If there was a horror movie remake scales of justice, it would be tipping heavily toward the side reading “FAILURE.” Most of the time, the film being revisited is a classic and really begs the question as to why it needs to be made again in the first place. Every once in a while, though, a remake will come along that defies expectations—one that deserves to be given a chance because of the care that was clearly taken to quench the thirst of fans of the original as well as bring new fans into the family. The Marcus Nispel-directed Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 2003 is one of those films. It hit all the right notes, captured the right tone, and cut off the right limbs.
From the opening voiceover, once again recorded by original narrator John Larroquette (though he probably got paid with actual money this time for his work), it’s clear that the filmmakers cared about the movie they were creating for a new generation. Written by Scott Kosar, with a cast including Jessica Biel, Mike Vogel, Erica Leerhsen, Eric Balfour, Johnathan Tucker, and a depraved performance from R. Lee Ermey, the film didn’t hold back. This time, the man under the mask was Andrew Bryniarski, and what he did with simple head tilts and body language was impressive. Leatherface was downright intimidating and definitely not someone you'd want to meet in the produce section of your local grocery store.
The film started in a pretty familiar fashion, with a group of teens traveling across Texas on their way to a concert, drug-rich and without a care in the world. That is, of course, until they stopped to pick up what at first appeared to be a hitchhiker, and what we learned almost right away was a survivor of the horrors that were about to befall our group of young people. After what can only be described as a wild way to start a movie, the teens are forced into action, stuck with a fresh corpse and the conundrum of what to do about it. Almost immediately, there is tension in the group, leading to some absolutely strange decision-making on the parts of literally everyone involved. A chain of events started by one awful moment.
There were a lot of similarities and differences from this film to the original: for starters, the original Toby Hooper classic shied away from a lot of the gore and violence (though it still had plenty), opting to have the more grisly things occurring just off camera. The 2003 remake completely flipped that on its head and savored the gore, diving lens-first into the blood and carnage. Neither way is right or wrong—both have their place—but in 2003, people were begging for a reason to squirm. Nispel and crew were happy to oblige, showcasing easily some of the most gnarly images casual theatergoers had seen up until that time on screen. Does anybody remember Andy and the meat hook? Also, if someone begs you to put them out of their misery, don’t stab them in the stomach... that’s just rude!
The look of this film very much captured the tone and feel of the original, and a lot of that was set design and creative choices made by the director, but the biggest reason this felt so close to the Ho0per film was Nispel brought back Daniel Pearl, the cinematographer from the 1974 classic. If you’re going to make a Texas Chainsaw movie and you want it to feel connected, even if just spiritually, it doesn’t hurt to grab the guy responsible for the visuals of what came before. Pearl clearly understood the assignment, and the film was shot beautifully.
Everything was dirty... Everything! The set design was pretty incredible in this film; there was a gross and rotten feeling to it that only added to the level of dread we felt as an audience. We felt bad for the situation these people found themselves in, sure, but we also were cringing every time anyone had to touch something. There was rotten meat hanging from ceilings and dust and grime covering every inch of every surface. The movie had a sweaty quality to it; everything was just hot and uncomfortable, even the actors. In most movies, you want your stars to look their best, but here it really felt like they were all in need of long, cold showers and a trip to the local spa. Visually, from every angle, the film felt lived in and, if the movie were a home, it would have been condemned years ago.
Still, with everything this movie had going for it, nothing was quite as disturbing as Jedidiah. We meet the little creep early on while the group is still trying to decide what to do with the body, now growing colder by the minute in the van. Every time he had a line, when he licked those big fake teeth and made that sucking sound, I couldn’t help but remember the original film and Leatherface doing the same thing. Jedidiah was played by a young David Dorfman, who is now a full-grown adult, retired from acting, and now a practicing attorney. He cut his teeth in the horror remake game before taking the bar and I wouldn’t want to meet him in court.
One big difference between the 1974 original and the 2003 remake is the sense of isolation. In the original, it felt more like the family was cut off from the rest of the world and all of the horrors were happening in a bubble. A terrible, disgusting bubble, but a bubble just the same. In the remake, it seemed like no matter where those poor young adults turned, everyone was in on it. Nothing and no one was safe; it extended beyond just the core family and included the people in the surrounding area. There really wasn’t a chance for rescue; if any of them were going to make it out alive, they had to act and do it themselves. It’s a very subtle change, but one that forced everyone to fight, leaving the final girl (Biel) with several opportunities for hero-type actions and making her not only the final girl we are used to... but something more.
There are many fans of the original who claim that the 2003 Marcus Nispel film shouldn’t exist, but that simply isn’t fair. Yes, as a general rule, movies should be allowed to live without someone trying to outdo what came before, but, in this case, the remake was trying to be its own thing, while still showing so much love to the 1974 classic. There is plenty of room for both. 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre still stands to this day as one of the best examples of why remakes can sometimes work.
It could be argued that it is to blame for the blizzard of horror remakes that came after it, but that shouldn’t take away from this film's actual greatness. This movie introduced an entire generation to Leatherface and conjured up so many new horror fans. For that alone, it shouldn't be torn down... it should be celebrated.
Crockett is a writer and a fan of everything film. He lives on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, away from everyone else, just the way he likes it.
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