10 Killer Horror Films Now Streaming On Shudder

Let no one tell you that being known as the director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre helped Tobe Hooper’s short-term career. When British censors took issue with the film’s “level of terrorisation”, they refused to grant the picture a certificate and it remained unseen – legally at least – until 1999.

For good measure, the BBFC banned any film whose title referenced murder committed with “everyday implements” (Axe, The Driller Killer etc), leading the uninitiated to expect the ultimate in gory mayhem. With its title and memorable tagline (“Who will survive and what will be left of them?”) the title seemed to promise all the guts the Drive-in crowd could want, but the movie’s masterstroke is eschewing carnage in favor of claustrophobia and tension.

Compared to the sequels and rip-offs, little blood is shown in Tobe Hooper’s movie, which is far more interested in suspense underscored with a nice line in black humor. Neither the tension nor the claustrophobia are apparent in the later films (even though they feature gross out gags galore), so if you want proof that sometimes old is better, check this movie out.