Growing up, I thought the original was fairly boring.
Over the last couple of decades, I've learned to appreciate it much more.
Now, I think it's one of the scariest movies ever made.
What do you appreciate about it more now?
shareI love it also now more than ever. It’s so gritty and I love the filming style. You can just feel how hot and sticky it is out there on the road and there is just this impending feeling of doom right from the start. I know many people love the dinner table scene but that’s probably one of my least favorites parts. I love all the tension building from the beginning until the 1st two are killed and it just feels absolutely perfect. I also love the ending out on the highway.
shareWhen I first saw it I was a teenager and a certified slasher fanboy. I'd already seen pretty much all the Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream films.
I wasn't huge on this film after my first viewing. I guess I was expecting a higher body count, more blood, more nudity and for Leatherface to be more 'badass' instead of a deranged headcase who gets bullied by his brother. I definitely approached it as a slasher film. This film also has less in the way of humor compared to Scream, Halloween and co. Those films are popcorn slashers and TCM is a bit more brutal and grim, that may have been another reason I wasn't overly keen.
After a few watches it clicked. It's the aesthetic of the film. Everything from the title to the OST, the brilliant editing, the underrated cinematography... it just fell into place and upon my third or fourth watch it dawned on me that this film is absolutely outstanding. Ever since then I've considered this film to be a definite top five horror film of all time.