The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Jonathan Liebesman

Writers (WGA):

Sheldon Turner (screenplay)
Sheldon Turner (story) ...

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Witness The Birth Of Fear

Plot:

On one last road trip before they're sent to serve in Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends get into an accident that calls their local sheriff to the scene. Thus begins a terrifying experience where the teens are taken to a secluded house of horrors, where a young, would-be killer is being nurtured.

Plot Keywords:

Leatherface | Car Accident | Slaughterhouse | Psychopath | Vietnam War

Awards:

5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15	8:30 PM	MAX
Thur. July 23	6:30 PM	MAX

Cast

Jordana Brewster	...	Chrissie
Taylor Handley	...	Dean
Diora Baird	...	Bailey
Matthew Bomer	...	Eric (as Matt Bomer)
R. Lee Ermey	...	Sheriff Hoyt
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Thomas Hewitt / Leatherface
Lee Tergesen	...	Holden
Terrence Evans	...	Monty
Kathy Lamkin	...	Tea Lady
Marietta Marich	...	Luda Mae
L.A. Calkins	...	Sloane (as Leslie Calkins)
Tim De Zarn	...	Supervisor (as Tim deZarn)
Allison Marich	...	Young Luda Mae
Marcus H. Nelson	...	Lackey (as Marcus Nelson)
Lew Temple	...	Sheriff Winston

Also Known As:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Origin (USA) (working title)
Untitled Texas Chainsaw Massacre Prequel (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

91 min | USA:96 min (unrated version) | Germany:83 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Australia:R | Iceland:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #42851) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Singapore:R21 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | Italy:VM14 | Germany:18 (cut) (nf) (theatrical version) | France:-16 | Portugal:M/18 | Mexico:C | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Malaysia:(Banned) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 (uncut version) | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (DVD rating) (cut) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating on appeal) | Italy:VM18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Austin Studios - 1901 E. 51st Street, Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

New Line had to pay $3 million more than it expected to in order to keep the series in the studio fold after Dimension Films made a pricey deal with original rights holders Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel and Robert Kuhn.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the end when the guy is pulled over by the cop on the side of the road, the cop is standing on the left of the vehicle. Real cops stand to the right of the vehicle away from the street.

Quotes:

Holden: I'm looking for the girl.
Sheriff Hoyt: The girl? She's right there.
[Points to Bailey]
Holden: That's not her.
Sheriff Hoyt: Well if that's not the girl then... oh I don't think you wanna see the other one.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

Soundtrack:

Vehicle

Unpleasant and disturbing...as it should be

Prequel to the 2003 "Texas Chainsaw..." giving us the origin of Leatherface and his twisted family. That's all done within the first 20 minutes...then it's just a virtual redo on the original with four likable 20-somethings being captured and tortured by Leatherface and his family. Considering it's basically a remake of the 2003 film, it works remarkably well.

It takes place in 1969 and has two brothers (Taylor Handley and Matthew Bomer) going to enlist (after being drafted). Along are their two girlfriends (Jordana Brewster and Diora Baird). But they're stopped by crazy Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) who is Leatherface's uncle...and the "fun" begins.

Very grim and graphic with no humor and shot in muted color...just as the 2003 one. The gore is strong and disgusting (this got trimmed to get an R rating) and I can't say I liked it...but it did it's job. It scared me. I was cringing in my seat a few times and jumped more than once.

Another plus is ALL the acting is good. Brewster, Handley, Baird and Bomer are all good-looking and likable--when the violence starts you really are horrified at seeing such great characters being tortured. Ermey is on hand giving another terrifying performance as Hoyt. His character is so twisted, violent and sick that when he got a taste of his own medicine my quiet audience broke out in applause. Also there's good old Leatherface and his chainsaw chasing everybody.

In some ways I applaud a grim, graphic R rated horror film that pulls no punches--I HATE the watered down PG-13 crap we usually get. But unlike some (like "Scream") this is pretty unrelenting and wears you down. But it scared me and that's exactly what it's supposed to do. An 8.