The Texas Chainsaw Masscre: The Beginning

Most of the time I stick to DVD releases, but when a new Chainsaw hits theatres you'd have a hard job to keep me away! So, it was off to the first showing of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Now, if you haven't seen it yet, I'll try not to give too much away, but no promises, so read on at your own risk.



So, did I "witness the birth of fear", not really. Here's the basic story: In 1969, in a small Texas town, a slaughter house is put out of business by the state health department. Since this was the towns main economic stream, the town itself is being abandoned, everyone is leaving...well, not everyone, the stubborn Hewitt family refuses to leave the town it's grown up in. The problem is that the Hewitt family is far from a normal family, there's Mama, who we've seen pull an unwanted baby from the slaughter house's dumpster, there's Charlie (her son) who's far from normal, there's Uncle Monty, who seems to just want to be left alone and then, there's the baby who was pulled from the dumpster...young Thomas, who we all know as Leatherface.

Now, since the Hewitts aren't leaving town, that means they'll need something to eat, and since the cattle are gone and the Hewitt's aren't farmers, what else might be plentiful? Could it be travelers?? You got it! And, when four young people travel through the Hewitt's town, you know that it's just a matter of time before dinner is served!

Is this as good as the original? Not by a long shot, I don't think they'll ever match the shock and horror that the original inspired. Is this as good as the Jessica Beil remake? Not really, it's close, but no cigar. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning does offer a couple of things that the original remake didn't. We get to see Leatherface's 'workshop', we see the chainsaw used a whole lot more than we did in the first. R. Lee Ermey's part is significantly bigger than in the first one, in fact, we learn more about the origins of sheriff Hoyt than we do of Leatherface. The real origin we get is the story of the Hewitt family and, just an aside here, I liked the idea that they were the Sawyer family much more than the Hewitts, but we learn why they act the way they do and why they start down the road of cannibalism and killing 'hippies'.

Is this a great horror movie, absolutely, the gore is graphic, the violence is very in your face and the story moves along pretty good once it gets going. Is it a great 'Texas Chainsaw' movie, it could be better. As an aficionado of Texas Chainsaw movies, this one isn't the best, but it isn't the worst either and here in Bad Movie Guy World, a bad Texas Chainsaw is better than a great American Beauty! I'm giving The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning three out of four cigars because I never once jumped or felt like closing my eyes, as I have for most of the other sequels. So, until next time, remember two things, first that the saw IS family and second that the best movies are bad movies!