When first released in 1974, the terrifying film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was both reviled and championed, seizing the imaginations of audiences and critics alike. It has grown from controversial cult sensation to being ranked by Total Film as the greatest horror movie ever made and shown in the permanent collection of New York's MOMA, even while the mystery and mythology around the film endures. Gunnar Hansen's fascinating literary memoir of the making of the film comes from the utterly unique perspective of having played the character of the grunting, chain saw-wielding Leatherface. A critically-acclaimed poet and author himself, Hansen tells the real story of the film, debunking myths and offering fresh insights and behind-the-scenes detail on the film's production and reception, as well as a compelling meditation on the film and the horror genre's place in pop culture today.