Another Halloween approaches. Instead of coming up with a new movie to write this blog about I decided to just do a reboot of the first edition of “What Chainsaw did that Movie Use?”. That first blog covered “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974), and today I present “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003). Why come up with something new when there is valuable IP to be mined?
Big budget remakes of beloved cult-classics often miss out on the magic that made the original so beloved. If there is one thing that a curator finds unforgivable in a movie it’s historical inaccuracies. Leatherface received a new chainsaw for the 2003 remake and the 2006 prequel that followed, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.” Both of these movies are supposed to take place in the 1970s but Leatherface is using a Husqvarna Model 359, a chainsaw that was made from 2001-2010.
While the 359 chainsaw might have been too modern for a movie set in the 1970s, a different Husqvarna chainsaw could have worked; for instance, a Husqvarna 65 or 180 would have been appropriate. Husqvarna is a Swedish company that has been around for over 300 years. Founded in 1689, the company originally made firearms. Husqvarna diversified it’s product line over the years making a wide variety of things. In 1959 they introduced their first chainsaw, the Model 90.
The Lumber Museum has some Husqvarna branded chainsaw safety gear (LM2019.13) in its collection. This gear includes a cut-resistant jacket, chainsaw chaps, protective gloves, and heavy rubber boots. A chainsaw can be a very dangerous tool; over 30,000 chainsaw related accidents are reported each year. This protective gear helps to keep the user from being injured while working and is essential for good chainsaw safety practices. Leatherface, however, doesn’t seem too interested in safety or protective gear.
Perhaps when someone else decides to reboot “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”, they will ‘begin’ by using a period-appropriate chainsaw.
