Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)

Dir: Tobe Hooper

A big thank you to Slashers in Denver. What an excellent night! The theme for the day was chainsaw Saturday. As the wife and I came into Denver to visit friends, our wardrobe was limited. But, why would I ever leave the house without my fancy purple Pieces (1982) shirt? Now, if you’ve never been to Slashers, don’t beat yourself up too bad they haven’t been open that long. You walk through the door and directly in front of you on the far wall is a projected horror film. The bar is to your right and there are tables on your left. There’s also an assortment of flat screens hanging from the walls on either side. I took one look at the projected image, and I saw a boy sitting down putting a puzzle together. It was f*cking Timmy from Pieces, moments before he’d take an axe to his mother’s head. While I hate being the center of attention, there was a modicum of pride as the proprietor gave me a shout out. It was absolute coincidence as they played random chainsaw films all day long. To come in from Chicago on Chainsaw Saturday, wear a Pieces shirt, and then wear said shirt entering the establishment at the same time they were showing the film… Coincidence? Yes, it’s that random sh*t of the universe. Later, this guy who looked exactly like Rob Corddry, started quizzing me on Pieces for fun. If it was you Rob Corddry, thanks for putting me on the spot. What does all this have to do with Texas Chainsaw Massacre? You can’t have Chainsaw Saturday without the Granddaddy of them all.

It was super fun with a bar audience. Everyone appropriately laughed at Franklin falling into a ditch and gasped at the hitchhiker and screamed when the big steel door closes after first seeing Leatherface. As you can tell this isn’t a review of the film. If anything, I just really want to celebrate the curation culture we’re living in. Shudder, Telluride Horror Film Festival, Chattanooga Film Festival, Music Box of Horrors, Overlook Film Festival, everything the Alamo Drafthouse does, and every repertory cinema house across the globe, keep showing classic horror. Keep the conversation going. There’s such a great community of nerds across the globe that come together every time a hillbilly from Texas does a chainsaw ballet in front of a rising summer sun. Provide the event and they will come. Field Of Screams… amirite?