Netflix's Texas Chainsaw Massacre Has The Same Narrator As The 1974 Original
The new "Scream" brought back a killer's house from Wes Craven's original1996 meta-slasher with the same title. Last year, Nia DaCosta's "Candyman" had composer Robert A.A. Lowe conjuring up the tragic melodies of Philip Glass' 1991 score for the franchise original when the moment called for a throwback. Now, David Blue Garcia's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is invoking the spirits of the past in hopes of conjuring up some of the runaway success of Tobe Hooper's 1974 original slasher.
The Netflix feature is a direct sequel to "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and takes place after the events that left Sally Hardesty (originally played by Marilyn Burns with Olwen Fouéré taking over the role) bloodied and screaming in the back of a passing truck outside of a house of horrors in rural Texas. Banned in multiple theaters and embraced by a generation of moviegoers, Hooper's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is now considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time, partly due to its raw, unfiltered terror rooted in reality; the now-iconic Leatherface is loosely based on the serial murderer Ed Gein.
As a nod to Hooper's terrifying tale, Garcia's new film pays homage by resurrecting the narrative voice of John Larroquette to narrate the movie's opening. The "Night Court" star's grave and frank delivery gave believe-it-or-not credence to the news brief spoken at the beginning of the 1974 film, reading:
The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
'John's voice is iconic in the original opening...'
Speaking with Variety, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" director David Blue Garcia clearly understands the necessity of Larroquette's presence as a way to prime the pump for a strong franchise return with the saw-swinging, chili-eating Sawyer family. The filmmaker said:
"It felt important to honor the original 'TCM' at every opportunity. John's voice is iconic in the original opening and we thought it would help set the perfect tone in our own intro. It's also a subtle way of letting the fans know they're in good hands."
Honoring the source material is always a top priority in an age of retconned sequels and meta re-quels (or legacy-quels. Just ask David Gordon Green on the nu-"Halloween" saga. Nia DaCosta and Radio Silence also knew this was necessary for "Candyman" and "Scream" respectively. As long as these new iterations of iconic favorites are continuing to blossom, there's nothing wrong with a throwback to the really good old stuff.
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is directed by David Blue Garcia from a screenplay penned by Chris Thomas Devlin. Devlin picks up from an original story by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayaguess. The ninth entry in the "Texas Chainsaw" film series is set decades after the original film, centering on the serial butcher Leatherface coming out of retirement and chopping up a new crop of potential victims, including a survivor out for payback. The new blood is played by Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Jacob Latimore, Moe Dunford, Alice Krige, Jessica Allain, Nell Hudson, and Olwen Fouéré.
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" arrives at Netflix on February 18, 2022.