By Michelle Norris
Thousands of horror fans descended on London’s Leicester Square over the Bank Holiday weekend for Film4’s annual FrightFest.
Shown at the largest screen in London, thrill seekers were able to enjoy a number of World Premiers, UK Premiers, special previews, and guest appearances from not only the casts and directors but question and answer sessions from some of the legends from the horror world.
And although I sat through many new horror flicks, including 13HRS, The Tortured, The Dead and Monsters it was the classically terrifying The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which stole the whole weekend for me. And after the screening at The Empire Cinema, Director Tobe Hooper (pictured) stuck around for a question and answer session with Total Film’s Jamie Graham.
“I learned the language of cinema before I learned language,” laughs Tobe. “And with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before. I really wanted it to mirror reality and scare the hell out of people by putting them in a situation where they can’t escape. I wanted to make an outrageous and unconventional film that would get me noticed.”
Indeed, after being banned from several countries over the years, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre still sits at the top of what I have come to call my ‘thrillers and gut-spillers’ list and to me, Tobe Hooper is the ultimate horror icon for creating a movie that still outshines even the most gruesome of flicks today.