"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is one of the key developments to modern horror cinema. "Psycho" showed that a monster could be anyone and could be located anywhere. Still, there were several elements that hearkened to traditional suspense narratives. It was 1960, and the country had yet to experience true horror. Than Vietnam had begun, and the nation witnessed the cold reality of violence on their TV sets. "Night of the Living Dead" came along and invented the modern horror film than. The horror was created by the government and on the home front, not a mystical dreamland. Still, there were several classic and traditional "monster" movies released in the next few years. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was released and the film industry took notice. The traditional, more naive horror movie was dead. Nearly seventy years of horror cinema seemed irrelevant.<br /><br />This was all with good reason. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was one of the most visceral and disturbing horror films ever made. In addition to consistent scares, there were several elements that have been prevalent in most horror films ever since. It had a darker than dark sense of humor, yet was done without any camp or irony. The chuckles made it all the more uneasing so Tobe Hopper could catch you off guard. Plus, the "heros" are just as unlikable as the villains, if not more so. The opening scenes in the van show a group of people no one in their right mind would want to be around. It is only at the end when Sally in placed into situations of intense danger do we feel any sympathy towards the protagonists.<br /><br />But get past all the historical significance, this is an excellent film. Even over thirty years after release, it is still terrifying, which can not be said of many well-remembered horror films. The performances are average, but no one goes into this film expecting Olivier. The direction by Tobe Hopper is masterful minimalism. Simply put, the man knows how to build tension. Its a shame he never made another great film after this, and eventually directed the incredibly overrated "Poltergeist". Still, whether or not it was a fluke on his behalf, this is a great film. (10/10)