OK, to me this is the opposite of scary. This is exactly the kind of movie that gets me thinking (one more time) - what the hell is scary anyway? Why are some movies scary and others stupid and laughable? After years of personal study (translation - I'm a lazy ass sitting on the couch watching horror), my only solid answer is: it's personal. It differs for every person. I get far more scared by a psychological thriller or by the unknown-and-unstoppable whatever in the back of the closet than I do by Leatherface.
Leatherface and his family are laughable, ridiculous figures. The dad beats up a girl with a broom (the bristly end) and ties her up. The brother plays a buffoonish but weak bully who intimidates people with his apparent insanity rather than any real menace. And Leatherface? He runs around with a chainsaw (it's on), yet manages to sneak up on people - and catch them. This last part particularly bothers me. I do NOT want to test this, but I feel that a reasonably alert person not carrying a chainsaw should be able to outrun Leatherface.
The movie is gory, but that gets old in a minute. I find myself watching and saying - "Well, that's a pretty fake looking corpse. That one is better. Oh that skull just looks silly. Those hatchet blows look like they're hitting the floor, not a body." If I'm watching in that manner, the movie is not gripping. The only scary part to me is the screaming. The heroine, Sally, can really scream, and a good scream can get under your skin. She can't deliver dialog, but her scream is great.
Some critics think the acting here is good. Some think this is great social commentary. I think those critics are high, which would definitely make this movie more tolerable. While this had a huge influence on the slasher genre (a guy jumping out of closets, a cannibal family, power tools, etc.), it's a crap film. If you have to watch it, perhaps try the mind-altering substance?
No comments:
Post a Comment