10 Things You Didn’t Know About Leatherface
You'll get a real buzz out of these facts.
Leatherface isn't quite as iconic as the likes of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, but he's just as terrifying and predates the lot of them.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's antagonist made his debut in the 1974 original and has since appeared in seven other movies spread across two confusing timelines.
Tobe Hooper's low-budget classic spawned three sequels before 2003's remake rebooted Leatherface and his deranged family for a new generation. This was followed by a prequel called Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning three years later.
So far, so straightforward, but the series reverted back to its original timeline in 2013 with the release of Texas Chainsaw 3D, touted as a sequel to the first film. It's probably best not to ask how old Leatherface should be in that movie, for continuity's sake. And don't ask why his name suddenly change to Jedidiah Sawyer either.
Jumping forward to the present day and the latest instalment, simply titled Leatherface, has hit video on-demand services in time for Halloween. This one is another prequel, exploring the protagonist's origin and sticking with the original timeline.
Continuity confusion aside, Leatherface is an icon of the horror genre who has used that chainsaw to carve out a place for himself in the Hollywood hall of fame. There's also more to him than meets the eye...
10. Leatherface Is Based On Ed Gein
Most horror movies that bill themselves as true stories should be treated with scepticism, and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is no exception.
No, Leatherface wasn't real and nor were his cannibalistic family and the atrocities they committed, but a real-life murderer did inspire the series' protagonist.
It's widely believed that the chainsaw-wielding maniac is based on Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, a real-life killer who fashioned macabre ornaments from human remains that he pilfered from local gravesites.
Gein wasn't known for the gross misuse of power tools or cannibalism, and his killcount topped off at two, but he did create masks from human flesh and wear them.
A number of other popular horror movies are based on the Ed Gein case, including Psycho, House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects.