Official TCM: The Beginning Discussion

Regardless the quality of the movie, that's a pretty poster.

It looks like what happens two minutes after the end of the original.
"Hey, where'd everybody go? Crap. Guess I'll walk home."

I still consider Texas Chainsaw Massacre to be one of the greatest titles in horror history. I remember being in the video store with my mom and thinking "Yeah, I definitely know I won't be allowed to get that one" just by reading the name.

Funnily enough, the original almost borders on PG-13 territory.

Nice poster, though I doubt this will be worth watching. And I'm assuming this is the only Joe Liebsman movie we're getting this Halloween?

I don't really like it. It looks too...polished, actually. Like intentionally dingy. Its sort of obvious and it doesn't really seem to sell what made TCM so great in the first place (well, the original, anyway).

Although that's just my opinion. I did like the TCM remake though, so I'll see this just based on the strength of that.

http://creature-corner.com/?type=news&id=1441

You people going to rip on me if I told you I didn't see the TCM remake either? I've had it in my collection for a while too, can't bring myself to check it out though.

Nope. A mediocre rip-off of an American Classic doesn't qualify as horror fan required viewing. Barbara Crampton in a Dominatrix outfit however.......

No it doesn't. But there we go again, people equating gore with maturity.

Whoa there Edna, who said such a thing? There's really not a lot of gore in the film, and that's what they base ratings on. How much guts you see or how much F-words you hear. It may have gotten an R for language, I don't remember how much they swore in it. Then again, those were the days where PG really meant something as opposed to these idiotic little rules it's based on nowadays. For instance, why is The Matrix not PG-13? Apparently, kick in the head equals R. There's nothing really brutal and gory in any of them. Hell, they don't even say "fuck" once throughout all three movies. But: kick in the head, so it's R.

You just did. If you think an R rating is based solely on gore, that's a pretty naive take on the ratings system. And if you can't see why the original TCM was given an X rating back then, you should really go back and watch it again.

I guess I should, it's been a few years.

Edit: No shit, X? Then again, The Evil Dead was given an X-rating at first too, and I don't see how terribly shocking it could have been to warrant that.

Make it a double feature night. First watch From Beyond. Then, instead of watching the TCM remake, watch From Beyond again.

My guess is the tree rape might have had something to do with it. But the X rating was given to a lot of films that you wouldn't think deserved it. Midnight Cowboy, for example.

Back on topic, the only thing that sparks my interest is the fact that we'll be getting more R. Lee Ermey. I'd totally forgotten he turned up in the remake, but that's because I'd completely forgotten that movie.

HE HASN'T SEEN FROM BEYOND????!!!!!

As I said before, I would have liked this movie better if it were about R. Lee Ermey and his cannibal yokel family, and ditched the whole "TCM-remake" hook completely.

It hasn't even fucking come out yet, what are you talking about?

The first one.

Yeah. We're still processing that one, Alex...

Call me crazy, but I liked the remake. It was much better than it had any right to be, the sheriff and the town being in on it was a nice touch (I wish the meat processing plant had been named "Hooper's" or something), Leatherface's full intro (wearing Jessica Beil's boyfriend's face) was aces, and I dug the ending.

I look forward to this.

I thought the TCM remake was ok, it has a lot of good points, yet I didn't find the family members to be weird enough like "Grandpaw" or "Chop-Top" in the originals. R. Lee Ermey is definitely a plus in these installations, able to bring a sadistic insanity to his character. I haven't heard much in terms of the plot for the "The Beginning" and I'm hoping they introduce new characters, hopefully some kind of incarnation of "Chop-Top."

Yeah, gore or no gore, slamming a girl back-first onto a meathook, and then having her hang there while watching her boyfriend get cut up with a chainsaw shouldn't be the content on which to base a "PG-13 vs R" discussion.

Exactly! I loved Ermey in this. I wanted to know more about that family than the Leatherface horseshit. Someone smart should have ended any and all remake notions and concentrated on a new horror family with a *gasp* new killer. If they had to make the Chainsaw connection, why didn't Ermey and his brood just be siblings or offspring of Pa Sawyer?
The actor playing Leatherface was all wrong, he was too big and brawny, too good of shape.
No one beats Gunnar Hansen, he always seemed to be kinda porky and wore clothes too small for him. You can see his belly rolls flop about when he runs after his victims. His retard squeals and the wearing of different masks for different tasks around the house make him the sickiest fucker of all. Just their brief scenes in the original, the family creeps you out so much. The sickiest joke in the entire film is when Pa Sawyer yells at his kid (Leatherface) for cutting up his door.

The remake of course, had no balls and never even approached such demented revelry. Ermey added some much needed terror and had all the good lines, but he was killed off way too early.

The original is still my favorite horror film of all time simply because it does not fucking care about good taste, restraint or anything other than to scare the fuck out of you. The entire last act with Mary Burns screaming like a Banchee would never be done today. It's too intense. The DVD goes into the long hours and physical demands it put on Burns and everyone else and its just insane what they all went through to get the film made. Plus its barely edited, the chase scenes last longer than most and its relentless in its tone.

FUCK this remake and sequel, prequel redo.

To be fair, Tobe Hooper thought the movie should be PG as well.

That's taken from IMDb (not always a stronghold of reliable trivia) but I've heard the same thing from several sources/books/documentaries.

He mentions it in the commentary as well.

I think that's the power of the film, that so many people have said it's so gory and bloody, but when you actually watch it, there's less than pint used, and most of it is thrown on Leatherface during the woods scene.

However, I think because of its intensity - especially coming in the 70s, where we hadn't pummelled by all sorts of gory and intense flicks all the time - a PG would have been a tad inappropriate. But the timing is what really made the flick. Imagine a movie world just coming out of the age of the atomic monster film and movies about vampires and witchcraft, only to be suddenly faced with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE EXORCIST and TCM.

Why is everyone so gun-ho over Emery? The man has one character that he plays in every film. Given, the remake...oh, excuse me..."reimagining"...was garbage IMO, but within 5 minutes of Emery's character appearing and him opening his mouth, I was annoyed. All he does is scream. He wasn't terrifying in the least. Watching his performance gives you more of an appreciation for the job that Jim Siedow did in the original.

So, I expect more of the same in the prequel. More of Sheriff Hoyt yelling, "you damn kids, blah blah blah...". And from the quick glances that you can catch in the trailer, Leatherface's masks look horrible. Yea, I know, it is supposed to show his inexperience at making them, but still, they look bad. But, what can you do? What's done is done. But, everyone knows, no matter what Michael Bay may believe, the original is the only TCM!

Harry Knowles caught a screening of it and had some very positive things to say about it over at AICN. Blah blah blah he was in the first one blah blah I don't care. From what I have seen from the trailer, and the strength of the first one, count me in. Harry's gushing has made me want to see it even more.

Wow. That's a surprise. I would think that, whether it's good or not, a reboot franchise of THE classic horror movie would be mandatory viewing for someone who runs a horror movie website.

Yeah, well.... it was always a case of- let's see, I can watch TCM, or I can give this other movie I've never heard of a chance. Any other movie usually wins.

It's still sitting unwatched on my shelf. I'll probably dust it off and watch it before The Beginning comes out, but man, I couldn't be more apathetic about either.

Eh, stick to your apathy.

Your reason for having not seen it is valid. Plus, not seeing it despite running Creature-Corner is a better story.

I'd be interested in THAT movie, though!

Watch it the same day you see the prequel. It could add an interesting perspective on your review. Assuming you don't go mad from four hours of pure suckitude.

Hmm. That's a good idea. Although I'm holding you responsible if I end up getting drunk afterwards and writing the most hate-filled rant I ever have.

Gah. Looks like more of the same -- which wasn't all that awe-inspiring the first (second?) time.

Waitaminute -- is From Beyond on DVD finally???

Hansen wept!

I dig the poster for this - same look & feel that the remake had (though I didn't care for it's poster art). The new poster for this looks like garbage though. Much like Nick, I really can't figure out what the hell is going on.

Like Bob, this poster reminds me of the originals ending.

I'm just a little disturbed at the fact that the chainsaw/hook makes it look like he's cradling a penis.

Oh shit, now I see it, the saw is pointing to the floor and he's hugging the base. Man that poster is just dumb.

If this movie ends up to be full of penis/saw metaphors, I may actually see it.

If they make us try and feel sorry for the fucker-society created him...well, I will just post even more negative messages.

This banner ad cracks me up. I guess R. Lee Ermey is the selling point of the film and not Leatherface.

Much as I hate to admit it, Knowles' ravings have piqued my interest.

That ain't happened to me in years...

I'm grateful for the remake and prequel because it motivated MGM to redo the TCM 2 dvd.

The one and only reason I will see this. He was what kept the remake from being a total waste. Had all the best lines.

I still think this is only a prequel because the producers wanted to bring R. Lee Ermey back.