The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is another good sequel in the franchise. This is a prequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 so Erin isn’t in it. We get more of the great R. Lee Ermey as the Sheriff.
Photo Credit: New Line Cinema
Released: Oct 6, 2006
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Writer: Sheldon Turner, David J. Schow
Actors: Jordana Brewster, Matt Bomer, Diora Baird
PLOT
Before shipping out to Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends go on one last road trip. Unfortunately for them they get into an accident and end up “rescued” by a sheriff and his deranged family that take them to a house of horrors.
MY THOUGHTS
There’s about eleven kills, and four are chainsaw kills! Any of the chainsaw kills are pretty good and bloody. I think Eric’s (Matt Bomer) death might be the worst. Skinning the arm while still alive is horrifying. At least he was dead by the time Leatherface skinned his face. Poor Dean was also kind of bad. The Sheriff (R. Lee Ermey) beats him while he’s down, Dean’s leg gets caught in a Bear trap, and finally Leatherface chainsaws him in the back, then lifts him off the ground.
The acting was pretty good. We get Jordana Brewster as our (not so) final girl. She does a decent job of fighting back and just as we think she finally gets away Leatherface appears and dispatches her. I was so pissed that she died. Hence I deducted ½ star from my ranking. I know, it’s petty but still. I think she did a great job.
Sigh. Poor Matt Bomer (Eric). We didn’t get enough of his gorgeous face. At least Leatherface made a mask of it. LOL
We find out how R. Lee Ermey’s Charlie Hewitt becomes sheriff. He kills the only cop in the area and assumes his identity. I guess that is one way to become a sheriff. He’s so creepy when he’s messing with Bailey.
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Eric is about to ship out to Vietnam again, but this time his brother Dean is supposed to leave with him. The two go on a road trip with their girlfriend’s Chrissie and Bailey. While driving, a crazy woman on a motorcycle causes them to have an accident. That’s when the “sheriff” shows up and kills the biker, and captures Eric, Dean, and Bailey. Chrissie was thrown from the vehicle but still ends up at the house of horrors. Each get tortured and eventually killed by Leatherface or his family.
Overall another decent movie in the franchise. Not as good as the original or the 2003 remake, but decent overall. I just didn’t like the fact that our final girl, who’s now not a final girl, dies in the end. That’s the biggest bummer for me. Another movie I would recommend watching in this franchise.
And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:
During filming, R. Lee Ermey was called away to his mother's death bed. For the remainder of the time, filming was done around his character.
Jordana Brewster and producer Andrew Form met on this film, they began dating and then became engaged in 2006, married in 2007 and had their first child a son named Julian, in 2013
When Eric gets his face wrapped in cellophane by Sheriff Hoyt that's actually real, Matt Bomer's head was actually being wrapped in Saran Wrap, R. Lee Ermey said he was very concerned for him. They left a small gap opening at the bottom of Matt's chin for him to breathe but that didn't help much, so when ever he was having trouble breathing he would indicate by knocking his knees together
The cow that gets hit by the jeep was made of fiberglass and filled with blood, fake entrails and fake bones then screwed together
The meat hanging on the meat hooks in the slaughterhouse is actually 'foam rubber type meat' that was painted and 'dressed up' a bit
When we see Eric's dog tags they have a rubber casing around them. This form of tag wasn't introduced into GI uniform until the 90's. Although it could be black tape as military service members during World War II began to use tape or black silicone to silence the "clinking" sound the tags made as they walked with them hung around their necks.
Though the film is set in 1969, the soundtrack features songs that were not released until after 1969. Free's hit song "All Right Now" plays on the radio while introducing Chrissy, Dean, Bailey and Eric. The song was not actually released until the summer of 1970.
Have you seen the other The Texas Chain Saw Massacre movies? Check out my other reviews here: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Franchise.
Let’s get into the rankings:
Kills/Blood/Gore: 5/5
Sex/Nudity: .5/5
Scare factor: 4/5
Enjoyment factor: 4.5/5
My Rank: 3.5/5
IMDB: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: critics: 1.4/10 audience: 5.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.5/5