Flapper's Folly

A remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre opens this weekend. It looks to be slick and cool. The original was anything but.

Being a fan of horror films, I've seen a lot of them, and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre stands out in my memory. It was 1974 and in a new theatre. Up until about this time theatres were huge with balconies and cry rooms. Before the big multiplexes became common, a lot of small single theatres were opened. Not much more than an oversized garage, rows of probably ten seats and thirty rows deep, aisles on the sides, these places left you feeling like a sardine and on top of the small screen no matter where you sat. The sound was better, louder at least.

It was a Friday night and I was with a date. Obviously boys thought this was a great flick to take a girl to see. Scare her shitless and she'll be in your lap in no time. There were lots of couples. I honestly don't remember details of the film. I remember well it being gross and repulsive. At one point, at least half the audience had left. Girls would jump up and run out, their boyfriends sitting there a few minutes longer, before following. Some boys immediately joining the girl, grateful to finally get out. All adults present left early. It was a riotous scene. I remember not looking a lot.

I'm sure that today the film would seem fairly benign. It had a feel similar to the Blair Witch Project. Raw and documentary like. Too real. It was banned in the UK for over 25 years. Over time, we've all become blase about gore and violence. I want to rent the old TCM just to see what it was that shocked everyone back in '74. It's an interesting barometer of society's change. We've lost something.

Innocence? Compassion? I don't know.