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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

  • 1974
  • R
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
170K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,683
340
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Trailer for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
Play trailer1:40
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Horror

Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Some... Read allFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.

  • Director
    • Tobe Hooper
  • Writers
    • Kim Henkel
    • Tobe Hooper
  • Stars
    • Marilyn Burns
    • Edwin Neal
    • Allen Danziger
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    170K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,683
    340
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Kim Henkel
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Stars
      • Marilyn Burns
      • Edwin Neal
      • Allen Danziger
    • 1.1KUser reviews
    • 304Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos2

    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
    Trailer 1:40
    Watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

    Photos281

    This photo was from the best reunion of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) at Days of the Dead in USA in 2012. From the left, the emcee Shawn Patrick, (Seated, L-R) ''Sally Hardesty'' Marilyn Burns, ''Pam''Teri McMinn, ''Kirk'' William Vail, ''Grandfather'' John Dugan, ''Hitchhiker'' Ed Neal, ''Cattle Truck Driver'' Ed Guinn, ''Jerry'' Allen Danziger from the TCM panel at Days of the Dead Indianapolis 2012.
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,  Gunnar Hansen,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,   Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    Teri McMinn in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    Marilyn Burns, Ed Guinn, and Gunnar Hansen in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    "..B.B.Q. ..AGAIN!!..oy!.."
    Marilyn Burns, John Dugan, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, and Jim Siedow in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns and Director Tobe Hooper,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    Gunnar Hansen at an event for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Marilyn Burns
    Marilyn Burns
    • Sally
    Edwin Neal
    Edwin Neal
    • Hitchhiker
    Allen Danziger
    Allen Danziger
    • Jerry
    Paul A. Partain
    Paul A. Partain
    • Franklin
    William Vail
    William Vail
    • Kirk
    Teri McMinn
    Teri McMinn
    • Pam
    Jim Siedow
    Jim Siedow
    • Old Man
    Gunnar Hansen
    Gunnar Hansen
    • Leatherface
    John Dugan
    John Dugan
    • Grandfather
    Robert Courtin
    • Window Washer
    William Creamer
    • Bearded Man
    John Henry Faulk
    John Henry Faulk
    • Storyteller
    Jerry Green
    • Cowboy
    Ed Guinn
    Ed Guinn
    • Cattle Truck Driver
    Joe Bill Hogan
    • Drunk
    Perry Lorenz
    • Pick Up Driver
    John Larroquette
    John Larroquette
    • Narration
    • (voice)
    Levie Isaacks
    • Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Kim Henkel
      • Tobe Hooper
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to John Larroquette, his payment for doing the opening narration was a marijuana joint.
    • Goofs
      The blood the hitchhiker smears on the van is gone in the long shot a few seconds later.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Narrator: The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare.

      The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

      AUGUST 18, 1973
    • Alternate versions
      Restored version released in 1998 on DVD includes outtake and alternate footage.
    • Connections
      Featured in Filmgore (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Fool for a Blonde
      Roger Bartlett & Friends

    User reviews1.1K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Steer clear of remakes and sequels
    I remember first hating this movie, not because I found it scary, it is, though not in a jump scare kind of way, but on the back of it first being released on DVD, in the UK, and all the attention it was getting. So, I bought a copy, decided I didn't like it, returned it, and when asked for a reason I reported that the 5 star reviews on the cover, and those pointed to within the store, were wholly inaccurate - I'm amazed I managed to get a refund for that. Anyway, I was 20 years old back then, 42 now, and find myself able to appreciate it much much more.

    All the really good stuff in this movie sits within the last 20 mins or so, and is really quite masterful. There is some good amount of build up to that, including Leatherface's first moments of hack and slash, but all the serious tension and horror comes at the very end, and is really effective. What's interesting about it, is that there isn't an enormous amount of character development, which I suppose also serves to make the travellers in this case more disposable, the focus being much more front and centre on the horror being experienced. It seems somewhat more visceral, with the victim's having had very little character development, in the build up, which seems to bring it more closely to you. Hope that makes sense in some way.

    Anyway, well worth your time!
    helpful•4
    0
    • napchier
    • Aug 3, 2022

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    FAQ12

    • What is 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' about?
    • Is 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' based on a book?
    • Wasn't the movie based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    • Filming locations
      • Bilbo's Texas Landmark - 1073 State Highway 304, Bastrop, Texas, USA(Gas station and BBQ Shack)
    • Production company
      • Vortex
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $140,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $30,859,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $30,860,378
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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