Jim Siedow Passed Away

[TCM'74]

The actor who brought to life Drayton Sawyer aka Old Man Sawyer aka The Cook from 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre cult hit and it's 1986 lackluster sequel passed away last Thursday November 21. He will be forever memorialized in his fans eyes and forever remembered for his over-reaching kindness. Always corresponding online and meeting fans at various conventions. Truly sad and tremendous loss. :(

Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/deaths/2243475)

Words shared by Director Tobe Hooper (http://www.creature-corner.com/news4/nov21sideow.php3)

[TCM'74]

The loss of Jim Siedow has struck me harder than most more famous names. Despite the crew bickering with Paul Partain (who portrayed Franklin, the invalid brother of Marilyn Burn's character), nearly suffering heat exhaust, and nearly killing each other in seeing the completion of the film. Including stunts with a real live chainsaw. And Marilyn Burns (Sally) doing her own stunts to a greater extent, without giving much detail away, is explained indepth on the commentary included in the Pioneer reissued DVD. Despite this, the final product is a film of absolute macabre brilliance.

Director Tobe Hooper hired no Hollywood Icons, mainly due to the fact he probably couldn't afford one. But by using talented no-names like he did, only lent to increase the film's tremendous impact and unanticipated huge success. There are also those accounts of moviegoers, when Texas Chainsaw Massacre opened in 1974, leaving the theatre in shock over what they had just seen. It is an ingenius modern re-telling of Brothers Grim tales and the ancient limericks and odes dating before them. Yet frequently misunderstood by those ignorant and lacking an open mind.

Among the whole crew, only Tobe Hooper, Bill Vail (Kirk), Edwin Neal, and Cinematographer Daniel Pearl continued in film-making. Each meeting different levels of success. While Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hanson (Leatherface), Jim Siedow, and Edwin Neal (Hitchhiker) lead sporadic and relatively small onscreen presences. Edwin Neal once directed his own film and now does commercials for television and radio, also does voiceovers for video games. And likewise Bill Vail performs commercial work, and appeared in soaps, but met his greatest success as a set decorator, most for Steve Botchko productions on televisions including L.A. Law. Teri McMinn (Pam), who is a lil hottie, a truly gorgeous gal, never returned to film and went on lead a relatively normal life. Despite their differences during the production of the film this small tightknit group of amatuer actors and film auteurs were structurely built much like a family I would say. And with that closing, the film and the players have truly been eternalized in my eyes. I don't think we (fans or otherwise) will see and experience anything like it again.

Though Texas Chainsaw Massacre served as an inspiration to legions of lesser films, imitators, blatant ripoffs, including the recent Blair Witch Project. But unlike them, if you break Texas Chainsaw Massacre down frame by frame it literally translates into a piece of art. A masterpiece of it's representive genre.

But most immediately a gentleman by the name Jim Siedow participated- in and played one of the biggest roles in the film's due process. Together they all contributed in making a cinematic legend. One urban, because many in the general public still believe and insist this movie was directly adapted from factual accounts. The next, in the introduction of Leatherface whom would become a household name and synonymous figurehead in modern horror. And lastly, a film that still haunts viewers today, and remains one of the most unrelenting and disturbing films of all time. Unforgettable. Texas Chainsaw Massacre will always remain one of my personal favorites. And there are many-a-days I watch it strictly out of admiration.

RIP Jim Siedow