Tobe Hooper‘s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” turned 50 last year, and after five decades, it remains one of the few undisputed masterpieces of the horror genre. The film’s legacy cuts a large swathe too, and that’s the subject of Alexander O. Phillipe‘s latest documentary, “Chain Reactions.”
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Phillipe’s latest “cinema essay” explores the lasting impact of Hooper’s film through interviews with five different artists: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama. That’s a slight departure from his other recent doc, like “Memory: The Origins Of Alien” and “Lynch/Oz,” but it’s a winning formula; “Chain Reactions” won the 2024 Venice Classics Lion at last year’s Venice Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere.
Here’s an official synopsis of “Chain Reactions,” courtesy of Dark Sky Films:
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 – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller- Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama – 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.
Philippe writes and directs “Chain Reactions,” as he does with all his films. Kerry Deignan Roy produces the picture, with Robert Muratore on board as co-producer. Executive producers include Kim Henkel, Ian Henkel, Pat Cassidy, Hamza Ali, Badie Ali, and Greg Newman.
As noted earlier, “Chain Reaction” had its world premiere on the Lido at Venice last year. The doc also had screenings at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, Sitges, BFI London Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Beyondfest, and Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
“Chain Reactions” opens at Regal Union Square in NYC and Laemmle Noho in LA next Friday on September 19 before opening nationwide on September 26. Watch a trailer for the documentary below.
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