Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Now-legendary and iconic low-budgeter seems to single-handedly start the tropes of the slasher and exploitationer genre, especially influencing every iteration of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE; on its own terms, it’s certainly a risque and daring effort, though the soap opera theatrics of the actors threaten to derail any genuine menace or threat in the claustrophobic scenario; if Meyer had waited another couple of years for the Hays code to properly crumble, he could have emerged with a more sweaty and visceral effort than the comparative tame treatment here (Satana especially seems to be crying for a longer leash). Still it’s hard to deny its iconic status, and as a genuinely influential forerunner, it’s a definite must-see.