Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait poster & wallpaper
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Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, John Dugan, Jim Siedow

Director Tobe Hooper and screenwriter Kim Henkel are nowhere to be found in Brad Shellady's 1988 documentary on the notorious 1974 cult film of Texas cannibalism, perverted patriarchy, and other famil...( read more  read more... )y values. Shellady's investigation is founded almost exclusively on interviews with actors who make up the cannibal family: Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Edwin Neal (the hitchhiker), Jim Siedow (the cook), John Dugan (Grandfather), interspersed with film clips and a few outtakes. The result is a bare-bones production largely dedicated to production stories, with little attempt to explore the primal forces the churn through the picture or examine the cult that sprung out of the film, and no interest in addressing the black-humored 1986 sequel starring Dennis Hopper. Fans of the film will appreciate the behind-the-scenes anecdotes, but most viewers will have a hard time working through the interviews, which seem to drone on and on. Without input from the creators, this is little more than a fan's salute to a film he loves.

The DVD is advertised as "digitally remastered and remixed," which is likely true, but the dull shot-on-video interviews and grainy film clips don't look appreciably better in the digital format and sound is soft and mushy. Also included are original trailers and actor bios. --Sean Axmaker

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64% liked it

10,498 ratings

Unrated, 67 min.

Directed by: Brad Shellady

Release Date: June 16, 2004

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DVD Release Date: December 19, 2000

Stats: 294 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (294)

  • YosemiteSamFan
    August 1, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    Superb gritty and detailed documentary about how "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" film was made. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth" is even better.
  • Collegekid
    January 1, 2007
    Collegekid
    bad
  • ahhh1989
    May 21, 2009
    ahhh1989
    Decent if you're a real fan of the original.
  • gigagigu
    January 17, 2009
    gigagigu
    absolutely not my thingie!
  • Leviatha9
    January 12, 2009
    Leviatha9
    X-cellent






    Pretty good.Hey; people dying,blood and guts,and my favorite family of all time.Why couldn't THEY have made a sitcom?I'd actually watch that!!
  • jimmyoburril
    December 17, 2008
    jimmyoburril
    Really great backstory about the cast of the original TCM.
  • CallumSanderson
    December 12, 2008
    CallumSanderson
    Photobucket
    A great insight into the actors. this was interes...( read more)ting indeed.

    NOTE: I DO NOT OWN THIS ON DVD YET
  • Trin73
    July 28, 2008
    Trin73
    Disturbing on all levels.
  • JaredsBaby
    June 13, 2008
    JaredsBaby
    When I first saw this, it scared the pants off me......and still to this day this movie creeps me out.
  • shawappa
    May 30, 2008
    shawappa
    Good documentary on the making of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

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