This is a horror movie that attacks with a punch to the face. IMO, what really sells this is it's tight direction and low budget, guerilla-style production values, which gives it's already dreary sets an added touch of unsettling sickness and griminess; as well as gives off a documentary-style element that really sells the "based on a true story" aspect of the movie.

Tobe Hooper's suggestive direction gives off the impression of much more gore than is actually displayed, leaving practically all of it to the imagination, but still manages to create a movie that "feels" more gory than recent torture porn flicks. Marilyn Burn's acting feels so genuine that you'd swear she was really being tortured during the making of this film.

This truly is a trailblazing horror movie that teaches that you don't really need much blood to feel disgusting and terrifying. This still holds up wonderfully, and makes me wish that horror directors would ressort to 16mm film stock more often to achieve that retro look that they almost never seem to get right.