Released in 1974, Tobe Hooper’s low-budget slasher film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, went on to become a watermark for grisly, cinematic affairs. Based partly on the crimes of Ed Gein, the film featured a family of murderers who terrorize a group of youngsters. The primary heavy in the movies, Leatherface, inspired a gaggle of imitations and sequels, the most recent being an origin story named after the monstrous maniac that’s set to debut later this year.
Almost arriving concurrently with the film, is the reopening of the gas station that was called “Last Chance” in the 1974 movie. For years, the venue was dubbed Bilbo’s Texas Landmark, but it’s been closed for several years now and has become dilapidated during that time. A businessman from Ohio, Roy Rose, cherished the landmark ever since he fell in love with the film on his 10th birthday, though. Last year, he bought the property, and his plans for a renovation include creating a horror-themed compound with lodging, a movie screen showing the film, and a store selling merchandise. The actor who played the first Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th, Ari Lehman, is a partner in the venture, adding more to the horror mystique surrounding the project.
The renovated restaurant and abode will open in mid-July.
(via Guardian)
