The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

I think everyone knows the plot of this, perhaps the best-known of the gorefest genre. It's the archetypal scary movie, with everything done in the soundtrack, in the quick cutting in of short sections and in the reactions of the characters, to heighten the sense of unease in the viewer.

The character of Leatherface (played by Gunnar Hansen) is borderline transgender. There is no definite cross-dressing within the material of the film, and in the final scenes in the house, the others refer to him as "him" all the time. The idea comes from the long apron he wears, and from his long hair tied back in a ponytail.

However Suzi G J has discovered that deleted scenes on the dvd include Leatherface in his bedroom putting on makeup just before the dining scene.

HF March 2005

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