I always get nostalgic around this time of year. I love the fall, the cool weather, the prospect of gifts and large sums of money from the parent types. But what I most look forward to is having a bit more time off than usual so I can revisit all the movies I love and cherish and that have shaped my horror fandom, which proves to overtake me hourly :) So this will likely be a new feature around here. I want you to tell me about the first time you ever saw a classic horror movie of my choosing. I'll give you the title and y'all discuss. This go-round, I want to hear about the first time you saw TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
I was fourteen when I first met Leatherface. Of course, by then, I was in full-on I have to see everything scary ever committed to tape because my neighbor friend's brother's friends (who were all like five years older than us), loved horror movies (and heavy metal), and it was a rite of passage to prove to these losers that us chicks could watch (and really enjoy) horror movies. On one of my many bicycle rides up to Movie Time Video, I rented TCM, and watched it with my brother, who was ten. We had to lock ourselves in my parent's bedroom while my mom watched soap operas at the opposite end of the house so she wouldn't walk in and find us watching an 'R-rated movie'. She was big on what was R-rated and was always talking about R-rated stuff and how we shouldn't watch it. Wasn't TCM NC-17? Not that my mom would have known that - anything taboo was 'R-rated' and that included GI Joe cartoons and anything with Swartzeneggar in it. Oh, and Robo Cop. She had a big thing against Robo Cop.
But we managed to watch whatever we wanted to anyway because all we had to say is that it wasn't Robo Cop, and TCM was on that list. We loved it. I don't remember to specifics of our love at the time, but we were instantly converted to fans of hardcore horror and we were more than blown aways. Even FACES OF DEATH didn't do it for us like CHAINSAW.
So tell me about your first time seeing TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Were you scared to death? How old were you? Twenty seven? Was it just last month? Have you never seen it? Details, perverts, details! Because I'm nosey and have little else to do with my time.
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I'd heard about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE many times -many many MANY times - from my parents and friends over the years, and I saw LEATHERFACE (TCM III) when it came out to video... but the original just kept eluding my attention until I finally got around to it my freshman year in college... me and a couple pals rented a dingy VHS copy of it and while they were amused but sort of put-off by the grittiness and sleaze of it all, I was hooked. Having been a "mainstream" horror kid (i.e. mostly the exploits Freddy & Jason & Michael, plus Godzilla, and anything by Wes Craven) for my most of my formative years, I suddenly saw thru the peephole into the shadier, lustier side of "dangerous" cinema. And while I know that TCM, despite its feel, is hardly an "underground" phenomena at this point or by today's estimation, it did truly broaden my young, naive horizons and gave a much-needed rebirth to my horror appetite. Suddenly, after TCM, nothing was taboo for me. I'd watch the sleaziest shit and delight in it while my pals looked at me with confusion and mild disgust. And that's how I became the fine, upstanding citizen I am today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity to share!!! And Jenn, there is OF COURSE always a "guest villain" spot open for you at Screen Grab!, and I may just hit you up with an idea or two before long, if you're game. :)
I know exactly what you mean, Astro! I was weaned on the exploits of Freddy and Jason, too, so much so that my mom called Friday and Nightmare Freddy and Jason, a pet peeve of mine to this day. She also refers to horror movies as Chucky, even if there is no Chucky involved.
ReplyDeleteSo when I finally did get around to seeing TCM, as well as the HILLS HAVE EYES, I knew there was another side to this whole horror thing that I hadn't tapped into yet. And even all these years late, I still feel like the well is pretty deep and there's all sorts of grittiness and nastiness that I have yet to experience. Good times.
You let me know when you want me to guest villain for ya and I'm down! Any time! Thanks for sharing, too, this is exactly what I was after! Very cool.
The first time I saw this movie was with an old boyfriend. He seriously spent the entire movie trying to take off all of my clothes, and I just kind of layed there freaked the hell out. This movie scared me to my core, and my core is pretty solid! Seriously though, frightening movie. I was definitely more into the movie than the dude!
ReplyDeleteHi Myra! Hehe, I had a similar boyfriend experience way back when, but I want to say I was trying to watch DEMONI. He said he hated horror movies so that's why he was trying to make out with me, so I pretty much dumped him immediately. Can't have no horror-movie-hatin' BF!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Stick around! We have a lot of fun here!
I hear ya on that, I basically screen guys by asking them what films really turn them on that aren't obvious like porn. When horror is mentioned my attention is quickly gotten!
ReplyDeleteSeems like a cool place around here, thanks!
I managed to avoid seein TCM for years even though I was desperate to see it. It was a legendary horror film and I should have gone to see it with my friend Joe when I was about 14 but was too scared I would be refused entry as it was rated X! And you have to be over 18 to get into an X certificated film! Anyway he saw it and took great delight in telling me erery detail of the film. Like the bit where the hitch kiker cuts his hand so deeply his thumb is hanging off and the bit where the guy in the wheelchair gets cahinsawed and you see all his guts flying EVERYWHERE!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I did see it many years later on Channel4 I wasn't even going to bother as it had been classed as a "video nasty" hence would be cut to bits in case it corrupted the innocent. But I did watch it and I was amazed and terrorized and sickened. It turned out Joe's descriptions of the gore were pure fantasy but this film had something far more horrific, it was deeply disturbing and I couldnt stop thinking about it afterwards. Turns out Channel 4 refused to cut it anyway so I got the full movie, I now have an uncut version on dvd and watch it once or twice a year and it still has and always will have an impact on me. I have plenty of friends who say they thought it was funny, they say the same about the Exorcist! They must surely by lying!
...about the boyfriend thing...no matter what the movie and how much we want to see it, it's more fun molesting a female, even more fun than watching ol' leatherface do his stuff...
ReplyDeleteI love this movie, not only for how suprisingly subtle it is, which really caught me off guard the first time I saw it or just the fact that the most annoying character ever, truely gets the best death, but rather for all the little bits, that everyone seems to miss. Prime example of this being the dinner table scene, where the characters, take on the various family roles, with leatherface playing mother and even putting on some make up.
ReplyDeleteI also love the fact that this film is essentially about Leatherface, just having a really bad day, seeing how he's trying to get on with his chores and all these darn kids, keep showing up, which is perticularly emphesised with the shot of him sitting by the window, hold his head in his hands.
Love to see what else this new feature brings up.
A little late to the game here, but my first experience with TCM was around the age of 11-12 with some buddies at that one friend's house that everyone always seemed to stay over at as much as possible. This was mainly due to the fact that they had an old TV, VCR and couches in their basement so we could walk down to the local mom and pop video store, rent whatever we wanted and view without worrying about recrimination from overly protective parent types. If I remember correctly, the not very well planned double feature on this night was TCM and Private School for Girls. Honestly, the latter likely had a greater effect on me at the time though I couldnt to this day tell you anything about the plot whatsoever. Of course, since then, I have revisited TCM many times...not so much with Private School.
ReplyDeleteStill one of my favorite movies of all time. I saw it during the initial release in San Antonio. I was 15 at the time, and I saw it at a drive-in theater with a 17 year old girl. The movie was watched mind you. I saw it several more times during the seventies in the golden days of the grindhouse. I even met Ed Neal and he signed my movie poster. I still watch the film every other year or so. I also liked the first sequel and the new versions.
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