The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | 1974 | USA | Tobe Hooper

Possibly one of the most infamous proto-slashers and the unofficial poster boy for the video nasty scare, Tobe Hooper’s directorial debut film is an incredibly disturbing and nerve-shredding viewing experience, even by today’s standards. With whisperings of grave-robbings in rural Texas, a small group of friends travel into the wilderness to check on a family grave, only for their vehicle to break down shortly after a scary encounter with a hitchhiker. One by one, the teens wander off in search of help and explore a nearby farmhouse, only to fall prey to the brutish inhabitant inside, known only as Leatherface. When only Sally and her disabled brother Frank are left, Sally ends up learning first hand the true meaning of terror and trauma as she meets the dysfunctional Sawyer family. Leading to a franchise that has now become vast and wildly varying in quality, the grime and sweaty aesthetic of the original still unnerves the most seasoned of horror fan, even though the film is virtually bloodless. Even after the film’s seizure by police, the film remained banned in the UK way after the video nasty scare was over, as the BBFC just did not know how to make it less disturbing via cuts.