Chop, slice, dice, repeat
By Jeff Renfro
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is more than a remake of the 1974 horror classic of the same name. It attempts to recapture the psychological tension of the original film, but ultimately regresses to mindless gore. The film is far from the groundbreaking, cinematic achievement that was the original, but it succeeds in providing simple fun for fans of cheesy horror movies.
The film follows a group of five friends who are side-tracked on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The group almost hits a disoriented girl with their car and pulls over to try to assist her. Once in the car, the girl proceeds to shoot herself. The friends seek help in a small Texas town populated by strange characters. They unwisely decide to separate, with one group attempting to find a phone and the other attending to their van. Each member of the group eventually has a run-in with the chainsaw-wielding maniac Leatherface. Some of the goriest scenes ever in a mainstream film follow.
The film marks the directorial debut of Marcus Nispel, who comes from the world of music video and commercials. Nispel's music video background is evident. The film is marked by ominous images and quick cuts, meant to disorient the audience. In fact, the disorientation is so effective that it sometimes obscures the plot (which is barely there, but more on that later). Nispel has a talent for framing single shots, which he shows in the shots of Leatherface's house. The film features several shots of the house at night, with a sinister steam rising from the back. Assisting Nispel in his debut is Scott Kosar who penned the script. He previously wrote the screenplay for "The Machinist."
The film's young cast is led by Jessica Biel ("The Rules of Attraction") and Eric Balfour (TV's "Six Feet Under"). None of the actors deliver anything close to a strong performance. However, this does not actually hurt the film because the cast is inconsequential. The male characters are there to be gruesomely maimed by Leatherface and the female characters serve only to scream and wear wet tank-tops. The lone standout performance is delivered by R. Lee Ermey ("Full Metal Jacket"). Ermey plays Sheriff Hoyt, a member of the backwoods community that supports Leatherface, and he is not above "copping a feel" while handling a dead body.
The film differs from the original mainly in its use of graphic violence. 1974's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was scarier because the audience never had any concrete idea about what Leatherface was actually doing to his victims. The 2003 version leaves nothing to the imagination. We are observers as Leatherface goes about his gruesome business in his dank basement.
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" lacks any real plot. Each scene of graphic violence segues into another scene of almost non-related gore. This film is not for fans of subtle, character-driven works. It is strictly for fans of gory splatter-fests. Fans of the genre are sure to get a kick out of the over-the-top violence and mindless fun.
Grade: B (for horror fans); D (for everyone else)