THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a seminal American horror franchise created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. Centered on the iconic, face-wearing cannibal killer Leatherface and his twisted family, the franchise spans nine feature films across multiple continuities, novelizations, comic books, and video games since 1974.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Created by director Tobe Hooper and writer Kim Henkel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre launched in 1974 with its groundbreaking independent slasher film.
Over more than five decades, the franchise has grown into a major horror property comprising nine feature films spanning four distinct timeline continuities, multiple graphic novels and comic book series, tie-in novelizations, behind-the-scenes books, and several video games ranging from 1980s retro classics to modern asymmetrical multiplayer titles.
Origini
The idea for the original 1974 film developed while Tobe Hooper was working as an assistant director and documentary cameraman in Austin, Texas.
Drawing inspiration from real-life killers Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley, graphic local news reporting, and the disillusioning political climate of Watergate and the Vietnam War, Hooper and Kim Henkel wrote a script under working titles like Headcheese and Leatherface.
Produced on a grueling budget under $140,000, filming took place in summer heat reaching 110°F. The film was intentionally marketed with misleading claims of being a true story. Despite international bans and rating controversies, it grossed over $30 million domestically and pioneered fundamental slasher genre conventions.
Personaggi
I PEZZI DI THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Collezionismo
The collecting ecosystem surrounding The Texas Chainsaw Massacre focuses heavily on vintage physical media, print publications, and retro gaming history.
A prized piece among retro video game collectors is the 1983 Atari 2600 game by Wizard Video, which was pulled from many store shelves due to its violent premise, making physical copies scarce. In print media, sought-after items include Stephen Susco's 2004 novelization of the remake, Gunnar Hansen's 2013 memoir Chain Saw Confidential, and out-of-print comic runs from publishers like Northstar Comics, Topps Comics, Avatar Press, and DC's Wildstorm imprint.
Tobe Hooper conceived the idea of using a chainsaw as a murder weapon while trying to figure out how to navigate through a crowded hardware store.
