Genre

Texas chainsaw massacre is a slasher genre film which has a sub genre of thriller. TCM being a slasher film obviously contains human flesh being cut up and eaten, on the other hand the film has elements of thrill which are shown through scenes where the victims are trying to escape but are conventionally unsuccessful.

The main generic conventions of the text firstly in terms of props would be weapons such as chainsaws, knives, guns etc. Secondly the generic conventions in terms of clothes are dirty clothes covered with blood. However in this movie there has been a noticeable cut down in the use of the chainsaw compared to the previous TCM which released in 1974. This change could be interpreted in many different ways but one of the most obvious reasons is that the increase use of guns due to the technology advancing makes the chainsaw some what a secondary tool diminishing its importance compared to the first part of the film.
As mostly given away by the film title ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’ the audience are automatically aware that it is a Slasher genre film and are already beginning to picture weapons such as chainsaws, knives etc and humans being cut up. The audience also have mercy on the characters even before they are in trouble. The film fulfils the generic expectations and treats them playfully. For example in TCM-the beginning the audience is expecting the villain (Leather face and Sheriff Hoyt) to terrorise and kill the other characters although the audience is also expecting one of the characters to escape and make an attempt to get Leather face arrested or perhaps even killing him to ensure no one in Texas has a experience like this again. The audience is rather left disappointed in terms of seeing a satisfying ending as the villain kills the final girl using a chainsaw and stays alive.

The director of the film Jonathan Liebesmen is strongly associated with the Slasher/ horror genre of movies. I can say this by looking at his carrier in the Hollywood industry so far as he has made a lot of movies associated with this genre. Jonathan started his Hollywood film making journey by directing a film called ‘Darkness Falls’ although the film did not get the very best reviews it was nominated for Best Horror/Thriller at the Teen Choice Awards in 2003. The films success brought him to the attention of Michael Bay and his production company, Platinum Dunes, who hired him to direct The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. The production proved a hit at the US box office recouping the $16 million production cost with its opening weekend gross of $18.5 million. As of 31 December 2006, the film had grossed around $50 million worldwide, including over $39.5 million in the US.