Whether a chainsaw is plastic or buzzing loudly, when carried by a huge figure named Leatherface,
it's understandable why an actor might be scared, even on a closed set.
Keep watching to learn about the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" scene that changed Elsie Fisher forever.
It's all too clear we're in the grip of a reboot and sequel craze, with the latest edition
of this trend being Netflix's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
Though the 2022 foray into the notorious killer Leatherface's bloodlust is far from the first
installment in an already packed franchise, it's certainly not without appeal.
Ignoring the convoluted storylines of previous installments, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" gets
back to basics by being directly tied to the 1974 original from the late, great Tobe Hooper.
We think he’d agree that the marker of any horror film worth watching is its ability
to scare even the actors who are well-aware of the fictional world they're helping to create.
For actor Elsie Fisher, bringing her character to life around a whirring chainsaw felt surprisingly dangerous.
In a recent interview, she talked about trying to act while being scared of the loud buzzing
sounds the prop made.
The ghost town of Harlow, Texas seems to be the perfect place for young entrepreneurs
to set up shop.
The deserted storefronts and abandoned abodes beg to be transformed into trendy hot spots,
such as swanky farm-to-table restaurants and white-walled art galleries.
"And sold to Candice Brady of Brady's Brunch.
Aw, I love brunch.”
Spearheading this project are Melody and Dante, hailing from San Francisco and dragging along
Dante's girlfriend Ruth and Melody's younger sister Lila, played by Fisher.
Unbeknownst to the group, Harlow has a pretty infamous ghoul among its ranks: Leatherface,
the chainsaw-wielding product of murderous inbreeding, silently resides in this dusty old town.
However, the film's insistence on incorporating real-world issues — ranging from gentrification
to gun control — isn't given a genuinely honest platform.
Luckily, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" still delivers in the time-honored tradition of slathering
a horror film in guts and gore, which produced some pretty gnarly chase scenes and kills.
In one such scene, Fisher becomes Leatherface's target, and the actual filming of this pursuit
engaged the actor's real-life fight-or-flight response.
In a recent interview with Looper, Fisher stated that her character's fateful encounter
with Leatherface was particularly spine-chilling for her to film.
And much of her terror had to do with the nature of the chainsaw props on set:
"When I'm running away from him, the chainsaw that they had on set I think was maybe a real
chainsaw, or at least had, like, very realistic sounding noises.
We had four different chainsaws, I think.
There was like a plastic one, one with just chains, one with just sounds, and then like
a real one.
And, yeah, that was pretty terrifying."
The terrifying game of musical chainsaws notwithstanding, it's also worth noting that the actor who
plays Leatherface, Mark Burnham, was specifically cast due to his large stature and build.
In comparison, the five-foot-two, 18-year-old Fisher would have a lot to be intimidated
by, even if the scenario is completely contrived and on-set safety coordinators are everywhere.
This was perfectly clear to Fisher, who never felt unsafe during production, but this didn't
mean that the very real sound of the chainsaw didn't raise the hairs on the back of her neck.
"Everyone knew exactly what they were doing, thankfully.
No one got hurt, and I never felt like I was going to get hurt, but that's just like, you
know instincts kick in.
You're like, 'Oh crap.
That's like, a chainsaw.'
It was a lot of fun."
Being chased by a man with a chainsaw is sure to cause nightmares, regardless of whether
the chainsaw is real or not.
With a film that up-stages the original in terms of violent bleakness during its final
moments, it's no wonder Fisher felt very real fear while filming.
It appears that the film's scariest moments may have happened behind the scenes.
"Put your seatbelt on"
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