The first time I watched “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) was the summer after seventh grade with a few of my best friends. I wasn’t as into horror movies as I am today, and I found myself bored. Too little was going on, the effects felt bland and the ending left me unsatisfied. At the time, I felt that it was one of the worst movies I had ever seen, and this was the same summer I watched “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014) in theaters.
The second time I watched “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” was a week before starting my first year of college, and this viewing altered every opinion I had of the movie. The effects that I initially found dull felt unsettling, and every scene that I once thought too long now had me hooked. The ending that my friends and I made fun of now left me in awe, as the image of sunlight shining off a chain saw being swung by an aggravated Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) stayed permanently etched in my mind. After this viewing, I began to consider “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” not only the best horror movie of all time but also one of my own favorites.
Unfortunately, as is the case with many horror movies, when there’s a good one, there’s often also a slew of sequels and reboots meant to ride on the coattails of its predecessor. With “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” franchise in mind, it’s difficult to ignore the vast array of lore that’s been altered or retconned since the film’s 1974 conception. Over eight films, the Sawyer family has gone from crazed cannibals to chili-cookoff champions to members of a secret society to victims of a corrupt community. And, like clockwork, a direct sequel to the original movie is coming out Feb. 18 through Netflix.
While I will be giving this sequel a chance, as I am a fan of actress Elsie Fisher, I have a hard time believing this film will be as strong as the original. With the exception of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986), past sequels have either felt too formulaic with their repetition of plot points or too expository with their recounting of “pertinent” information about a character’s past. So, with this upcoming sequel, I decided to discuss features I would want out of a follow-up to one of the most important films in horror history.
Avoid superfluous information on the Sawyer family.
One of my least favorite things about horror sequels and prequels is when they answer questions no one has been asking. When watching a film in “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” franchise, I never wish to see a family tree outlining who’s connected to who or to witness a lengthy scene devoted to Leatherface making his first mask. The point of background information is to help break down and survive in the present, not learn what the model of Leatherface’s first chain saw was. Include enough information to move the plot along and provide clarity, but not too much as to where the film feels like it should be a mini-series on the History channel.
Less is more when it comes to gore.
As a horror fan, I’ve always been more drawn to practical effects than digital effects, especially when it comes to gore. Although the original film contains violent subject matter, visible gore is far less prominent in it than in the slashers that would follow. For instance, the 2003 remake of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is more disturbing than its predecessor through the inclusion of brutal scenes such as Andy’s (Mike Vogel) impalement. In cases like this, the freedom of imagination is lost as viewers are left with an image that may or may not be more disconcerting than what they would otherwise imagine. Gore doesn’t need to be over-the-top when uncertainty already fosters fear.
Add more family members.
I think “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” does well by expanding the family to include more absurd characters. While Leatherface and Grandpa Sawyer (Ken Evert) consistently reappear, this film introduces Chop Top (Bill Moseley), a Vietnam veteran with a metal plate in his head. Not only does Chop Top’s continuous rambling contrast with the grunt-heavy dialogue of Leatherface, but his creepy design and personality allow for viewers to fear him differently than the chain saw-wielding Sawyer. By expanding the Sawyer family, Leatherface’s scares won’t run the risk of getting stale, and their comradery would allow for more horror to develop.
Change up the location.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: with a name like “The TEXAS Chain Saw Massacre,” the franchise is limited in the number of places it can go. While this may be the case, I would want this sequel to go beyond the old house in the countryside and into untapped territories. For example, what if the film started in Texas but took place on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico? It could be a blend of “My Bloody Valentine” (1981) and “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989), where, while transporting cargo onto the rig, the Sawyer family sneaks off the boat and begins attacking the crew. The tight walkways and the confined setting would make a perfect location for a slasher.
While I would love to see a “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” sequel with an oil rig crew facing off against Leatherface, I recognize the low probability of such a request. I can hope it will come in the future, but until then, I can always fall back on the beauty and terror of the original.
