Welcome to Bizarre Crimes: Essays on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Join us every day in October for a new piece of critical analysis on Tobe Hooper's legendary film, as Pop Heist's Matthew Jackson breaks down why it remains one of the greatest pieces of horror cinema of all time. Subscribe to Pop Heist so you don't miss an essay!
What happens when Pam and Kirk leave the old house is the closest The Texas Chain Saw Massacre gets to the bucolic. For three minutes, we simply follow this energetic young couple as they go exploring, darting through mesquite trees down a trail to a swimming hole that no longer exists. Like so many other things in this film, it's been swallowed up by the heat of the Sun, leaving a dry ditch in its place.