Latest news with #TheTexasChainSawMassacre
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Eat the rich' — Why horror films are taking aim at the ultra-wealthy
This story contains spoilers about 'Ready or Not' and 'The Menu.' When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez held their lavish three-day wedding celebration in Venice recently, it wasn't just a party — it was a spectacle of wealth, reportedly costing between US$47 million and US$56 million. Critics highlighted the environmental toll of such an event on the fragile, flood-prone city, while protesters took to the streets to condemn the wedding as a tone-deaf symbol of oligarchical wealth at a time when many can't afford to pay rent, let alone rent an island. The excessive show of opulence felt like the opening of a horror film, and lately, that's exactly what horror has been giving us. In films like Ready or Not (2019) and The Menu (2022), the rich aren't simply out of touch; they're portrayed as predators, criminals or even monsters. Read more: These 'eat-the-rich' films channel widespread anxieties about the current socioeconomic climate and increasing disillusionment with capitalist systems. In a world where the wealthy and powerful often seem to act with impunity, these films expose upper-class immorality and entitlement, and offer revenge fantasies where those normally crushed by the system fight back or burn it all down. Horror takes aim at the wealthy Originally a quote from social theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau during the French Revolution, 'eat the rich' has re-emerged in recent years in public protests and on social media in response to increasing socioeconomic inequality. In cinema, eat-the-rich films often use grotesque hyperbole or satire to reveal and critique capitalist systems and the behaviours of the wealthy elite. Film scholar Robin Wood argues that horror films enact a return of what is repressed by dominant bourgeois — that is, capitalist — ideology, typically embodied by the figure of the monster. He cites The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), a classic example of anti-capitalist sentiment in horror that depicts Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and his working-class family as monstrous victims of the 1970s industrial collapse. Rather than accept repression, they return as cannibalistic monsters, making visible the brutality of capitalist systems that exploit and degrade people like obsolete commodities. But in eat-the-rich horror, it is the wealthy themselves who become the monsters. The locus of repression becomes their privilege, which is often built on exploitation, inequality and invisible or normalized forms of harm. These films render these abstract systems tangible by making the elite's monstrosity visible, literal and grotesque. Revenge horror for the 99 per cent Recent horror films are increasingly using genre conventions to critique wealth, privilege and the systems that sustain them. Ready or Not turns the rich into bloodthirsty monsters who maintain their fortune through satanic rituals and human sacrifice. Grace (Samara Weaving) marries into the Le Domas family, board game magnates who initiate new family members with a deadly game of hide-and-seek. She must survive until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down to fulfil a demonic pact. The film critiques the idea of inherited wealth as something earned or honourable, combining humour and horror to reflect anxieties about class entrenchment and the moral decay of the elite. The Le Domases are monstrous not only for their violence, but for how casually they justify it. When several maids are accidentally killed in the chaos, they react with self-pity, indifferent to who must be sacrificed to maintain their wealth. In The Menu, the rich are portrayed as monstrous not through physical violence, but through their moral failings — like financial crimes and infidelity — and their hollow consumption of culture. Celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) lures wealthy foodies to his exclusive island restaurant, using food as a weaponized form of art to expose guests' hypocrisy and misdeeds. In one scene, guests are served tortillas laser-printed with incriminating images, such as banking records and evidence of fraudulent activity. The film criticizes consumption in an industry where food is no longer a source of enjoyment or sustenance, but a status symbol for the elite to display their wealth and taste. Why these films are striking a nerve now It's no surprise that audiences are turning to horror to make sense of systems that feel increasingly bleak and inescapable. In Canada, the cost of living continues to outpace wages, housing affordability remains an issue for many, while grocery prices are a source of horror in their own right. A university degree, once considered a reliable path to stability, no longer guarantees the financial security of a salaried job. Many Canadians now rely on gig economy jobs as supplementary income. Meanwhile, the wealth gap is increasing and obscene displays of wealth — like a multi-million-dollar wedding — can feel disconnected, even offensive, to people experiencing financial precarity. Eat-the-rich films tap into this collective sense of injustice, transforming economic and social anxieties into a cathartic spectacle where ultra-wealthy villains are held accountable for their actions. At the end of Ready or Not, the members of the Le Domas family explode one by one and their mansion burns down. In The Menu, the guests are dressed up like s'mores and immolated. In both films, fire serves as a symbolic cleansing of the wealthy, their power and the systems that protect them. More than that, these films provide someone to root for: working-class protagonists who are targeted by the elite but ultimately survive. Former foster child Grace fights her way through a pack of murderous millionaires, while escort Margot/Erin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is spared when she rejects the pretentiousness of fine dining and orders a humble cheeseburger instead. In this way, horror becomes a form of narrative resistance, illustrating class rage through characters who refuse to be consumed by the systems trying to oppress them. While inequality and exploitation persist in reality, eat-the-rich films offer escape, and even justice, on screen. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Heather Roberts, Queen's University, Ontario Read more: From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film's evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears Jordan Peele's Us: black horror movies and the American nightmare 6 reasons why people enjoy horror movies Heather Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
India.com
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This 8 episode thriller series will make you shiver, gruesome murders take place, climax will keep you glued till last, has 7.8 IMDb ratings, series is…
OTT audiences are devouring horror content like never before, and standing out among them is a bone-chilling film that's as vintage as it is vicious. Streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) has made its OTT presence felt all over again — proof that pure terror never goes out of style. Directed by Tobe Hooper, 7.8 IMDb ratings, the horror thriller still has the power to disturb, decades after it first shocked theatres. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, and Teri McMinn, and is set in the desolate, rural stretches of Texas. It begins with a grave The story starts in 1973, with reports of grave robbing shaking a small Texan town. A group of five — Sally Hardesty, her wheelchair-bound brother Franklin, and friends Jerry, Kirk, and Pam — set off on a road trip in a van to check if their grandfather's grave was safe. But things spiral quickly. On the road, they offer a hitchhiker a ride — a decision that cuts deep. 'He stabbed Franklin with a knife,' a line that marks the shift from curiosity to chaos. The man behaves erratically, discusses slaughterhouses and family secrets, and then turns violent. He's thrown out, but the unease lingers. The house where nightmares live The group stops at a gas station, only to be told there's no fuel. With nowhere else to go, they head to Sally's grandfather's now-abandoned home nearby. Kirk and Pam explore the area and spot a farmhouse. Kirk enters — and that's when horror greets them in the flesh. Behind the door waits Leatherface, a masked figure wielding a chainsaw, who strikes with terrifying force. One by one, the friends vanish into his family's cannibalistic trap. Leatherface and the Cannibal Kin This isn't just a killer — it's an entire household of human flesh eaters. Pam is next. Then Jerry. And soon, the only one left fighting for her life is Sally. Bound, hunted and tormented, Sally's escape becomes the heart-stopping climax of the film. The tension, set design, and raw brutality make it hard to believe this movie was made on a shoestring budget (around INR 66 lakh / $140,000). Will she escape, or will she be served? Sally's screams still echo in horror history. Will she survive this feast of fear? Or become another forgotten meal on the Leatherface family table? You'll have to watch The Texas Chain-Saw Massacre to find out. And with its return on OTT, now's the time to revisit — or discover — the scream that started it all.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See all the free games you can claim on PlayStation Plus this April
PlayStation Plus has revealed the three games that will be available to it's members for free in April. Each month PlayStation lists a number of games that its Plus members can access for free. The website explains: "Grow your library and look forward to a selection of games refreshed every month. "Available to download with any PlayStation Plus plan, and yours to keep for as long as you're a member." 🚨 FYI your games are now live gogogo — PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) April 1, 2025 There are three games you can claim for free via PlayStation Plus in April: RoboCop: Rogue City The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory If you're a PlayStation Plus Premium member you can test out some of the latest releases with time-limited trials. Some of the games currently available to trial include: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Marvel's Spider Man 2 The Last of Us Part 1 Hogwarts Legacy LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PS4 & PS5) Mortal Kombat 1 The Lord of the Rings: Gollum A new update for Marvel's #SpiderMan2PC dropped today containing optimization, stability improvements + bug fixes based on player feedback. 💬 We also added Steam Community Items, including Badges, Trading Cards, Emotes, and Backgrounds! ➡️ for info! — Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) April 3, 2025 All your progress and trophies will carry over if you decide to buy, the PlayStation Plus website adds. You have to be a PlayStation Plus Premium member to access these trials. You can see all the free games available on the PlayStation Plus website. RECOMMENDED READING: Nearly 9 million PlayStation owners could be owed more than £500 - are you one? PlayStation games that could earn owners more than £200k - do you have any? You could earn nearly £1k a month by watching Netflix and testing apps - see how If you are looking to sign up to PlayStation Plus to access these free games, or any of the other benefits, these are the different options available: Premium (£13.49 per month/£119.99 per year) Extra (£10.99 per month/£99.99 per year) Essential (£6.99 per month/£59.99 per year) PlayStation Plus members have access to a range of extras, including hundreds of games, exclusive content packs and online tournaments. The available content and extras differ between packages. For more details visit the PlayStation Plus website (a link to which can be found above).
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Playstation Plus games revealed for April
Listen to article Sony has announced April's Playstation Plus Monthly Games lineup, offering subscribers three new titles spanning action, horror, and Japanese role-playing genres. Available from April 1 to May 5, the lineup includes RoboCop: Rogue City, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory. The games will be available to all PS Plus members on PS4 and PS5. RoboCop: Rogue City Players step into the metallic boots of RoboCop in this first-person action game set between the events of RoboCop 2 and 3. As the iconic law enforcement cyborg, players patrol the crime-ridden streets of Old Detroit. The game features a combination of firepower, investigation, and moral decision-making. The original RoboCop actor, Peter Weller, reprises his role to voice the character. The game includes open-area exploration, suspect interrogation, and multiple decision paths that influence the storyline. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Inspired by the 1974 horror classic, this asymmetrical multiplayer horror game lets players take on the role of either the infamous Slaughter family or their victims. Survivors must evade, hide, and escape, while family members hunt them down. The game emphasises stealth, teamwork, and psychological tension. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory This Japanese RPG follows Keisuke Amazawa, a young man falsely accused of a crime. To clear his name, he joins a group of hackers and investigates mysteries within a digital world. The game features over 320 Digimon to raise and battle, offering a mix of story, strategy, and digital exploration. PlayStation Plus continues to add variety to its monthly lineup, appealing to a wide range of players with different gaming preferences.
