This Day in Horror History: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION Was Released in 1997
Josh Millican
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The film Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger whish didn’t exist is celebrating the anniversary of its release. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation hit US theaters on this day back in 1997 (though production wrapped in 1994). It marked the first feature film role for both McConaughey (who played Vilmer) and Zellweger (who played Jenny).
It is the fourth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and also features uncredited cameo appearances from Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, and John Dugan, all stars of the original film.
Synopsis:
After leaving their prom early, innocent Jenny (Renée Zellweger) and three other teenagers crash their car in the backwoods of Texas. In their search for help, they run into Vilmer Slaughter (Matthew McConaughey), a vicious psychopath with a mechanical leg, and his twisted family, including the serial killer Leatherface. As the group of friends struggle to survive the maniacal methods of torture, Jenny discovers the secret origins behind the family’s lust for blood.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation was written and directed by original TCM scribe Kim Henkel.
Trivia:
The film has been noted for its implementation of a secret society subplot driving Leatherface’s family to terrorize civilians in order to provoke them to a level of transcendence; in a retrospective interview, Kim Henkel confirmed that the basis of the subplot was influenced by theories surrounding the Illuminati. Commenting on the film’s ominous Rothman character, Henkel stated: “He comes off more like the leader of some harum-scarum cult that makes a practice of bringing victims to experience horror on the pretext that it produces some sort of transcendent experience. Of course, it does produce a transcendent experience. Death is like that. But no good comes of it. You’re tortured and tormented, and get the crap scared out of you, and then you die.” (Source)
Matthew McConaughey (Vilmer) and Renée Zellweger (Jenny) came to fame two years later, with A Time to Kill (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996), respectively. Both shared the same talent agency. When Sony, who owned this movie’s distribution rights, were preparing to re-release this movie, highlighting the pair, their agent threatened a lawsuit against the studio, claiming their clients were being unfairly exploited. The agency also said that if Sony released this movie on the backs of their names, that neither would appear in any future Sony releases. (Source)
Are you a fan of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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