The Texas Chainsaw Massacrefrom 1974 is a standard of horror, and it was such a shocking and violent film that several countries banned it from being screened upon its initial release. Tobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chainsaw Massacreis the first and original film in the sprawlingTexas Chainsaw Massacrefranchise and kicked offTobe Hooper’s career as a horror director. Though he may never have reached the heights of this early movie in his oeuvre,few horror directors can claim anything as influential asThe Texas ChainsawMassacre.
Horror movies have been ripping offThe Texas ChainsawMassacresince it came out, and the original Hooper film is so good, that even the ripoffs are excellent and have had ripoffs of their own. From the masked villain, the common tool used for violence, hitchhikers, a final girl, sinister musical cues, and an unexplained backstory,The Texas Chainsaw Massacreintroduced or popularized numerous horror tropes, and did it all with a shockingly gruesome and vicious story. It was so affronting, that several countries had it banned.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Was Banned
WhenThe Texas Chainsaw Massacrefirst went to the MPAA, Hooper hoped the film would receive a “PG” rating because there was no visible blood in the film (viaFreedomEntertainment). Instead, his movie earned an X rating. Hooper removed several minutes from the film to bring it down to an “R”. Still, the film was met with disgust and anger by many viewers. Two theaters in Ottawa, Canada were advised by local police to remove the film or face morality charges (viaOttawaCitizen).
1974
Banned for content
1974-1977
Banned for violent and sadistic content
1974-1978
Banned in West Germany for extreme violence
1974-1984
Censors refused to rate the film until 1984
1974-1996
Banned for graphic violence
1974-1997
Banned for violence
1974-1998
Led to ban of the word “chainsaw” from movie titles
1974-2001
Banned for violence, gore, and cruelty
1974-2004
1976
Banned from two theaters in Ottawa
1985-1999
Banned for violence, though a censored version was released
The movie ended up being banned in 11 countries for anywhere from one to 30 years. In some countries, like Canada, the film was only banned in one or two towns, while in others, it faced a total ban (viaBannedLibrary).The ban has been repealed from every country that ever put it on a list, but its time on those lists has only increased the legacy of the film as an iconic horror movie.
Why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Got Such A Strong Reaction
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Feels Real
The number one reason given for the different bans includes graphic and sadistic violence throughout, and in that, the censors are correct.The Texas Chainsaw Massacreis filled with particularly sadistic and graphic violence. The violence in the film feels very real.The horror the innocent characters face seems like something captured on a home video, and that can certainly make it hard to stomach. It’s a mean movie. Kind characters are unceremoniously brutalized, and no explanation is given for their fates.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie’s Different Timelines Explained
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has one of horror’s most twisting, convoluted timelines, but the movie series can still be listed in chronological order.
One of themost frightening moments inThe Texas Chainsaw Massacrefranchisecomes during the first film and is representative of this “angry” horror. Kirk (William Vail) wanders into the abandoned house to ask for gas, only for a sliding door to suddenly open to reveal the hulking Leatherface, who smashes Kirk with a hammer. It’s almost soundless and there’s little time to process what’s happening. His shudders on the ground are like those of an animal at a slaughterhouse, and would certainly be particularly affecting to audiences unused to that type of violence.
How The Rest Of The Franchise Compares
No Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie Matches The Terror Of The First
As violent as the rest ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacremovies are, none achieve the same brutality as the first. That’s because none of these films can surprise like the first film. It came out of nowhere, whereas the follow-ups will always have expectations attached to them with theTexas Chainsaw Massacremoniker. The best of these have leaned into the ridiculousness of the violence and shock because none of them can match the original in terms of real terror.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a multimedia franchise that began with Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. After the film’s initial release, there were a total of eight additional films added to the franchise, as well as comic books from various publishers, including Avatar Press and Wildstorm Comics. In 2023, the video game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released on PlayStation 4/5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S.
