The most recent revival of the popular "hungry, hungry hicks" franchise put forward some pretty crazy ideas. It kicked off with the revelation that somehow the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house had a large extended family living in it at the same time the twisted events of the original were taking place. Lord knows where they were. Sitting in the cupboard? Hiding under the sofa? Anyway, turned out the Sawyer clan were far more than just a handful of nutjobs. Fans then discovered a baby girl had survived the carnage that ensued when the good old boys descended on the Sawyer home to wipe them out once they'd gone too far. Now, the Sawyers were at best a rogues' gallery. None of them were going to win any prizes for beauty, unless Leatherface was the spit of Brad Pitt under that flesh mask. Nevertheless, the upshot was that the talented but ever-so-slightly-out-of-place Alexandra Daddario joined the cast as new character Heather. The gene pool didn't so much fluctuate as have an electric cable jammed into it. How in the name of god a gorgeous young woman like that came into the mix is a question for the ages, and one that still has people scratching their heads today. Maybe as a scream queen lead... that would have been fine. But director John Luessenhop wanted us to believe Daddario's DNA was hotwired for bloodlust! Her first scene had her working in a butchers shop for Christ's sake - even sawing up liver she looked pretty damned perfect. Great for the aesthetics, ludicrous for everything else! What do you think of this list? Do you agree with the choices, or are there any glaring omissions? Let us know in the comments section!
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
