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Which Leatherface Origin Story Did It Better?

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Leatherface

Origin stories have become a popular trend in the world of horror. With so many memorable villains and psychopaths, it’s no wonder why fans have become obsessed with finding out about what event flipped that character’s internal switch, to become such a grotesque and vile monster. Leatherface is no exception to this desire, and more than one attempt at showcasing his horrific upbringing has been made.

Upon first being introduced to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, viewers were captivated by the actions of the Sawyer family, and the franchise has spawned three sequels, two remakes, and two origin stories. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:The Beginning, released in 2006, and Leatherface, released in 2017, display two completely different stories and styles for our introduction to the homicidal mad man and his deranged family.

Intended as a prequel to the 2003 remake starring Jessica Biel and R. Lee Ermey, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:The Beginning opens with a slaughterhouse employee giving birth to a mutated infant, before dying on the work floor from labor complications. The child is then thrown aside like a piece of garbage, literally, before being adopted by a scavenger searching for food.

After developing an unknown skin disorder, Thomas is raised by the Hewitt family to work in a meat packing facility. Once the plant is condemned and ordered to close down however, he doesn’t understand that he must stop working. One ill advised insult too many from the head foreman, and Thomas surges into a fit of rage, bludgeoning the man to death with a tenderizing mallet, and claiming his first victim in a long spree of carnage.

‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning’ via IMDB

The thing that works so well for this origin story, besides R. Lee Ermey’s performance as the tormenting Sheriff Hoyt, is its sheer simplicity. A deformed mute, with a cannibalistic family, who has only ever known how to slaughter and package animals, finds a chainsaw and brutalizes anyone his family tells him to… doesn’t seem that far-fetched. The writers also pay homage to the original by putting an emphasis on the family, and not just Leatherface.

Fans of the 2003 remake appreciate the details throughout; like showing how Monty loses his legs and winds up in a wheelchair, Thomas’s first mask worn to cover his facial disfigurement, or how Uncle Charlie came to be the self proclaimed local law enforcement.

Overall, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning delivers a unique perspective into what drove Thomas Hewitt to become the murderous chainsaw slayer, while still giving fans the gore and thrills they’ve come to expect from the franchise. The same may not be said for the second, and more recent, origin story, Leatherface.

Directed by French duo Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, the pair decided to take a different approach, showing Leatherface as both a young boy and a teenaged mental
patient. Aside from a few well-acted scenes from Lili Taylor as Verna, mother to the soon to be Leatherface, the horrific nature of the family is absent throughout the majority of the film. After escaping during a wild riot at the local mental hospital, four patients and a nurse are on the run from the vengeful sheriff Hal, played by Stephen Dorff.

While the idea of Leatherface being an escaped mental patient might sound good on paper, the end result lacks a certain grit and griminess to it that a slaughterhouse employee fills more substantially. Throughout a large portion of the film, the viewer is left guessing as to which character actually turns out to be the deadly killer. It’s only within the final few scenes that we find out who is elected to become the monster, and how he came to adorn the iconic mask (that was considerably underwhelming and resembled something of a leather bondage piece).

Leatherface

Sam Strike in ‘Leatherface’ via IMDB

The main issue many fans had, without giving too much away, is the dramatic change the character went through in such a short amount of time- from being very vocal and seemingly compassionate and intelligent, to suddenly becoming mute and losing all sense of a conscience in a matter of minutes. Add that to a few unrealistic scenes that seemed to serve no purpose other than to deliver what little gore and shock value there is (like three young adults all fitting inside of a dead carcass to hide from the police; or a random act of necrophilia during an unnecessary sex scene), and you have the makings of an origin story that falls short of its ambitious attempt to showcase a horror icon in a new and modern light.

Whether you want them or not, prequels and sequels will continue to re-imagine, reinvent, and often times downright embarrass some of our most beloved killers, psychos, and miscreants. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Leatherface are two examples of what can go well, and not so well within an origin story. At the end of the day, if neither of these prequels works for you, watch Tobe Hooper’s original and see what kind of origin your own mind creates for the chainsaw wielding maniac.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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