The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Short description
Five young people travelling through Texas pick up a badly shaken hitchhiker who has escaped something terrible on a nearby road. When she panics and dies in front of them, the group goes looking for help in an isolated town, where the locals are strange and unhelpful and members of the group begin to disappear one by one. What hunts them is a chainsaw-carrying killer and the family that shelters him, among them Thomas Hewitt, known by the mask of human skin he wears.
This 2003 film is a remake of Tobe Hooper's 1974 horror picture. Marcus Nispel directed it from a screenplay by Scott Kosar, with Michael Bay and Mike Fleiss producing; Nispel's next features were Pathfinder, Friday the 13th, Conan the Barbarian and Exeter. Jessica Biel plays Erin Hardesty, with Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Eric Balfour and Mike Vogel among the friends, and Andrew Bryniarski as Leatherface.
Made for about 10 million dollars, it took roughly 107 million worldwide, a strong return for a horror release. Audiences rate it moderately: 6.4 on IMDb and 6.3 on TMDB, below the 4.9 out of 10 it holds from 155 critics' reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- In 2002, it was announced that Marilyn Manson would be the composer for the film, but he later left the project due to a conflict with the producers.
- Erika Leerseen screamed so loudly during filming that people on the other side of the building called the police, believing a woman was actually being attacked.
- The film is banned in Ukraine.
- Lauren German, who played the hitchhiker, originally auditioned for the role of Erin but wasn't suitable. Interestingly, Katie Holmes was also considered for the same role of Erin.
- When actor Andrew Bryniarski learned that a remake of the cult film was being made, he went to producer Michael Bay's Christmas party and asked for the role of Leatherface.
- Gunnar Hansen, who starred in the original, was offered the role of the truck driver at the end of the film.
- Before filming the scene in the van with R. Lee Ermey (playing Sheriff Hoyt) and Jonathan Tucker (as Morgan), the latter would put the barrel of a revolver in his throat before each take to induce vomiting. You can see him spit up vomit at one point.
- The scene with the opossum had to be reshot repeatedly because in every take the animal looked simply cute and charming, but not frightened.
- Preparing for the role of Leatherface, actor Andrew Bryniarski ate nothing but brisket with white bread to gain weight, eventually reaching over 130 kg.
- The beginning and end of the film are based on real events, while everything else is fictional. The film is loosely based on the deeds of Ed Gein, a serial killer and necrophile from Wisconsin.
- Initially, Brett Wagner was cast as Leatherface, and even filmed one of the murder scenes, but he suffered a heatstroke during filming and had to be replaced.
- The chainsaw model is 'Husqvarna-359', but it was not manufactured in 1973.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
