By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The filmmaker who took deep dives into PSYCHO, ALIEN and THE EXORCIST now carves into the Tobe Hooper classic.
Dark Sky Films will open Alexandre O. Philippe’s CHAIN REACTIONS, which has enjoyed a successful festival tour, at New York City’s Regal Union Square and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Noho on September 19, followed by nationwide expansion September 26. Philippe, whose previous horror documentaries include 78/52 (about PSYCHO’s shower scene), MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF “ALIEN” and LEAP OF FAITH: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN ON “THE EXORCIST”, here explores THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE from several different points of view. The murderer’s row of interviewees includes Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King and Karyn Kusama. The synopsis: “Fifty years after Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, CHAIN REACTIONS charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence on five great artists…through early memories, sensory experiences, and childhood trauma. By crafting a dynamic dialogue between contemporary footage and never-before-seen outtakes and delving into personal impressions triggered by distinct audiovisual formats (16mm, 35mm, VHS, digital), CHAIN REACTIONS goes to the heart of how a scruffy, no-budget independent film wormed its way into our collective nightmares and permanently altered the zeitgeist.”
