The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Beat Sheet Analysis
Salva Rubio
Why we chose to do a Save the Cat!® beat sheet analysis of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The word “classic” is overused, but it certainly applies to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
“Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece took the slasher flick to a freakier, nastier place and even today has the ability to mess with one’s mind. Artfully documentarylike and shot under conditions that produced genuinely traumatized performances, the original ‘Massacre’ eschews cheap thrills and attacks the psyche.” – Stan Hall, Portland Oregonian
“Hooper’s vision is horrid yet engrossing… But the worst part about this vision is that despite its sensational aspects, it never seems too far from what could be the truth.” – Mike Emery, Austin Chronicle
“The most purely horrifying horror movie ever made.” – William Thomas, Empire
Written by: Kim Henkel · Tobe Hooper
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Genre
Monster in the House
A hero is trapped in some location or situation (aka the “house”) and must survive a monster (human or otherwise). There must be a sin committed—often greed—prompting the creation of a supernatural being that comes like an avenging angel to kill the sinners. Monster in the House stories are commonly found in horror movies, urban thrillers, or comedies about people or things that just won’t go away.
The 3 elements of a Monster in the House story
1. A monster that is supernatural in its powers—even if its strength derives from insanity—and “evil” at its core.
2. A house, meaning an enclosed space that can include a family unit, an entire town, or even “the world.”
3. A sin. Someone is guilty of bringing the monster in the house… a transgression that can include ignorance.
Save the Cat! Beat Sheet Analysis for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Download the PDF of the beat sheet of Tobe Hooper’s Monster in the House classic.
It’s one of 50 beat sheets in Save the Cat!® Goes to the Indies—where Blake Snyder’s student, screenwriter and novelist Salva Rubio, applies Blake’s principles to 50 independent, auteur, European, and cult films.
50 Beat Sheets - 5 for Each of the 10 Save the Cat! Genres
From international sensations like The Blair Witch Project to promising debuts like Pi, from small films that acquired cult status like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to Euro-blockbusters like The Full Monty, from unexpected gems like Before Sunrise to textbook classics such as The 400 Blows, from Dogville to Drive, from Paths of Glory to Pulp Fiction, from Boogie Nights to Cinema Paradiso, here are 50 movies that fit both the “indie” label and Blake Snyder’s 15 beats.
You’ll find works from Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Danny Boyle, David Mamet, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sofia Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, and the Coen Brothers, among other renowned writers and directors.
Save the Cat!® Goes to the Indies reveals how those who came before you tackled the same challenges you are facing with the films you want to write.
With these 50 beat sheets, you’ll see how “hitting the beats” creates stories that resonate the world over.
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