Oct. 11 designated as 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' Day in Austin as film turns 50

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friday marked exactly 50 years since the United States release of a famous horror film with close ties to the Austin area.

"Texas Chain Saw Massacre" was released in October 1974 after being filmed in Central Texas towns including Bastrop, Round Rock, Leander and Watterson, according to the film's IMDb page.

The horror cult classic is about a group of friends who attempt to escape a serial killer named “Leatherface" while on a road trip in rural Texas. The film amassed quite a following and has since created a franchise of films that has spanned across multiple generations.

Mayor Kirk Watson and council member Paige Ellis attended an event Friday commemorating the milestone for what Watson said was an "iconic Texas movie."

"This is one of those movies that anybody that has ever seen it remembers exactly where they were when they saw it, they have strong memories of it, and they have strong memories of the parts of it that just scared them to death," Watson said. He added that it was the only movie that ever made him stand up and leave the theater because he was scared.

Watson read a proclamation declaring Oct. 11, 2024 "Texas Chain Saw Massacre Day" in Austin.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film of 1974 filmed in and around Austin, Texas has provided thousands of hours of cinema entertainment for movie lovers for the last 50 years," it read in part.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film of 1974 is seminal in cinema, pioneering the slasher genre with its raw, visceral style and relentless tension. Its low-budget, gritty realism has influenced countless filmmakers and remains a cornerstone of horror filmmaking."

Many of the actors involved in the film also attended the event.

"What a wonderful thing that happened in and around Austin," Watson said. "Fifty years later, it's something that Austin, Texas, being Austin, Texas, ought to celebrate."