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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 movie)

A remake of the 1974 film of the same name directed by Marcus Nispell and Michelle Palmer

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Relentless And Tense

Jun 13, 2005

by kfontenot

Rating:

I watched the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" back when I was in college and again when this remake was released in the theaters. I enjoyed it very much, with its camp horror and constant terror throughout. It was a very good film, but it's young remake is also up to the task.

Though most people who've watched the original will probably find more wrong with this film than folks who didn't(think old Star Wars vs. new Star Wars), this new version is actually pretty good. It has a likeable young cast who do very good jobs with their roles. Leatherface, Granny, and the rest of the cannibalistic family are fun to watch as well. Their interactions with each other are morbidly engaging. R. Lee Ermey is hysterical as the sheriff.

The film is very tense, especially when Jessica Biel realizes that her friends are being murdered and she attempts to save the few that remain. At one point, Ermey's character takes a sick and twisted turn in one of the most tense-filled scenes in the film. He forces one of Biel's friends to "help" him in the investigation of a suicide by re-enacting it. Biel does a lot of running and screaming, but it is all very believable and done with good cause(obviously, I'd run too if Leatherface was chasing me). Also, the camera manages to find Biel's bosom and midriff quite often, especially in close-ups. We see her running with a dry, tight shirt, a wet shirt(white nonetheless), and a blood-soaked shirt. It's obvious why we see her in this way, but I'm sure most of the gents in the crowd won't be offended.

Overall, I was surprised at how good this film actually was. I was actually a little tired after the constant, relentless chase scenes in the flick, which means I was really captivated by the action on the screen. It managed to haul me in and keep me interested until the credits rolled.

In closing, I highly recommend this remake of a classic. I do suggest you watch both of them if you haven't, but keep in mind that the original will always be tough to beat. Give this remake a little breathing room, and you'll quickly find that it is one of the better horror flicks in recent years.

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More The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2... reviews

review by ryguy4738. December 05, 2011

posted in Movie Hype

Inferior, brutal remake of a superior, classic, and actually quite satirical and hilarious original.

** out of **** Marcus Nispel's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" takes Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" to almost painfully excessive new highs and lows. As can be expected from a film with the said director attached, there's a great deal of hard work that went into the technical and visual departments; and all such work pays off in the end. However, as with all the Marcus Nispel films, that's about it; he's a good hand when it comes to grotesque but strangely stunning … more

Comment Compliments (12)

Quick Tip by Butterfly1961. June 07, 2010

A Quick Tip by Butterfly1961

This movie was awful - way too much torture going on and it made me a nervous wreck. Gross is OK, but needless torture is overkill.

Comments (2) Compliments (3)

review by Captain_Couth. May 04, 2009

Jessica Biel's hot but this movie is not. Sadisitc does not equate horror.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) is a terrible film. Unlike the recent remake of Dawn of the Dead (which was good), the new T.C.M. is it's polar opposite (it is bad). I don't know why they even bothered with remaking this classic. Everything that made the original great is missing. Sadistic does not equate frightening or scary it's just stomach churning. The film makers need to take note. The only thing worth while about this flick is Jessica Biel. If you're a huge Jessica Biel fan (and what straight … more

Comment Compliments (6)

review by tomtom13. February 11, 2005

posted in Movie Hype

Return to the Ranch of the Cannibalistic Psychos.

This, the 2003 version of, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is an example of a remake done well. The movie stays fairly close to the original film with some minor changes and a different focus in storytelling. The movie opens with some "real" camera footage of police officers searching and investigating the Hewitt family house in Travis County Texas. A narrator introduces the story and a few minutes in one of the police officers hurls at the sights and smells being discovered. … more

Comment Compliments (12)

review by Sheila. June 09, 2004

posted in Movie Hype

HEADCHEESE!!!

HEADCHEESE! Did you know that Tobe Hooper's original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre was titled "Headcheese", but at the last minute the title was changed to TCM?The original 1974 TCM was filled with a group of hippy teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker,wind up in a backwoods horror chamber where they're held captive, tortured, chopped up, and impaled on meat hooks by a demented cannibalistic family. All the while, the character known as Leatherface who does the maiming,torturing and killing while maniacally … more

Comment Compliments (12)

review by SusiDee34. May 13, 2004

posted in Movie Hype

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003

Pros: .. Cons: .. The Bottom Line: Nuttin like a chainsaw to get your attention Movie synopsis: A van of young adults travels down a lonely Texas road, picks up a hitchhiker. The mumbling young woman is deranged and beaten, pulls a gun from her nether regions and kills herself. In an attempt to find authorities, the group of young people fall under the hands and become the prey of the antics of the Hewitt family … more

Comments (1) Compliments (12)

review by Kasia_S. April 08, 2004

posted in Movie Hype

Good scarry movie

I have never seen the original, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Let me start saying, that I made a mistake of eatting dinner and watching this movie at the same time. Um, yeah, I could hardly chew, and it was only the beginning. The cast is quickly overwhelmed by the unfamiliar terriotry, and sneaky people who aren't as helpful as they seem. It's in the middle of a hot, gross and sticky summer day. Some of the scenes are brutal, but I did not see any cannibalism in it. … more

Comment Compliments (6)

see all The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2... reviews (7)

About the reviewer

Kendall Fontenot (kfontenot)
Ranked #19

Despite looking extremely cool, I have to admit that I'm a dork. I grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Oberlin, LA. I have since relocated to the Lake Charles, LA area.I love my home state … more

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About this movie

Wiki

The 2003 version ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacreadheres to the pure and simple slasher movie formula: Introduce a gaggle of sexy young people, make vague gestures to distinguish them--Jessica Biel (Summer Catch) wants to get married and doesn't like pot, so she's our moral compass--then start hacking them to pieces one by one. The visual palette includes grimy crucified dolls, fly-specked pig carcasses, body parts floating in murky jars, a tobacco-chewing redneck sheriff, and many slender beams of sunlight cutting through dank, dusty interiors. The camera lovingly photographs Biel's tank-topped bosom and sculpted abs as she's running in terror from a bloated, chainsaw-wielding, human-skin-wearing maniac. This remake lacks the macabre comedy of the original; it's all about the nauseating sensation of waiting for something to jump out of the dark. Also featuring Eric Balfour (Six Feet Under) and R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket,Mail Call).--Bret Fetzer

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