This year marks the 50th anniversary of Tobe Hooper’s horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and MPI Media Group and Dark Sky Films are planning a year-long celebration.
Here’s everything you need to know, from the press release…
“The festivities are set to kick off with an audience-capturing social activation at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Fans will be treated to the live creation of an ice sculpture unveiling the new 50th anniversary TCM logo with a chainsaw wielding Leatherface. A local Austin-based ice sculptor will create the bloody carving in real-time using a real chainsaw at The Stay Put located on Downtown Austin’s Historic Rainey Street. The live sculpture demo will take place from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm CST with photo opportunities from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm.
“Brand ambassadors will be on site with giveaways and additional info about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 50th Anniversary Chainsaw Edition. In late 2024, Dark Sky Films will release a multi-disc set, which will include the new 4K UHD edition of the film, a Blu-ray bonus disc containing new extra features, and an exclusive VHS release of the movie. The special edition collector’s set will be housed in a custom created box shaped as a chainsaw that will feature iconic sounds from the film when it is opened.
“Throughout the spring and summer of 2024, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will continue to treat fans with special appearances and fan panels at various conventions throughout the country including one of the largest Chainsaw reunions ever with twelves guests appearing at this year’s Texas Frightmare Weekend in May.
“In August, the re-release of the restored film will premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where it is a part of the revered institution’s permanent collection. Following that, screenings of the film will begin in selected theaters around the country, including major events in Los Angeles and Chicago. “Word of Mouth” showings and promotional screenings will kick off the Halloween season at film societies, museums and theaters.”
The story of a van full of young people who happen upon a desolate farmhouse and meet their bloody fate at the hands of a strange and sadistic family — including a masked chainsaw-swinging lunatic known as Leatherface — the 1974 movie created many of the elements that would come to characterize the slasher genre: power tools as murder weapons, the killer as a large, hulking, masked figure, and the systematic killing of helpless young victims one by one.
It’s a good time to be a fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as this year the video game based on the original classic will be getting updates including a new map and new characters.
