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11 Facts about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

11 Facts about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre August 11 2014 | POSTED BY Ted Geoghegan

The most incredible restoration in the history of horror cinema hits DVD and BluRay on September 16th. The all-new 4K digital transfer of Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE arrives with a newly created 7.1 surround sound mix supervised by the director himself, and is ready to terrify a whole new generation of horror fans!

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this uniquely terrifying masterpiece, we’re sharing eleven incredible, little-known facts about the original TEXAS CHAIN SAW!

11) Several of the human skeletons seen in the film were real. The cash-strapped production found that purchasing real bones from India was far less expensive than buying realistic plastic ones!

10) The late Jim Siedow is the only actor to appear in both the original and the 1986 sequel.

9) Comedic actor John Laroquette, best known for his role on the sitcom “Night Court” started his career as the film’s opening narrator. He appreciated the opportunity so much, he came back to narrate the 2003 remake and its 2006 prequel.

8) Also, according to John Laroquette, the actor’s payment for providing the film’s opening narration, was a single marijuana joint.

7) Leatherface might not look very smart, but actor Gunnar Hansen, who plays him in the film, is actually a poet with two graduate degrees. He’s also well-known for his friendliness, and loves meeting his fans.

6) The crew taped over the logo of the Poulan 245A chainsaw used in the film, fearing that the manufacturer might try to sue them for portraying their product in a negative light!

5) Despite being banned in several countries due to its violent content, CHAINSAW earned over $30 million at the box office on a budget of under $100,000, making it a huge independent success.

4) Who says making movies is easy? With such a small budget, the cast and crew shot for up to 18 hours a day, every day. The average temperature in Texas during the Summer they were filming was 102 degrees!

3) Director Guillermo Del Toro (HELLBOY, PACIFIC RIM) claims that after viewing the film, he became a vegetarian!

2) Much of the blood seen on Marilyn Burns when she is being chased by Leatherface is actually her own. She cut herself on numerous branches and dry undergrowth, but chose to keep running!

1) Although famously based on true events, there never was an actual “Leatherface.” The film is actually very loosely based on the crime spree of Wisconsin-based sociopath Ed Gein (whose chainsaw-less true story also influenced PSYCHO), mixed with the Scottish legend of Sawney Bean and his cannibalistic family.

 

 

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