/31/2003 8:38 PM

My girlfriend wants to see the new TCM since I FORCED her to watch the original since every person should see it at least once. But I think we will wait for it on video. Now Kill Bill Vol.1 was a great movie! Holy crap on a cracker! So many movie homages AND Sonny Chiba!!! (He was in The Street Fighter. He ripped off a guys nuts with his bare hands in that movie…) So go rent The Street Fighter! It was rated X for violence back then…

Chestnuts roasted by Dethstryke @ 11/01/2003 1:35 AM

Shane… you wouldn’t happen to live around Clarksburg, WV, and have a friend named Aric Bork, would you? He was talking recently about a friend of his named Shane that moved back to WV from some other state, and I think the timing on this is too weird.

I should let it be known that our movies in my area are $4.50 before 7 pm, and jump to $7 anytime afterwards. Plus our movie theater is in our mall across from the dollar tree, so you can get plenty of cheap snacks and drinks to take over to the theater.

Chestnuts roasted by Scelestus Unus @ 11/02/2003 6:04 PM

actually…the Night Of The Living Dead remake was really really good for all those of you who claim remakes of classic horror movies dont work

Chestnuts roasted by hmm @ 11/04/2003 1:33 AM

hmm: You know it’s the exception that proves the rule right?

Chestnuts roasted by Mezzanon @ 11/04/2003 3:20 PM

I saw the new TCM remake with my wife, She got a little spooked I guess, I need to show the girl the old one, soon if i can, and
It’s just a bit hard to rent around here, but I’ll try a dvd if it’s around perhaps. Where I live is a bit of a small town, and sometimes we get horror films, just occasionally. Anyways, if i remember an old dude with a hammer doin’ stuff, am i thinking the first film in the series?
I Hope everbody had a good Hallooween.

Chestnuts roasted by obelisk @ 11/05/2003 10:33 PM

Obelisk — that’s correct. Unless you’ve seen the sequel, cause he does it there, too.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 11/05/2003 11:03 PM

thanks to Matt, for that bit of re-assurance I’m not totally off-my-rocker. By the way. I got to see that new Matrix film for $5 last nite, that wasn’t too pricey, and, I feel like I saw something that tied in with TRON, i don’t know.
I did see the 1st – 3rd TCM movies at my best bud’s house for a Halloween party a LONG time ago, and yes i remember it (hammer) in #2, just very hazy. ttfn-

Chestnuts roasted by obelisk @ 11/07/2003 6:58 PM

its movies like this that make Downloading movies like this SEem ok lol yo MATT WHATS UP its vin

Chestnuts roasted by BROKENTWICE @ 11/13/2003 12:11 PM

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 30th, 2003 at 12:11 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.