The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

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.

Director:

Jonathan Liebesman

Writers:

Sheldon Turner (screenplay), Sheldon Turner (story),

Stars:

Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jordana Brewster	...	Chrissie
Taylor Handley	...	Dean
Diora Baird	...	Bailey
Matt Bomer	...	Eric
R. Lee Ermey	...	Uncle Charlie Hewitt / 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

Storyline

In August, 1939, a worker goes into labor while working in a slaughterhouse and dies after a complicated labor, though the deformed child survives. The possibly orphaned baby is dumped in a garbage container and found by a beggar later, who brings him home. Along the years, the mentally retarded and disturbed boy called Thomas is raised by the Hewitt family in spite of having psychological problems as well as suffering from an unnamed skin disorder, later working in a meat packing plant. In July, 1969, when the facility is closed, the inhabitants move to other places, but the deformed, mentally childlike Thomas flies into a rage after being insulted and kills the foreman. His deranged brother (considered his uncle due to their age difference) executes the sheriff that is going to arrest Thomas, and assumes his identity, wearing his clothes,driving his car though the roads in Texas and entitling himself as Sheriff Hoyt. Meanwhile, the brothers Eric and Dean are traveling in a Jeep with...

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Plot Keywords:

leatherface | slaughterhouse | psychopath | car accident | murder | 

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Taglines:

The Only Thing More Shocking than How it Ended, Is How it All Began.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films [France] New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Origin

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$44,145 (Argentina) (24 November 2006)

Gross:

$39,511,038 (USA) (29 December 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Platinum Dunes, Next Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 96 min (unrated) 83 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producers Andrew Form and Bradley Fuller decided not to make a sequel to the 2003 movie. But the fans kept coming to them, asking how the family got that way and wanting to know several unanswered questions in the 2003 version (some of them include how Monty lost both of his legs, to how Sheriff Hoyt lost his front teeth, and how Leatherface got his nickname). And after a meeting with Michael Bay, they let Sheldon Turner write the script for a prequel and they were prepared to make it.

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Goofs

Hoyt hoses down Dean and Eric to clean the blood from their skin and clothes. The shot changes and when it goes back to them, their clothes are dry.

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Quotes

Sheriff Hoyt: Get her in there! I think you like wasting my time blondie!

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Connections

References Easy Rider (1969)

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Soundtracks

"A Church At The Foot Of The Hill"
Performed by Dixon Brothers
Courtesy of Document Records

User Reviews

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.