The History of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

What is the real story behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Pretty much anyone that has seen the Texas Chainsaw Massacre makes the assumption that it really happened. Between the marketing spin masters and director Tobe Hooper, we’ve all been led to believe that the history of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface and all the grisly events that happened - were true.

Well, the film is some fiction and some fact. Ever been in a crowded department store during the holidays? Ever wanted to just grab a chainsaw and plow your way through the crowds? That sounded a little morbid, didn’t it? My point is that Tobe Hooper was tossing around an idea for a movie - one based on the isolation someone feels in the dark and creepy woods in the middle of nowhere. So, that spark of an idea was in his mind as he went to the crowded mall that day and stood in front of the chainsaws. What a beautiful way to cut down the masses and get through the checkout line quicker! The “history” of The Texas Chainsaw massacre and its legend was starting to come together.

Infamous sick bastard and serial killer Ed Gein served as another inspiration for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Most people know or have heard of the legend of Gein, a recluse that lived in a small Wisconsin town in the 50s. He got his kicks wearing the skins of his victims - on his face, on his body, as his underwear. He made lampshades and decorative items out of them. He was a cannibal - and he was the first to hit mainstream America. Perhaps that’s why he has influenced the silver screen in ways other than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Gein also inspired “Psycho” and the character Buffalo Bill in “Silence of the Lambs”. Precious.

Hooper took the actions and strange habits of Gein and created Leatherface and his sadistic, face chomping family. He also sold the bill of goods as “based on real events” on the back of the videos when they were released years later. Long story short is that an actual Texas Chainsaw Massacre did not happen, but it was influenced by many grisly things that did.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 9th, 2005 at 7:34 pm and is filed under Did you know?, Horror Collectibles, Horror Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.