Exploring Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Legacy: Chain Reactions Film Review
Chain Reactions is an essay film directed by Alexandre O. Philippe wherein he traces the legacy of Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre through five different perspectives: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama. In exploring these perspectives Philippe also showcases how the film fits into the canon, both in studying the films that came before it and those inspired by it.
As someone who holds an affection for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I have my own lofty beliefs and opinions about the film’s context, themes, and style. What was really interesting about Chain Reactions was how it got me out of my own head and opened my eyes to some great alternative interpretations and experiences of the film. Something so precious about a film is how someone first watches it. You have critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, whose view of the film is filtered through the poorly transferred VHS tape she was forced to see due to the film being illegal in her home country of Australia. Then you have director Takashi Miike, who originally disliked horror and only saw the film because he missed a screening of Chaplin’s City Lights and didn’t want to waste his trip to the city. Through discussions with a cultural omnivore like Patton Oswalt and a horror icon like Stephen King, the film illustrates how a great film can be something different for everyone.
While it’s a compelling exploration, Chain Reactions is a bit niche and it won’t appeal to everyone. Ultimately, it’s not meant to; it’s for people who already have a fondness for Texas Chainsaw Massacre and for people who love to hear the opinions of others. Just as he did in his previous documentaries, such as Lynch/Oz and 78/52, Philippe delivers in making an in-depth and passion-driven examination. It’s a fitting treatment for a film that’s been so formative to the culture as it reaches its 50th anniversary.
The Canadian premiere of “Chain Reactions” at CUFF.docs takes place on Friday, November 22, 2024. Tickets are available for purchase at www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org.