Blutgericht in Texas

Eine reine und direkte Reflexion der Gewalt und des Grauens in der naturalistischsten Form, die niemanden verschont. Zwar ohne einen Gedanken, aber auch ohne peinliche Klischees und billige ekelige Dinge. Und mit einer einzigartigen Steigerung. Dieser Film gehört zu den Höhepunkten des Horror-Genres. (09.09.2003)

Despite the lack of bloody naturalistic details, it is an absolutely brutal piece that I don't recommend to weaker characters. The last quarter of an hour is probably the scariest passage I've seen in the horror genre. No macabre orgy, no flying limbs, but something much worse, a concentrated mixture of terror, dismay and a certain sense of disgust at seeing human perversion in its most horrible form. The last time I had a similarly intense experience was watching the famous violent scene in Boorman's Deliverance. (16.11.2003)

A very intense film full of violence and filth in the distinctive style of Tob Hooper. I was very surprised that when compared with the remake, this one is a completely different film, one that relies on the atmosphere generated by the violent behaviour of the cannibal family, but without being as graphic (the remake had blood and innards hanging everywhere), here the brutality is only hinted at. Since the viewer doesn’t see anything clearly, their fantasy can start working at full steam, which is a lot worse than when they show intestines and blood. (08.06.2008)

It's strange, but much more of the tension and eerie atmosphere happen in the daytime. With the onset of night comes a psychotic sequence of scenes that jolt the brain and common sense rather than the nerves. The confused running through the forest accompanied by the roaring of the "chainsaw" may not be as strange, but the dinner scene at the family table is among the weirdest things one can witness in cinema. The editing of both the visuals and sound, along with detailed close-ups of the protagonist's eye, create an almost hallucinogenic impression. The resulting effect, presumably intended to disgust the viewer, is achieved fully. All in all, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre feels like two disjointed episodes that don't quite fit together, and the connection between them, represented by the shared title, seems somewhat forced. The feeling of mutual incoherence lingers in the mind and cannot be easily dismissed. (16.12.2005)

Ein Massaker-Film, der zum Klassiker geworden ist. Er zeigt auch, dass ein richtiger Verrückter in guter Form sein sollte. Das, womit ich nicht gerechnet habe, war die schnelle und kompromisslose Beseitigung aller Helden. Für die Anfangsszene mit den zusammengebundenen Skeletten und das Ende mit dem Abendessen und allem, was danach kommt (besonders der Tanz mit der Säge), würde der Film fünf Sterne verdienen. Trotzdem fehlt ihm "etwas". Und das "Etwas" ist nicht unbedeutend. __ PS: So, jetzt kann ich mir ruhig das Remake anschauen, damit ich im Bilde bin. (09.05.2010)

The peak of the genre and a delight for connoisseurs. Ultra naturalist filmmaking without hesitation that will exhaust you physically and mentally and won’t let you sleep. The first half is non-stop tension and a brutally stifling and realistic portrayal of the lowest levels of humanity and the moral back-country, and the second half is an incredibly unpleasant reflection of the previously tapped and exploited horrors, all with brilliant cinematography and sound. A film without which the word horror would lose its meaning. (21.05.2019)

Libovka! In den letzten vierzig Jahren hat das Original-Texas-Massaker mit der Kettensäge nichts von seiner Beeindruckungskraft verloren und es unterhält von Anfang bis Ende. Brutal geradlinige Show, schlagkräftig wie ein Schwein und perfekt aufsteigend. Ich war überrascht, wie schnell es endete. (10.07.2014)