Category Archives: horror

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” 50th Anniversary Special Edition

classic, documentary, horror

The hell-raising bloodshed of 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre disrupted the movie theatergoers worldwide. Leatherface is running after a group of friends wielding the iconic chainsaw.

Directed by Tobe Hooper, the studio marketed this horror film based on actual events to attract public attention and sell tickets. Ed Gein, who committed gruesome crimes of murder, inspired Leatherface and minor plot points. Otherwise, the horror film’s storyline is predominantly fiction.

Ed Gein was a serial killer and body snatcher, robbing grave sites, also known as Butcher of Plainfield, The Mad Butcher and the Plainfield Goul. Gein’s murders were so horrific that his killing spree filled popular horror films: Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, making it the perfect time for horror fans to grab popcorn and their favorite beverage and pop the DVD or VHS in their machines.

Dark Sky Selects sent me The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 50th Anniversary Chainsaw Edition. To my surprise, I opened the box to pursue multiple theme-based features. A collection of many interviews on a multi-disc set will include:

  • Three new 4K UHD editions.
  • AA Blu-ray bonus disc containing new extra features.
  • Exclusive VHS movie release.

The special edition collector’s set is housed in a custom-made box replicating the iconic chainsaw from the film. The chainsaw is among the best swab gizmos I have ever seen. Opening it triggers the sound of Leatherface wielding it in the movie. They numbered each box set and only created 5000—I own #1251. 

This limited edition also features a newly designed 50th Anniversary O-card and brand-new bonus content, including The Merchandise of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 50th Anniversary Chainsaw Edition will be available for $299.98 exclusively at darkskyselects.com.

Here is a breakdown of what you get:

DISC 1: 4K UHD (FEATURE FILM)

BONUS: 4 FEATURE COMMENTARIES

  • Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper, Actor Gunnar Hansen, Cinematographer Daniel Pearl
  • Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain, and Production Designer Robert Burns
  • Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper
  • Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll and Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou

DISC 2: BLU-RAY (FEATURE FILM)

BONUS: 4 FEATURE COMMENTARIES

  • Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper, Actor Gunnar Hansen, Cinematographer Daniel Pearl
  • Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain, and Production Designer Robert Burns
  • Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper
  • Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll and Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou

DISC 3: BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES

  • NEW The Merchandise of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  • NEW The Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  • Feature-Length Documentary: The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  • The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER: A Conversation About The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Between William Friedkin and Tobe Hooper
  • Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw
  • A Tour of the TCSM House with Gunnar Hansen
  • Off the Hook with Teri McMinn
  • The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman Interview
  • Deleted Scenes & Outtakes
  • Grandpa’s Tales: An Interview with Actor John Dugan
  • Cutting Chain Saw: An Interview with Editor J. Larry Carroll
  • Blooper Reel
  • Horrors Hallowed Grounds: TCSM
  • Dr. W.E. Barnes Presents “Making Grandpa”
  • Still Gallery
  • Trailers
  • TV Spots
  • Radio Spots

The film’s low budget, gritty style, extreme gore, and violence boosted its popularity. Since then, we’ve had horror films like The Blair Witch Project, Friday the 13th, Halloween and Night of the Living Dead.

The group of friends intends to visit an old family homestead. On their journey, they encounter a hitchhiker who behaves strangely. The stranger eventually turns on them and attacks them, leading to a harrowing chase through the Texas countryside.

They arrive at a farmhouse and meet cannibalistic killers, including the iconic Leatherface with a mask of human skin and a wielding chainsaw. Michael Myers copied the masking technique so beautifully on Halloween.

Upon its release, the film sparked controversy because of its graphic violence, a stark contrast to the Coen Bros. films or the SAW franchise. This controversy, however, only cemented its status as a cult classic and the most influential horror movie of its genre.

It generated many sequels and remakes, influencing countless horror films that tried to be deemed worthy.

Sinners

Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners”

horror, , , , , ,
Sinners with Michael B. Jordan

Directed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners follows twin brothers, played by Michael B. Jordan.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, the twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that a horrific evil awaits to welcome them back.

I suspect one twin will become evil.

An impressive support cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller and Delroy Lindo.

Other films directed by Coogler:

Black Panther

Creed

House of Spoils

Blumhouse “House of Spoils” Starring Ariana DeBose

horror, on Amazon, , , ,

Blumhouse is at it again with their next horror movie, House of Spoils.

Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy co-directed the film, which follows an ambitious chef played by Ariana DeBose.

Prime Video House of Spoils

She opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubts… and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.

Wolf Man from Blumhouse

“Wolf Man” Trailer, Poster and Storyline

horror, thriller, , ,

Billed as a thriller and directed by Leigh Whannell, Wolf Man, Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his father vanishes and is presumed dead.

With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte, played by Julia Garner, experiencing burnout, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger, played by Matlida Firth.

But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature stalks the perimeter.

However, as the night continues, Blake behaves strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable. Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

Other films directed by Leigh Whannell:

The Invisible Man

SAW

SAW II

Insidious: The Last Key

from the producers of A Quiet Place

“Apartment 7A” Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess

drama, horror, Paramount +, thriller, , , , , , ,

Apartment 7A is a psychological thriller directed by Natalie Erika James. It stars Julia Garner and premieres on September 27. It will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the US and select international markets. Set in 1965 New York City, the film tells the story before the legendary horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, exploring what happened in the Bramford building before Rosemary moved in.

An ambitious young dancer, Terry Gionoffrio, played by Garner, dreams of fame and fortune in New York City. However, after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple, played by Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally, welcomes her into their home in the luxury apartment building Bramford.

The horror film delves into the uncertainties of pregnancy problems. When fellow resident and influential Broadway producer, played by Jim Sturgess, offers her another chance at fame, all her dreams are finally coming true.

While Rosemary’s Baby is considered a classic horror film dealing with adult sexuality and occult themes, Apartmet 7A follows the same path. The story taps into paranoia, oven, betrayal and rape.

However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A but in Bramford itself.

The additional supporting cast includes Marli Siu, Andrew Buchan, Rosy McEwen and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Bagman, starring Sam Claflin as Patrick McKee

“Bagman” Storyline, Image and Poster

horror, ,

Bagman is a dark horror film written by John Hulme and directed by Colm McCarthy. The story follows a family trapped in a nightmare as an evil, mythical creature hunts them.

The horror film derives from the centuries-old story, and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again.

Patrick McKee, played by Sam Claflin, narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, leaving him with lasting scars throughout adulthood. Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina, played by Antonia Thomas, and son Jake, played by Caréll Vincent Rhoden.

The supporting cast includes Sharon D Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, and Will Davis.

McCarthy is a self-taught filmmaker known for directing UK p

“Cuckoo” Trailer, Clip, Images and Poster

horror, ,

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen, played by Hunter Schafer, leaves her American home to live with her father, played by Marton Csokas, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family.

When they arrive at their future residence, Mr. König, played by Dan Stevens, Gretchen’s father’s boss, greets them and takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma.

Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Strange noises and bloody visions plague Gretchen until she discovers a shocking secret concerning her family.

German director Tilman Singer shot on 35 mm, creating a gritty, edgy film.

Other films directed by Singer:

Luz

El Fin Del Mundo

“Agatha All Along” Trailer

based on a book, Disney+, horror, ,

Disney will stream Agatha All Along, a streaming miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer, based on the Marvel character Agatha Harkness.

Kathryn Hahn plays Agatha, and the supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, and Patti LuPone.

“LongLegs” Trailers, Poster and Images

horror, , ,

Oz Perkins directs Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe in LongLegs. The film follows FBI agent Lee Harker, played by Monroe, assigned to an unsolved serial killer case. The case takes an unforeseen turn, revealing evidence of the occult.

Harker uncovers a personal connection to the killer, played by Cage, and must stop him before he strikes again.

The supporting cast includes Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt and Erin Boyes.

Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins. Other directed by Perkins:

The Blackcoat’s Daughter

Gretel & Hansel

I Am Pretty

The Monkey

“Nosferatu” with Nicholas Hoult, Lily Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe

classic, horror, mystery, , , ,

Relatively familiar with the gothic tale of obsession with a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake in 19th-century Germany.

Willem Dafoe stars as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, a Focus Features release. Credit: Aidan Monaghan / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.

Robert Eggers directs this master tale of mystery and horror, starring Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Hoult and Emma Corin.

Other films directed by Eggers:

The Northman

The Lighthouse

The Witch