Brute 1976: Marcel Walz, Joe Knetter film is an homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre & The Hills Have Eyes

Neon Noir, the creative team behind the stalker thriller Blind, its still-unreleased sequel Pretty Boy, the slasher That’s a Wrap, and the upcoming horror film Garden of Eden, is back at it. Deadline reports that they have just wrapped production on Brute 1976, a horror project described as an homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. The original, ’70s versions of those films happen to be two of my all-time favorites, so this movie already has my attention.

Directed by Marcel Walz from a screenplay by Joe Knetter, Brute 1976 begins with Raquel and her girlfriend, whose car breaks down in the middle of nowhere as they travel to a photoshoot in the desert to celebrate Bicentennial unity . They stumble across an abandoned mine and explore it, while the photoshoot group replace her with make-up artist Sunshine and then find abandoned town Savage, which has a violent history but is the perfect place to take some photos. However, a family of masked psychopaths has claimed the town for themselves and are hell bent on it living up to its name.

Walz provided the following statement: “I’ve always been a huge fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, both the originals and remakes. Brute 1976 was an amazing experience to shoot: It was hot, it was dirty and it was bloody. I’m sure the audience will feel that on screen.“

Knetter – who is also co-writing the zombie film Twilight of the Dead, based on a treatment left behind by George A. Romero – added that “Brute 1976 is our love letter to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which I consider to be the greatest horror film of all time. Shooting in the desert provided many challenges but our cast and crew really delivered something special.“

The Neon Noir production company is headed up by Walz, Knetter, and Blind star Sarah French, who also stars in Brute 1976 alongside Adriane McLean (Miracles of Christmas), Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Dazelle Yvette (Garden of Eden), and Adam Bucci (NCIS Los Angeles).

Does Brute 1976 sound interesting to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and while you’re scrolling down, take a look at this image from the film: