1974 American independent horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written collaboratively by Hooper and Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Teri McMinn, William Vail, Edwin Neal and Paul A. Partain. Presented fictionally as being a true story, the plot involves a group of friends on a road trip in rural Texas who are ambushed and murdered by a family of cannibals. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the first of six films that became a film franchise revolving around the character of Leatherface, portrayed by Hansen in this film.
Hooper was initially inspired by the Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein, as well as the perceived lies from the American government when drafting his story.[3][4] Produced on a budget estimated around $140,000, Hooper casted relatively unknown actors for his film, pulling mainly from the surrounding Texas area used for filming locations. Principal photography of the film took place between July 15 and August 14, 1973. When the film was completed, Hooper struggled to find a distributor for the film because of the graphic depiction of violence; when he did secure a distributor the MPAA gave the film an R-rating, instead of the PG-rating Hooper had intended.[5]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released theatrically on October 1, 1974, but because of the content it was banned in several foreign markets.[6][7] Initial critical reception of the film was mixed, receiving both praise and criticism regarding the atmosphere, story, characters, and graphic content,[8]. It however was a strong commercial success, grossing $30.8 million at the United States box office.[2] Despite this reception, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has gained a reputation as one of the greatest and most influential horror films of all time,[9][10] originating several tropes common in the slasher film genre,[11] including the characterization of the killer as a large, hulking and faceless figure and the use of power tools, knives and blunt objects as murder weapons.
