The Legacy of Leatherface: Essays on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Series

The Legacy of Leatherface: Essays on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Series

Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) is widely regarded as one of the most influential horror films ever made. It launched a multimedia franchise that included video games, novels, comics, and, most notably, an ongoing film series. While the original film has been the subject of extensive scholarship, its sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots have received comparatively little critical attention. This collection is the first to examine the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series (the sequels spelled "Chainsaw" as one word) in its entirety, with separate essays devoted to each of the films. Contributors analyze narrative and stylistic evolutions across the franchise, exploring how each installment reflects changing cultural attitudes while also considering how it builds upon or diverges from the original. The volume offers new insights into the study of film franchises, demonstrating how The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 's cultural significance is inseparable from the sequels that followed. “ TCM is one of the great horror franchises, starting with the groundbreaking original, which has since had many children, both beautiful and ugly. Shane H Weathers has put together a brilliant collection of essays that argues the series is the sum of all of its parts then closely explores every single one of those parts with insightful analysis from dynamic scholars. This book made me want to go back and watch the entire franchise again with these perceptions and interpretations in mind―it’s that kind of book. Perfect for scholars, students, fans, and those who just love horror.”―Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr., Ph.D., Loyola Marymount University, seven-time Bram Stoker Award Nominee, author of Post-9/11 Horror in American Cinema “[A] much needed academic and historical overview of the legacy of the TCM franchise, since its inception in 1974 to current date, that offers thrills for fans and scholars like.”―Darren Elliott-Smith, senior lecturer in film & gender studies, University of Stirling Shane H Weathers is a doctoral candidate in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University. He specializes in film genre and franchise/series studies, has written on James Bond, Rocky, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the book review editor for the Journal of Film and Video.