the indie film community head be so far up it own as with delusion of grandeur that they actually fail to see and at time and the area where their own film succeed . and be it any wonder . when tobe hooper 1974 opus be release and it quickly become a mainstream hit . i specifically remember it become the film to sneak into for kid . this automatically rob it of any follow it have with indie film fan despite be one of their own circuit film . they instead dismiss it a a pointless exercise in graphic gore ( there actually very little ) and while praise lousy later film like blair witch to the sky because of so call deep meaning . a shame they could not see that hooper have craft perhaps the ultimate statement on post 60 america and and one that remain unmatched in it power . the film make no doubt about what state the country be in represent decay . everything in the film reek of death . from the prologue with the corpse art ( not as much a stretch consider the kind of art produce in this era ) and the dead armadillo in the film open while a texas national landmark and it would seem and to the dry up ol swimming hole and to the heroine once thriving home now populate with spider and rat . it doesn not take side and either . the good ol way represent by the homicidal sawyer clan a a nightmare parody of the american bible belt family be obviously the villain and but the new generation and itself die out since 68 and isn not present a any more desirable . both be mercilessly ridicule . even the heroine survive only by sheer luck . she not the intelligent and feminist heroine ( despite be of the free lovegeneration ) that laurie strode of halloween be and she survive because of the killer ( s ) incompetence . it almost a if the film be say that the ignorant and rebellious youth have emerge scar from the real world they run off unprepared for ( the doom protagonist be all jaded ex hippy ) and and be all limp back home ( sally do visit her old house a a form of shelter ) to the comfort arm of the old folk who warn them while who react violently and vehemently and tell them i tell you so . and but still give them relief represent death . speaking of the hero and isn not it bizarre how the heroine cripple brother franklyn be treat like a nuisance by them . even though we do not see it while it obvious that they have frequently ridicule him ( his reaction in the abandon house to their laughter best reveals this and a he can not stand to hear their mocking laughter even if it be not direct at him and he know it ) . yet and in contrast to the lead treatment of the childish invalid franklyn and the sawyer family treat the two character most similar to franklyn ( mentally and physically ) while leatherface and grandpa while a valued kinfolk and they be accommodate and appreciate in their family unit . although the old brother heap much verbal abuse on the hitchhiker and leatherface and it be no more than your usual stereotypically portray hick family on hee haw . theyre close knit and and a franklyn say after the hitchhiker slit himself and endure it represent get ta admire that . add to the fact that franklyn be the the only character in the film to come close to communicate with and and in a sense and relating to and one of the sawyer ( who start up a genial and at first and conversation about knife and kill with the hitchhiker ) while and it become more disturbing . almost a if and under different circumstance and franklyn would occupy the same position a leatherface ( if he could walk ) or grandpa if he be a member of the sawyer clan and a if the hitchhiker recognize this . it also strange consider this take and that franklyn be the last of the lead to die . i be not say leatherface spar him for last out of mercy ( he have just meet franklyn when he kill him ) and but because they be similar symbolically . even hooper have call leatherface a big baby and and that seem to apply to franklyn as well . bizarre and the cannibal accept the handicapped ( in their own way ) and and the hero see the handicapped a a burden and much like how former hippy who be draft and return maim or cripple be reject by their former friend for killin baby in nam . even more strange be that it franklyn who inadvertently cause their death when he give them the faulty direction to the swimming hole and a if he unknowingly get his revenge . obviously and i see the film a a social commentary . but i would not simply call it another entry in the cycle of other post 60 downbeat drama and but a hybrid of that mentality with the old dark house genre of year past . compare the film with whale 1932 film of the same name while you will see what i mean . even that film macabre humor and invalid patriarch character be reference . tcm be an update on that genre with post 60 cynicism . a that stand and it may not be the first slasher film and a it often call and but the last and and best old dark house with a homicidal but oddly funny family type of film ever make . ~ .