Ahhhhhh, saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the big screen last Thursday. What a film!!! But first let me show you what happened earlier in my day to show you what state of mind I was at while filming.
The day started with a photo shoot for DETOUR magazine, this really cool guy came over, about my age, with this really neat camera. It was one of those old style look in the top/two lenses sticking atcha type of cameras. Shot on 2.25 inch film, or something like that. We shot for about 3 hours, and it basically consisted of me sitting in a chair making faces at the camera. Rage, anger, sorrow, love, confusion, lust, poutiness, insanity, ludricousness, ecstacy, hunger (I do that one real good!!!) and so on. You get the idea. Then he let me take a shot of him. We talked film, mainly Honk Kong action flicks, and hit it off really well. He says he's going to do some sort of bizarre montage art-y shot for DETOUR, so look for it, it's the November issue, something about the under-30 crowd in the film industry. It's mainly a fashion type of magazine, which I can't imagine would have anything to do with me, but then I guess I could always make it as a model. (EXTREME SARCASM!!!)
After that I went to eat bar-b-que in preparation for the evening's entertainment. Ahhhhh great Bar-b-que, place called STUBBS here in Austin, gotta try it out. Cheap and great. You know you are going to get great food, when they don't have plates, only BUTCHER PAPER and they have plastic eating utensils which are useless and you are forced to eat with your hands. CAVEMAN EATING!!!! Makes me want "Zug Zug" (That's for you true geeks)
Then I went to a cool art opening of a friend of mine. I met her (Monica) at the Tarantino Film Festival a year ago, and found out that she was totally insane, which is great because I'm completely psychotic. If you live in Austin the exhibit is still up through September (1997) I believe at the HIGH LITE CAFE on 7th Street. Some really nice work. Everything from oils to pen & ink to a cool quilt. At the opening I was talking film with a couple of cool types. One of em is a leader in the AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, which all of ya Austin types need to join, but we were talking about Scorsese, obscure musicals, the decline of Coppola, and comparing Vertigo to Hitchcock's career and Goodfellas and Casino to Scorsese's. Personally I thought Vertigo equaled up to Goodfellas, because I'm not particularly fond of either, but they are seemingly universally thought of as the best of both directors. I don't love Vertigo because of Kim Novak, and I don't love Goodfellas because of Loraine Bracco. Hey, it's me. I acknowledge your opinion, I just don't share it. Personally I love Rear Window and Raging Bull, must be something about two name titles beginning with R. This was a fantastic conversation. The astounding shooting schedule of Kubrick, the expense of Cameron, the years of hibernation for Malick. Ahhhh, talking film with another film lover. It's the best. Talking about James Cagney musicals, and the greatness of FOOTLIGHT PARADE!!! Coool.
Afterwards, I was up for a great movie, and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was on the bill at the Alamo Drafthouse here in Austin. It's that dinner theater I've told yall about. I've gotten mail from several people that want to set up a theater in different areas of the country like this one, and let me say go to their website at www.drafthouse.com and click the email function, ask TIM the owner about how to get the films, get permission to screen them, etc. He's an extremely nice guy, and might even be quite helpful. I don't know the answers to many of the questions, but I do want TIM to get a print of TRON to screen. YEAH TRON ROCKS!!!! Sorry, I was having a moment.
Anyway, I enter the theater and head up to the second floor, where the screening area is, and am greeted by a ticket taker with a bloody apron. Smile instantly crosses my face. They are having a special on the MEAT LOVER'S PIZZA (heh heh heh heeeeh) and I find my way to my seat. Ahhhh, third row center, the best!
The lights darken and what to my wandering eyes should appear but a trailer for THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the scariest trailer I've seen since LEAVE IT TO BEAVER!!!!! That classic horror duo Tim Conway and Don Knotts terrorize the old west, and only Jack Elam stands between us and their horror. My spine tingled, and my sides hurt, I wept in utter agony. My god I've seen that movie!!!!!!!!!!!
The screen goes dark, the traumatized audience members try to get a grip on themselves when Michael Crichton's COMA trailer comes on screen. Maaaaaaaaaaannnnn, Michael Douglas is young in this thing. Pretty lame trailer, but it has a FANTASTIC last shot. All those suspended comatose bodies. I loved it. That one shot had me eager to see the film. I think that was the point.
Now it was time for THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE!!! What a movie! I have a history with this film. It was made when I was 3 years old, and we knew alot of the people working on it. In fact I remember the Halloween when the prop dude, fella by the name of Bob Burns came over with a basket full of body parts from the film. I still have a hand from the film. When you see the film, it's the one that sits upon the mantle in a shot. Then at the same party, Gunnar Hansen ran into the house with the chainsaw roaring, sans the teeth of the blade of course. Twas great.
Then after the film came out, I saw it maybe 35 times before the age of 6, and as a 5 year old I took a series of art photos of me covered head to toe with self applied fake tatoos that I put on, posing on the bone furniture from the film.
Then about 5 years ago, I was at a convention with Gunnar Hanson, set up right next to him, and he carved the Thanksgiving turkey that night. Wow, I have had Thanksgiving turkey cut by Leatherface... Mondo Cool.
And lastly I've known Edwin Neal my entire life here in Austin, he's the crazed hitch-hiker the kids pick up, the one who cuts the handicap kid's hand. Personally, I don't think he's as stable as that character. Of course, if you are in San Antonio this coming weekend you can meet him at the San Antonio Collector's Exposition, as will I. Really cool dude, and sells alot of cool posters like me.
Anyway it's amazing how good this movie is. I've seen it innumerable times and the editing and sound work is still overpowering. Excellent. It was fun watching it with an audience that had many people watching it for the first time. People that were expecting extreme gore, but instead got an extremely intense film going experience.
It was amazing how quiet this audience got at sequences, and during that scene where Marilyn Burn's character is running and screaming for her life, wow! Complete attention focused on the screen. And what I think is among the best sequences of horror in any film ever, the dinner scene where Marilyn Burns is tied to that Arm-Chair (which I happen to own) and is being tortured and tormented by the sickest family ever on screen, well if you don't count the Brady Bunch, is a complete mastery of editing, camera work, and sound. It is simply awesome.
The concept that there hasn't been a horror film as good as this since Halloween and Dawn of the Dead (in my opinion) speaks volumes about the state of the current horror film industry. Of course let's face it, most horror films today have to take a break to be "cute" or funny. They can not commit to terror or consistent tone. The level of intensity this film generates and maintains throughout is astounding. Really wish more films took their subject matter as seriously as this film does. Not for one second do we get the idea she is in control, she is terrified throughout. Desperate to cling to life, horrified by the sites and sounds. Amazing film making. Also, as a lesson to all you theater owners out there, know that the film was attended by a large crowd, that bought snacks, beer and other beverages. Scheduling great movies, will pack em in. Whether they be a new great film or one from yesteryear. Seeing em big out classes the small screen any day of the week.
