The landmark horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is re-releasing in cinemas. Dark Sky Films and Fathom Events are celebrating Texas Chain Saw Day with a special 4K restoration of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K theatrical re-release
This one-night-only 4K re-release falls on the very date The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s fictional nightmare takes place, August 18. Starting July 21, fans can get tickets through online vendors and participating theater box offices.
The partners launched this ritual after witnessing an overwhelming surge of demand during last year’s screening. “Last year’s response exceeded our expectations and proved that audiences still want to experience THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE the way it was meant to be seen — together, on the big screen,” said Justin DiPietro, Executive Vice President of MPI and Dark Sky Films.
Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Entertainment, echoed that sentiment, calling the day a capture of everything special about moviegoing. He described the partnership as a welcome to the Chain Saw faithful for another unforgettable celebration of a genre titan (via Bloody Disgusting).
Beyond the theatrical event, this victory lap comes with more institutional prestige. The Library of Congress recently selected The Texas Chain Saw Massacre for preservation in the National Film Registry. The honor is reserved for works of enduring cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance.
Of course, the film’s legacy has always spoken for itself. Shot on a razor-thin budget under $140,000, the 1974 independent juggernaut brutalized box office forecasts by pulling in more than $30 million. Its plot strands five young travelers on a doomed rural Texas trip, where a butcher in a mask made of human skin and his cannibal clan pick them apart. Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danziger, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, and Jim Siedow starred in the film.
Critics initially met the film with confusion, yet its DNA now courses through the entire slasher genre. The hulking masked figure, the power tool as a weapon, and the desperate final girl all trace back to Hooper’s gritty vision. Looking ahead, A24 tapped Obsession filmmaker Curry Barker to helm a new reimagining.
