Texas Chainsaw Massacre ...

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in 1974 and was directed by Tobe Hooper. It was a successful film recognised in the slasher movie genre. The original and the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre have many similarities and differences which are shown through the iconography and the setting of the both films. The similarities we see in both films is the same psycho killer which is “Leatherface” and the final girl, although one difference we see is that the final girl in the 2003 remake is represented as stronger, more independent and superior.

There are other similarities between the texts such as the same group of friends that go on a road trip, although for different reasons such as the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has the group going on a road trip to visit Franklin and Sally’s grandfather’s grave, along the way they run out of gas and stop at the gas station. Although, the new version see’s the group of friends on a road trip to a music concert but are met by a hitch hiker who warns them to go back, but ends in drastic results which is why they stop at the gas station.

Other similarities include the rotten limbs and bodies, however in different ways. The main similarity between both texts is the set of “rules” that both films convey. For instance, the two teenagers to get intimate and have sex or mess around with each other are either to die first or will eventually get killed in the film; on the other hand one difference is that the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre saw the teenagers smoking dope and drinking beer, which also fall into the sets of “rules”.

Although, there is one other similarity between both texts, which is the ending where we see Leather face appear and wields his chainsaw in the air, which conveys him wielding his phallic symbol in the air. We also see a member of the family helping out the final girl to escape the horrors she may experience. Although as well as similarities in both texts, there are some differences in the generics of both texts.

The differences between both texts is the reason for their road trip , and also the technology has been used more in the new version and shows how technology has changed from the 70’s to now, which emphasises the zeitgeist in the texts and difference between both eras they were both filmed in.
Another difference that we see is the ending of the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre as the final girl kills a member of the cannibal family, not only this but we see a female figure which is Leatherface’s mother, who then tells the story of Leatherface and how he has a skin condition, which then conveys the vulnerability that takes over Leatherface, which then shows elements of Psycho and Friday the 13th as we see the relationship between the mother and the son. In the ending we Erin escaping on her own rather than Sally who hitched a ride to escape, this then shows how more superior, independent and stronger Erin is than how females were back then, which then emphasises the zeitgeist once again.