Horror and true crime are two major movie genres and when they are combined… well let’s just say there is no shortage of people ready to hand over their money to catch a glimpse of the macabre. That is most likely why the twisted tale of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre went from a single true crime story to an entire franchise overnight. Over the years there have been the original, remakes of the original, remakes of the remakes, sequels, prequels, spinoffs, and even a 3D version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre concept. The franchise began with the well-known original in 1974 and continues to this day, making it one of the longest-running and well-known stories with over 50 years of remakes and re-tellings.
While it may be one of the longest running, it is certainly not alone in the concept of creating horror movies based on true crime events. Take for example The Amityville Horror, another film franchise based on the murder of the DeFeo family and the chilling events that followed. This true crime film trend began in the 1970s and continues to this day with movies, remakes, and entire series based (however loosely) on actual events. Recently, we’ve also seen a plethora of movies and horror series based on serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson, and the Boston Strangler.
Although the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is hailed as a true story, that is really only partially true. The story is very loosely based on the crimes of Ed Gein, known as the “Butcher of Plainfield” which is a town in Wisconsin, not Texas. He was reported to live in a house of horrors that contained human skin lampshades and other skin fabric furniture. He was only convicted of killing two people, however, and not with a chainsaw. He claimed to have gotten the rest of the skin and bones from pilfering grave sites. He did however have human face masks. In addition to being the inspiration for the character of Leatherface, he was also said to be the basis for the character Norman Bates in Psycho due to his odd infatuation with his mother—as well as Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, for obvious reasons. He certainly formed the basis for many other characters, so we decided to take a look at the man behind the mask and see just how many Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies he actually inspired.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre– 1974
It’s hard to beat an original, though goodness knows this franchise has tried. The 1974 original Texas Chainsaw Massacre introduced the world to the villain known as “Leatherface.” Written and produced by Tobe Hooper, the storyline follows Sally (Marilyn Burns) as she and her family pay a visit to her grandfather’s grave, first taking a detour at the old family farmhouse. But that detour proves deadly. The group is attacked by the leader of a nearby outcast group, a man wielding a chainsaw with a mask made of dried human skin. It is disturbing, to say the least.
The movie was a hit, grossing $30 million in sales, and is still a classic to this day. However, it proved a tad extreme for the times, as many movie theatres and towns ended up banning it due to its “excessive violence.” Perhaps that is why the sequel did not come out until over a decade later.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: The Sequel– 1986
In the second installment of this horrifying classic, Leatherface is going global. He sets his sight on a pretty young radio disc jockey Vanita “Stretch” Brock played by Caroline Williams. When she joins forces with Texas lawman Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper), they attempt to fight Leatherface on his home turf, an abandoned amusement park. Yet the two get more than they bargained for when Leatherface’s entire cannibal clan shows up including the terrifying character “Chop-Top” played by Bill Moseley.
The sequel is also directed by Tobe Hooper and brought the same terrifying plot twists and gruesome scenes as the original. Although the sequel wasn’t quite as successful as the original, bringing in $4.7 million in box office sales. Still, it seemed people couldn’t get enough of Leatherface and his cannibal crew. The macabre fact that the story was loosely based on true events, seemed to make the films that much more terrifying and fascinating to viewers. The sequel was a hit and Leatherface secured his spot as one of the most horrifying and well-known villains of the time.
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3-1990
In the third installment of the series, Leatherface is up to his old tricks in a film that is more gruesome and gory than ever before. In fact, the original cut of the film earned an X rating, vastly limiting its distribution possibilities. After some cuts and re-writes, the new version was given an R rating and hit the box office in early 1990. The film made $5.8 million in box office sales and earned similar acclaim to the prior two installments. It was directed by Jeff Burr and featured some familiar faces such as Viggo Mortenson, William Butler, and Ken Foree.
The storyline follows a young high-class couple who make an unfortunate stop at the aptly named “Last Chance” gas station. As they watch a hitchhiker being attacked they realize they’ve made a terrible mistake. In their efforts to escape the chainsaw-wielding man with a face of human leather, they run off into the woods and meet up with a survivalist who tries to help them. It is a similar theme but with a forest survival twist that adds a new element to the plot. It seems to help the film stand apart somewhat from the others, and apparently viewers flocked to the theatres to see this third installment in the classic slasher film trilogy.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation– 1995
Over 20 years after the premier of the original, Leatherface is back, and this time with a whole new generation. While the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was iconic, this edition featured a star-studded cast, although unfortunately, that fame did not translate to box office sales. This version only brought in a disappointing $185,000 in sales, not even meeting a return on its $600,000 production budget. In short, the film was a big flop. It was surprising as the cast included Matthew McConaughey(who himself is from Texas) and Renee Zellweger although it was slightly before the pair had made big names for themselves. The movie was recut and rereleased two years later after the two Hollywood starlets had hit the big time, although that still did little to help sales. The film was shot in Austin, Texas to give it a realistic Texas feel and was directed by Kim Henkel, which was a change from Tobe Hooper who directed the first two.
In true slasher film fashion, the story follows a group of friends who on the way home from prom take a wrong turn and end up getting in an accident on the backcountry roads of Texas. When a tow truck pulls up and runs one of them over, they realize they have stepped right into the hometown of Leatherface and his family. Blood, screams, and ruined prom dresses quickly ensue. It is a fairly typical storyline, especially for the Chainsaw Massacre franchise. But for some reason, this film just did not reach the acclaim or fame of the others.
All American Massacre– 2000
All American Massacre was an independent film directed by Tony Hooper, son of Tobe Hooper who directed the two original Texas Chainsaw Massacres. Meant to be a 25th-anniversary tribute to the original, the film was never fully released to the public, which is a shame because the plot sounds fascinating. Set 12 years after the sequel, the killer known as “Chop Top” has been captured and placed in a psychiatric facility. He relives moments of his childhood with an interview crew and sets up the storyline for how he, Leatherface, and their motley crew all came to be how they are. The ending had Crop Top escaping and creating an all-new “American Massacre.”
The film never saw its box office debut, and only a handful of people have ever seen the finished product. While the actual reason for its shelving is unknown, the common speculation is that it is a rights issue. The rights around the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” franchise have changed hands many times over its life span and using similar names, concepts, or themes without permission can cause otherwise successful films to go bankrupt in lawsuits. Or perhaps after the massive failure of the 1995 Next Generation installment, the team was concerned the movie would not reach the heights it should. There is also the possibility that money was an issue in its release. While the actual reason might never be known, one thing is for sure, released or not, this film deserves a spot in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie list.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-2003
A whole new cast, an all-new director, and the same old slasher story. Jessica Biel, Mike Vogel, and Jonathan Tucker star in the remake of this age-old classic. Produced by Marcus Nispel the story follows a group of youngsters who once again travel down the wrong road. After picking up a panicked hitchhiker, the group stops at an old farmhouse to ask for help. Unfortunately, the rundown building is the home of Leatherface and his deranged family. The film is especially gruesome, with decapitated limbs and horrifying death scenes, which of course, made it a big hit with the horror crowd. The film reenergized the franchise and got people interested in the story of Leatherface again. It brought in $107 million in box office sales and is hailed as one of the best films in the franchise overall. Check it out for yourself, if you dare.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning– 2006
Serving as a prequel to the 2003 version (and the sixth official installment of the series), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning takes a look at how Leatherface became Leatherface. The film is directed by Jonathan Liebesman and produced by some familiar names, Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, the creators of the 1974 original. The storyline follows Leatherface aka “Thomas” as he is abandoned as a baby and grows up in a slaughterhouse, which explains his penchant for blood and gore. The movie also reveals his first murders and how the chainsaw aspect comes into play.
Another terrifying installment in the series, this one brought in $51 million in box office sales (about half as much as its predecessor but still a respectable amount nonetheless). The cast was also not quite as star-studded, which could additionally explain the discrepancy in sales. Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, and Matt Bomer star, but compared to names like Jessica Biel and Mike Vogel from the 2003 edition, the cast may not seem as impressive. Regardless, the film still did fairly well and earned its place in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series.
Texas Chainsaw 3D-2013
Texas Chainsaw in 3D, because why not? Who wouldn’t want to see blood and guts up close and have the horrifying sensation of a man with a leather face wielding a chainsaw coming right at you? Apparently, the answer is—a lot of people, as this 2013 installment raked in $47.3 million in box office sales, just slightly less than its 2006 predecessor.
Directed by John Suessenhop, the story begins with the persecution of the Sawyer family, who the locals of Newt, Texas feel are responsible for many of the missing people in the town. They torch the complex and kill the family members, or so they believed. The story picks up with young Heather (played by Alexandra Daddario) as she inherits land in Texas from an unknown relative. Yet what she finds in the basement of the dilapidated home upon her arrival will haunt her (and the rest of us) for years to come. So grab your 3D glasses and check out this horrifying seventh installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.
Leatherface– 2017
Leatherface is another prequel in the series, only this time it connects to the 1974 original as well as the 2013 3D version, not the 2003 remake. Is it just us or is this getting confusing? Still, what audience doesn’t love a good origin story? Traditionally, prequels do fairly well as many viewers are fascinated by deranged serial killers and want to try to understand how they got that way.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case with the 2017 installment as it only brought in a little over $1 million in box office sales. The film was shot in Bulgaria and once again dove into how Leatherface became such a hardened, notorious, and gruesome killer. The film was temporarily shelved for a year and then released in 2017.
The storyline followed little Jedidiah Sawyer who would later become “Leatherface” as he learns his maniacal ways from his equally deranged family. It then follows his escape from a mental institution and his strange relationship and escape attempt with a nurse named Elizabeth. Eventually, the two escape but Jedidah ends up killing her and wearing her face like a mask—y’know, as one does. While it checks all the boxes of explaining the subsequent behavior and mindset of “Leatherface,” viewers did not seem to be as enamored with this film as others in the franchise, resulting in disappointing sales and a loss of rights to some of the companies involved with it.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre-2022
In the latest and possibly final installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre syndicate, Netflix picked up the story and created a 2022 film directed by David Blue Garcia. In a modernized storyline, a group of young influencers attempts to revitalize a small, deserted Texas town, only to find far more than they bargained for. Leatherface returns 48 years after his original spree to terrorize the group of youngsters, with help from the remaining members of the town. Unfortunately, the film met with some negative reviews receiving only a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast did receive some acclaim, however, despite what many felt was a disappointing storyline. The cast included Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, and Nell Hudson.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a gruesome story that in some ways has been told to death. Literally. Some of the movies have been hits and some have been serious misses. Technically there have been ten installments of the series with the possibility of more to come. Although the last few films have flopped at the box office, if we have learned anything about both the franchise and Leatherface himself, it is that they have the ability to survive multiple deaths and somehow still come back to haunt us for years to come.