The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [ note 1 ] is a American independent horror film produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper , who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns , Paul A. The plot follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. The film was marketed as being based on true events to attract a wider audience and to act as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate.
Although the character of Leatherface and minor story details were inspired by the crimes of murderer Ed Gein , its plot is largely fictional. Due to the film's violent content, Hooper struggled to find a distributor, but it was eventually acquired by the Bryanston Distributing Company.
The film faced similar difficulties internationally, being banned in several countries, and numerous theaters stopped showing the film in response to complaints about its violence. It has since become widely regarded as one of the best and most influential horror films. It is credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre, including the use of power tools as murder weapons and the characterization of the killer as a large, hulking, masked figure. It led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books, and video games.
In , the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In the early hours of August 18, , a grave robber steals several corpses from a cemetery near Newt, Muerto County, Texas. The robber ties a rotting corpse and other body parts onto a monument, creating a grisly display that is discovered by a local resident as the sun rises. Driving in a van, five teenagers take a road trip through the area: Sally Hardesty , Jerry, Pam, Kirk, and Sally's paraplegic brother Franklin.
