The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

What makes this movie effective is it's gritty realness. At no point do you fell like you're watching a Hollywood production but you also never feel like this is some schlocky low budget horror flick. The events that take place during the movie feel all too real and sometimes it almost plays like a snuff film. It's easy to lose the barrier that seperates real from fiction when watching this flick, mainly because of the sheer brutality this one has.

The story in this is very simple and at no point do I give a shit about any of the characters in the film with the exception of the female lead in this one. Her terror was so realistic that it's hard to not care, and the last 15 minutes or so of the movie is extremely terrifying because of how convincing she is.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Leatherface in this one is incredibly disturbing to watch because he's more of this demented mentally challenged psychopath, and that's what makes him so scary. He's like his family's retarded lap dog and might be a little gender confused and that makes him for an extremely terrifying individual, excuse my non pc remark here but beefed up retards are scary to be around because of how strong and unpredictable they are. I had one grab me in joy and hug me and I thought he was going to break my ribs, and he was doing it because he was happy! I'd hate to be on the receiving end of what he does when he's mad! I digress.

All in all this movie is a classic and is not for the faint at heart. It's not a cinematic masterpiece but as far as horror goes it's solidified it's place toward the top of the chain.