In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of the landmark horror film THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, MPI Media Group and Dark Sky Films announced the launch of a year-long series of wide-ranging special events. Starting in Austin, festivities are set to kick off with an audience-capturing social activation for South by Southwest (SXSW).
Unveiling the new 50th anniversary TCM logo with a chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, attendees will be treated to the live creation of the ice sculpture. A local Austin-based ice sculptor will create the bloody carving in real-time using a real chainsaw at The Stay Put located on Downtown Austin’s Historic Rainey Street.
On SATURDAY, MARCH 9th, the live sculpture demo will take place from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm CST with photo opportunities from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Brand ambassadors will be on site with giveaways and additional info about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: 50th Anniversary Chainsaw Edition.
In late 2024, Dark Sky Films will release a multi-disc set, which will include the new 4K UHD edition of the film, a Blu-ray bonus disc containing new extra features, and an exclusive VHS release of the movie. The special edition collector’s set will be housed in a custom created box shaped as a chainsaw that will feature iconic sounds from the film when it is opened.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2024, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE will continue to treat fans with special appearances and fan panels at various conventions throughout the country including one of the largest Chainsaw reunions ever with twelves guests appearing at this year’s Texas Frightmare Weekend in May.
The re-release of the restored film will premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in August, where it is a part of the revered institution’s permanent collection. Following that, screenings of the film will begin in selected theaters around the country, including major events in Los Angeles and Chicago. “Word of Mouth” showings and promotional screenings will kick off the Halloween season at film societies, museums and theaters.
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was promoted as being based on true events, further heightening its dreadful draw. The story of a van full of young people who happen upon a desolate farmhouse and meet their bloody fate at the hands of a strange and sadistic family — including a masked chainsaw-swinging lunatic known as Leatherface — the movie created many of the elements that would come to characterize the slasher genre: power tools as murder weapons, the killer as a large, hulking, masked figure, and the systematic killing of helpless young victims one by one.
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Source: MPI Media Group, Dark Sky Films, SXSW
