First of all, I tried finding a thread already for this or the original TTCM but couldn't find one anywhere but if there is one already then the mod for this board can move this post there.

Anyway, I rented this yesterday and watched it and thought it was ok. I wasn't surprised by any of the obvious scare moments and thought it wasn't too bad of a remake, or is that reimagining? It doesn't retell the exact same story as the original, but it's got completely different characters who basically do get into a similar situation as in the original. That is, there's a person on the road they pick up, this time a horror-shocked girl, and the inbred family (what else would they be in this situation?) they meet later is also comprised of different characters, the only one remaining true to the original being, of course, Leatherface, though a smarter, more calculating one. The DVD extras are pretty good, too, especially finding out whose familiar head that is you see on a table. Turns out to be none other than Harry "Ain't It Cool News" Knowles, who unexpectedly came upon the set during filming and wanted to be put in the film somewhere, so a hole in the table was cut out and his head went thru it. He never said anything on the 76-minute docu. When I first saw his head I just thought it was either that of some female victim or just her face, but nope, it was just Harry.

One extra is about Ed Gein, the inspiration for Robert Bloch's Psycho, the original TTCM and Silence of the Lambs, and it's got some gruesome crime footage so if you've got a weak stomach for that kinda thing then don't watch it. Or the film itself, for that matter.

You know I got into an argument with someone about the remake who swares that the B&W footage that bookends the movie is real and it's a true story. LOL

I wonder if they chose to set this in the 70's to side step the issue of cell phones. That way, they avoid the rapidly becoming old cliche of No Service whenever a killer attacks.