tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post4380024536392772337..comments2024-03-16T18:31:16.417+00:00Comments on BLACK HOLE REVIEWS: THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) - delayed, panned and bannedMark Hodgsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08744056312268440003noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-1259028798690989112016-01-05T15:51:20.767+00:002016-01-05T15:51:20.767+00:00Iain, fascinating stuff, many thanks ! Iain, fascinating stuff, many thanks ! Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502948357255970132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-40947833518211499062016-01-04T08:32:40.779+00:002016-01-04T08:32:40.779+00:00I was one of the 'lucky few' at that first...I was one of the 'lucky few' at that first LFF screening in 1975.The cinema (BFI, Southbank) was packed, James Ferman was there for a q&a, made an utter fool of himself ( …" you really think you're watching reality, we can't possibility release it ..." And meanwhile I had literally fallen in love with movie. It opened theatrically a year-and-a-bit later with a GLC certificate in London only. At the PrinceCharles, which had already established itself as a cutting edge venue with Last Tango in Paris and Fellini Satyricon. Censorship was seriously bad in those days - James Ferman's BBFC cut Warhol's Frankenstein to ribbons and, when challenged by a journalist, replied that it was a terrible film and why did anybody care about it? The philistines were indeed running the show. <br />Despite claims that TCM had been cut for a London 'x' rating, the first time I saw the release print, I recall only seconds being trimmed when Leatherface wields the saw to slice into Kirk, and believe me I was alert to censorship. I saw Chainsaw half a dozen times in the 70s, including a late show at the old Electric Cinema in Portobello Rd on a double bill with Communion ((AKA Alice Sweet Alice).<br />I was a columnist for a UK entertainment mag at the time TCM received its initial London-only release and I attended the press screening. The 'critics' I encountered afterwards despised the film. However, Alan Brien, in the Sunday Times, 'got it' as you say, and wrote a perceptive review. I can write from memory a copy of Time Out's extended caption for that first Film Festival screening, and will do so later for you. <br />SALO was indeed showing at the little movie theatre in Old Compton St when the cops raided and seized the print. I was there to buy my ticket and was very pissed off when the Bill came trundling in.iainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01678079780927685172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-69355337787302115982014-04-04T10:24:21.349+01:002014-04-04T10:24:21.349+01:00It's a masterpiece of horror!..I met Ed 'h...It's a masterpiece of horror!..I met Ed 'hitchhiker' Neal 3 times at conventions over the years,and Teri McMinn 'Pam' once..both were very nice,still have my super 8 version from Deran films from the late 70's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-34764808878457266352013-11-09T00:41:20.648+00:002013-11-09T00:41:20.648+00:00The image of Leatherface wielding the chainsaw is ...The image of Leatherface wielding the chainsaw is still one of THE most iconic images in the entire hstory of horror cinema.eddie lydeckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-45357970027558507052013-11-08T09:31:19.062+00:002013-11-08T09:31:19.062+00:00Thanks for that Miles re: [B][I]Saló[/I][/B] in Fi...Thanks for that Miles re: [B][I]Saló[/I][/B] in Films and Filming - that report must be in an issue I'm missing... Incredible to think a film lecturer would consider [B][I]Texas Chain Saw Massacre[/I][/B] badly made. I mean I'm biased here as it's my all-time favourite Horror film, but I think the film is very well made, and made with [I]style[/I] - that low-angle tracking shot under the swing chair is just incredible, and the scene where Leatherface delivers the hammer blow to the head of Kirk is a brilliant piece of editing - you would think a Peckinpah man would appreciate that !Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502948357255970132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-83035238164995123622013-11-08T07:31:39.934+00:002013-11-08T07:31:39.934+00:00Yep, Time Out was indeed running at the time - the...Yep, Time Out was indeed running at the time - the first issue arrived in 1968 I think. The Monthly Film Bulletin would be a good source as well - a subscription to the digital Sight & Sound comes with a digitized archive of every issue of Sight & Sound and the Monthly Film Bulletin ever published, since 1932 - that's a tremendous resource for these kind of archaeological excavations...Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502948357255970132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-33137273045806385472013-11-08T05:36:53.838+00:002013-11-08T05:36:53.838+00:00I remember one of my film tutors at Poly in a lect...I remember one of my film tutors at Poly in a lecture commenting that he'd walked out on a screening of TCSM. Naturally, as I was a fan of the film, I cornered him afterwards to ask him why - since his favourite director was Peckinpah, I was surprised that the violence would have sent him rushing to the exit doors - and he told me it was because it was so badly made,<br /><br />I'm sure I recall reading about the SALO screening at the Compton Film Club being raided in "F&F" - I think it made an impression on me as there was an area in Wolverhampton called Compton. I'm not sure I even knew what SALO was at the time.Milesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-59884234800454821072013-11-07T20:58:29.631+00:002013-11-07T20:58:29.631+00:00Yeah, it wasn't Tim Lucas writing for CFQ, tha...Yeah, it wasn't Tim Lucas writing for CFQ, thankfully (I'll add the name of the writer, now that you mention it). Tim got to go on some great set visits though.<br /><br />As you said, Ferman couldn't figure out any cutdown version which he could pass.<br /><br />I really want to go through a load of old London newspapers, or, was Time Out running back then? If anything had appeared in the Daily Mail, I'd probably have kept it! (My Mum used to get it. Actually, she still gets it!)Mark Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08744056312268440003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16605980.post-82154768584360549612013-11-07T15:17:20.584+00:002013-11-07T15:17:20.584+00:00An excellent bit of detective work there Mark... F...An excellent bit of detective work there Mark... Fascinating stuff indeed. I did try to find out the fate of the film across the water, but the Irish Censor Board is even more shadowy than the BBFC. But I expect the film would have been refused a theatrical run by the Irish board, back in the day if indeed the distributor even bothered to submit it. And like a lot of folks in the UK, we all saw it here on VHS, during those outlaw days, I remember well my local videoshop had both Ivor editions - the sleeve in your post, and the red and white sleeve... The bad reviews are surprising I must say, considering the film has a very obvious quality, more so than say <b><i>Last House On The Left</i></b>, and I would have expected more from Films and Filming - they gave <b><i>Night of the Living Dead</i></b> an excellent notice in the December 1970 issue. As for Cinefantastique and House of Hammer, shame on them, they absolutely got it wrong there ! Really surprised by Cinefantastique actually - I might have my chronology screwed up here but I think Tim Lucas was writing for the magazine during this era... I seem to remember James Ferrman or one of his examiners discussing <b><i>Texas Chain Saw Massacre</i></b> (some years before the re-release) and the thinking at the BBFC was the film was effective censor-<i>proof</i> - no matter what cuts the Board considered, the film still seemed oppressively violent - and to think Tobe Hooper brought the film to the MPAA expecting a PG rating ! <br /><br />It's funny, this post has reminded me of the time I sifted thru 12 months worth of Films and Filming to find any mention of night police entered a film club in London and seized a print of <b><i>Saló</i></b> (and the projector no less!). Films and Filming had a regular Club column throughout the 70's but I've never read any mention of the incident - having said that, I don't have a complete run of 1976 issues so that might explain it...Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502948357255970132noreply@blogger.com