The film is widely considered to be one of the finest horror films ever made and the infamy of the film's release, where it was banned in certain sections of America, has not diminished in recent years.
Directed by Tobe Hooper, who does so with great visual panache and integrity, it remains a wonder why Hooper did never become the bigger director this film promised, and instead became reliant upon working for people he influenced such as Steven Spielberg.
The film is the atypical horror movie sharing the generic conventions that was initiated by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho in 1960 - the final girl, the remote location, fear of the unknown and unknowing stranger who thinks he is normal and audience intrigue, and dare we say empathy, for the villain.
Leatherface was quite probably the first iconic horror character, a forerunner for Michael Myers, Freddie Kruger, Pinhead and others. The iconography of this masked villain and the image of him twirling his trusted chainsaw in the setting Texas sun helped the film become a success; a success mirrored by a film released the previous year The Exorcist.
That film initiated the audiences apparent insatiable appetite for evil to appear on screen and the need to know more about evil intentions; the film like Psycho used supposed non-fiction material as basis for their screenplays. The legend of Ted Bundy is omnipresent over both pictures.
The film will be released as a two-disc limited edition Steelbook Blu-ray, with brand new artwork and stacked by brand new bonus features, a standard two-disc Blu-ray with reversible sleeve featuring new artwork and original US poster. All will be available from 17th November.
Features include new audio commentary with Tobe Hooper along with three other commentaries featuring among others Gunnar Hansen who played Leatherface. Numerous documentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes also feature.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre still maintains the power to shock, disturb and horrify. The chance to see it in the best restorated version ever is one not to be missed, not just for horror film aficionados but for those interested in the history and power of the motion picture.
Two disc Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £22.99
Two disc Standard Edition Blu-ray £19.99
www.secondsightfilms.co.uk
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