The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

I am not a fan of classic movie remakes. The Friday the 13th remake was miserable and the Nightmare on Elm Street remake not much better. That being said, there is one classic horror flick that that was remade that was actually extremely entertaining, the 2003 reboot of the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Plot/ After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of equally psychopathic killers. 

For the longest time, I held out watching this. The original movie is a classic and should not have been touched. To me, watching classic flicks get a reboot shows that Hollywood is afraid to step outside the box and create something new; reboots honestly frustrate me. When I finally watched this one I came away impressed, as this one was a lot better than the rest of classic reboots that they have churned out in recent years. The updated Leatherface was awesome and extremely imposing on the screen. The acting and cast were solid, the storyline interesting and even the additions worked well. More importantly, the cinematography created a great atmosphere that permeated throughout. In the end, this revision of the was entertaining and well worth watching. I know it has been out some time, but if you have not seen it, check it out!

Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

After spending some time out and about, it was nice to be able to watch some movies late last week before starting vacation. Of course, it would have been better if I would have grabbed something that was more worth my while. My review for the evening is the disappointing Texas Chainsaw 3D.

Plot/ A young woman travels to Texas to collect an inheritance; little does she know that an encounter with a chainsaw-wielding killer is part of the reward.

I really did not expect much from this one, as the Texas Chainsaw train left the station long ago. Watching the original as a teen in the late 1970s / early 1980s, it holds a special place in my heart. Of course, that was my favorite part of this one, as the opening sequence drew me in. Unfortunately, it seemed to spiral down from there. The acting was so-so, the cgi/3d effects seemed forced and the storyline was off. More importantly, it lacked atmosphere and actually came across with more comedic moments than scares. In the end, this was one I could have done without as it did nothing but appear to take the name of a classic and drag it further down the abyss. Stay away and watch the original instead.