The Sawyer Massacre

I heard about The Sawyer Massacre before checking it out and had certain expectations. Although it started out slowly, the story was good. The "scary" parts were fewer and farther between than I expected and there were some mild gore parts. The scenery and cinematography were what I found most interesting. The acting is solid, some of the characters are developed nicely. You don't really care about anyone, except for Jimmy and Allison played by Jordan O'Neal and Nika Louw. For those looking for a diverting, low budget horror experience with a creepy and thrilling ending, this movie ain't half bad.

In 1974, Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel created a unknown masterpiece that has earned the title among horror fans as one of "The Most Horrifying Horror Films Ever Made". The film also made its villian, a Horror Icon. The name "Leatherface" is now synonymous to the likes of the Universal Monsters, Hammer Horrors, and the like. Nothing like this had ever been seen before on the big screen, such brutality and depravity without thought or remorse.

Over the years there has been sequels, reboots, and even the fans have joined in and shown their love of the saw. This one fan goes by the name of Steve Merlo. He is a first time director and a huge fan of the series. This isn't just any ordinary fan film, this is what he likes to call an "Unofficial Prequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and this reviewer has to agree. You can tell he has put his heart and soul into this project, now there will be grey areas that I will have some objections to but you can tell that from the opening credits that Mr. Merlo is one to watch and that he a a true fanboy of the genre.

The film opens up, introducing us to the man that will be called "LEATHERFACE" but brutality that foreshadows future events as well as the wolves that are disguised as sheep leading the others to their bloody demise are the true monsters of this tale...

The year is 1965, the day is June 30th. Jimmy, Gene, and Brent (played by Jordan O' Neal, Bryley Bell, and Jordan Fortiz) are three friends who take a weekend trip to the Texas countryside, in desperate need of escapism from city life and tragedy. Upon arrival of Brent's isolated cabin, the boys realize they need supplies and food. During their trek to pick up supplies, they meet two sisters who have purchased a home not too far from where they are staying. The older sister, Loraine (played by Alicia Jade) and the younger and more adventurous sister, Alison (is played by Nika Louw) befriend the three youths over the weekend as they decide to spend time together.

This is where their weekend of fun in the sun turns into a nightmare of hellish proportions, as they meet Drayton, Grandpa, The "Schizo", a new family member "Rex" and ultimately "Leatherface".

In between all the happening there are various people introduced that are meat fodder, some have a bit or spirit but ultimately, they are in the film to be used as "food".

Under the guise of food and camping supplies, Rex is able to decieve his victims through disinformation and guide them into their lair of blooth and metal teeth. Once there, the group of strangers must team up and out wit their captors or become part of the body count that is "The Sawyer Massacre"...

Rex (played by William Instone) does an amazing job as the main Antagonist in the film, you can tell he likes to get dirty for his roles and really get into character. The actor who played Drayton (Bill Houskeeper), I personally feel he was miscast just mainly due to Jim Siedow's build and personality in the 1974 film. That being said, his acting was very well done. The Schizo (played by Vitor Parachini) that is another one who I thought did a wonderful job and really understood the character he was portraying. Scotty Parkin who donned the dead skin mask, portrayed "Leatherface" in a way that would have made Gunnar, Dan and Bill proud.

The music and the sound effects were top notch and really added to the ambiance and the creep factor. You could feel the dread in the air in several scenes, it was quite forthcoming and unsettling. The gore effects weren't over the top nor were they in your face, which is a good thing, Merlo and crew made sure that that when setting up the brutality and the death house that is was just uncomfortable enough to make the viewers uneasy just like hooper and henkel did in the original classic. Everything in this film was done with love and precision and from a fan's perspective, meaning if you are looking and listen carefully there are several "Easter Eggs" in the film that cover the entire TCM franchise.

This was an indiegogo film project that has a runtime of 1:33:42 and it should be honoured as part of the TCM canon. I think Merlo and Team made something that would have made both Tobe and Kim proud.

Well I am impressed! I tend to be very wary of "FAN FILMS" and indeed many disappoint, others don't get the source material but this one is a gem. You can see the love for the source material and honestly better than some low budget or Asylum films. Bravo! Exceptional for a fan film showing the professionals what it is like when you "get" and respect the ideas and concepts of the material. I was entertained and in the end that is what counts. I'll keep my eye on these guys to see what else they come up with. If you are a fan I recommend checking it out, don't expect HOLLYWOOD budget or production values but just an effort that shows the love.

...is obviously something that a TCM related film must have and there is one. The movie is set as a unofficial prequel to TCM 1974 and does a fairly decent job as such. The tone is set early on and the feel of a desolate rural area emerges along with the plot. Most of the characters are only there to satisfy the saw, except for Jimmy (Jordan O'Neal). There are a few inconsistencies and/or plot holes, but they can mostly be overlooked and disregarded. Now, Leatherface (Bubba) is played by Scotty Parkin and he does a fine job as the infantile, subdued killer. His facemask looks partly like the Hulk, partly like Lou Reed with a splash of Linda Perry. The FX are gory, but I guess that budget was an issue so they aren't very elaborate. All in all, the Sawyer Massacre holds its own and is well worth your time if you happen to enjoy low budget Horror that is connected to the TCM franchise.

For a fan film this was really good everyone did pretty good the gore was on point and you could really feel the tension going at times leatherface looked really good to. Rex was awesome too . I have a few theories about a few things though like does the construction guy get away and what happened to Drayton we never see him again after that one scene. But I really loved it the score was good too. I hope Steve continues this route of film making he has a bright future ahead! Everyone involved played a solid role Jimmy side story was very heartfelt as well and again I loved that one scene at the beginning with the construction guy over seeing the power grids the sound in the background just adds a eerie feel to the scene! Great job to all.