so, that's where that face came from

Texas Chainsaw Massacre:

The Beginning

* * *

Starring: Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, Matthew Bomer, R. Lee Ermey and Andrew Byniarski

Its a relatively known fact that I love horror movies. Its also known, that while I loved the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I also liked the remake with Jessica Biel. This movie is just as good as the remake from three years ago. Its not better. Just more of the same.

The reason I gave this one three stars is because of the back story. This one takes place in 1969, the beginning of the Hewitt family's four-year reign of terror. In this movie, you find out where Thomas was born (a slaughterhouse) and how be became a member of the Hewitt family (they found him in a garbage can). There a lot of things that come out in this one besides that. You find out how Charlie got the police car (bloody murder) and uniform as well as how Uncle Monty lost his legs (bloody surgery), how Charlie lost his front teeth (bloody face bashing on the front porch) and how Leatherface got his leathery-face (its Jordana Brewster's boyfriend's face).

The back story takes up the first half hour of this movie but its all very interesting for fans of the series. Otherwise, the second half of the movie is pretty much exactly the same as the remake from three years ago. The only thing that really differs is the method in how the people are killed. My favourite was when the biker guy falls on the chainsaw, and Leatherface starts it up and continues to cut the man in half. Most ingenious.

I think the reason I really like these new TCM movies is how dirty and gritty they look. The producers and directors have managed to capture the feel of the original movie while heightening the horror elements. They made the gore a lot more in your face than in the original, which is why the original was so scary: the violence was left to the imagination.

I like these remakes on the whole. They are fun and gory and Leatherface is just as creepy as ever. I'm glad it seems like the TCM franchise is done though. I don't know what else they could do with this story. But kudos on doing a great remake. One more in a recent list of great horror remakes.