by: Mr t r A .
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VMT Administration Ms. Rebecca Gonzalez
Mr. Jose A. De Leon
Assistant Principal
Principal
Dear parents, I want to thank you for your continued support. In the coming months, we will be having senior recitals, newspaper, and Tapestry projects. In academics, students continue to do well in the state end-of-course exams. I am also proud to announce that VMT has TWO All-State performers in Marcus Narabal and Isabella Lopez. I hope you have time to join us in upcoming events and performances. Check our newsletter and invitation flyers for times and dates. As always, thank you for everything you do!
Happy 2022! Welcome back from the Winter Break! We are halfway into the school year, and we hope this next semester is even better than the first. Congratulations to all our VMT students, especially during these difficult times. Whether it is in academics, UIL, and all other personal accomplishments, we know you are doing your best. Seniors, stay strong! You are almost at the finish line. Students, thank you for your hard work and dedication. Thank you to our VMT parents, teachers, and staff for everything that you do!
TMEA Area Choir
TMEA Area Band Brandon Olmos Trumpet 7 Diego Rolales Trombone 3 Gustavo Luna Tuba 1 Nestor Olguin Alto Saxophone 1 John Sosa Alto Saxophone 2
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ALL-STATE ALL-STATE ALL-STATE ALL-STATE ALL-STATE
Isabella Lopez Soprano 1 1st chair ALL-STATE Mixed Choir Marcus Narabal Bass 1 6th Chair ALL-STATE Tenor/Bass Choir
Table of Contents
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“...in everything I see, I see him.” A Little Life Book Review
Alike but Different
Two Black-Mexican students share their journey to fit in.
9
- Jazmine Jurado
-Luis Sanchez
Back To Basics - Frida Garcia
7&8
Valentine’s Day Performance
13&14
Gore, Blood, and Mayhem:
The story behind the toxic horror set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Juan Espinoza
STUDENT OF THE
January
MONTH
Marcus Narabal Marcus has completely reinvigorated the post of choir secretary. He is always very positive in class and motivates others to be their best selves every day. Marcus works diligently to become a stronger musician, improve his vocal prowess, and maintain his high GPA. He is never absent and never fails to participate in classroom activities. He persevered through three rounds of auditions and became a member of the 2022 TMEA All-State Tenor/Bass Choir. -Ms. Celia Hernandez
TEACHER
EMPLOYEE
OF THE MONTH
OF THE MONTH
Celia Hernandez
Benny Mendiola III Registrar
Choir Medallion 3
February
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Orlando Rodriguez Rodriguez has raised the bar for our Painting and Drawing Art Program. He is always in class, consistently working day in and day out; in and out of class. His enthusiasm and superb focus in the Visual Arts has been the key factor to his masterful development. He has a keen eye to understand what makes a great work of art and is just as precise with his vocabulary to express and explain it. -Mr. Gil Rocha
TEACHER
EMPLOYEE
OF THE MONTH
OF THE MONTH
Angelita Rubio
Laura Garza
PRE-AP World History
Bookkeeper 4 Newsletter
“...in everything I see, I see him.” A Little Life Book Review
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Little Life follows around four friends: William, who is a kind and aspiring actor, JB, who is sometimes a cruel and talented artist, Malcolm, who is a potential architect working at a firm, and Jude, who is brilliant and a lawyer. It mainly focuses on Jude’s life. He won’t let anyone know about his past, not even his close friend, William. As the story progresses, we get to see Jude’s tragic past and the people he surrounds himself with. We also get to see acquaintances becoming friends, friends becoming acquaintances, and friends becoming lovers. This book broke me, yet I still love it. Hanya Yanagihara, the author, goes into great detail on all of her characters, including characters that only appeared a couple of times. This book has over 20 trigger warnings and it is deeply recommended to search for them. There are some topics about self harm, drug abuse, and emotional, physical and mental abuse, among others, where the author goes into great detail. BookTok either loves or hates this book. People who love it are usually the ones that can relate to what the characters went through. People who hated it thought that the author was trauma dumping; they call everyone who loves the book crazy and say that this book shouldn’t exist. Although more than half of the book was just depressing and miserable, there were some funny moments that happened between Jude and his friends. Despite the fact that JB did and said something horribly awful to Jude, he made me laugh the most. I do believe that Hanya should’ve written more about Malcolm. I wanted to know more about his goals and how he was able to figure out his problems. I love this book because of the writing. I fell in love with how Hanya wrote her characters, her settings, and her choice of words. I mostly read Young Adult books so I surprised myself when I was able to read this kind of writing. I read this book twice. The first time I read it was around April 2021. I remember there were some parts of the book where I just read through and didn’t process what was happening. I deeply regret doing that. Nonetheless, I still knew what was happening with the characters. I ended up sobbing hard after finishing the book. I sent so many voicemails to my close friend. I told her how the book ended and how I wanted to rewind the past and stop myself from buying the book. I told her that I would never read this book again. I even put the book in a bottom storage drawer so I wouldn't have to see it. Unfortunately, I still kept thinking about the book weeks after. After a couple of days of arguing with myself, I decided to read it again.
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By Jazmine Jurado
The second time I did process what was happening. I did put the words inside my brain. I made sure that I knew what was happening and who was who. I honestly thought that I wouldn't cry again since I already knew what was going to happen, but oh boy- I was wrong. I sobbed ten times worse than the first time. Should I have waited until I was old enough to read this book? Yes. Do I regret reading it? No. Do I need help to not regret reading it? Probably. I give this book five out of five stars. As I stated before, the writing made me fall in love with the book. This displeasing, beautiful book will always have a special place in my heart.
ALIKE BUT DIFFERENT
Sean & Jordyn Two Black/Mexican students share their journey to fit in.
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lack History Month just ended and there were few instances of celebration throughout the City of Laredo. At Laredo ISD, two Black-Mexican students shared their experiences in a predominantly Hispanic community. Jordyn Rebeles, 17, is a senior at Martin High School and VMT Magnet. She was born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in Florida surrounded by a mostly white community. Ever since she was young, she’s felt that she stood out from others and was bothered about why she was treated and seen differently, she said. From a very young age, Rebeles was exposed to racism within her school and daily life. “One day I came home crying telling my mother that they kept making fun of me because I’m too dark and I begged her to make my skin light and she put regular lotion on me to make me believe my skin was lighter and I said, ‘I look pretty now,’” Rebeles said. She was recently interviewed for a Laredo Morning Times article discussing Black History Month. Rebeles was quoted as saying that the only
thing she’s heard about Black history in school is slavery, slave trades and how it was abolished. According to the article, Rebeles learned about Black history on her own because it’s never been taught in school. “We talk about history, but even our history is colonized,” the article states. That experience and a feeling of disconnect from her Black culture has made Rebeles not feel welcomed in Laredo. “I’m surrounded by a culture that’s mine but I’m so disconnected from it because I don’t look the same,” Rebeles said. Sean Sonnier’s dad is African-American and his mom is Mexican. Sonnier was born in San Diego, California and was raised in Laredo. Unlike Rebeles, Sonnier lives his life not really caring what he or other people culturally identify him with, he said. “Before now, I didn’t care much for knowing where I came from because I just went on with my life. I don’t care much for knowing exactly what I’m mixed with or anything,” Sonnier said. “I’ve lived through just going along without knowing and it never affected me. I’m not much for learning about my culture, but I’ve
learned more about my Mexican heritage than my Black heritage.” When Sonnier met Rebeles, he became more interested in his Black heritage; he has started his journey to find that part of himself that he couldn’t connect with in Laredo. The disconnection comes from Laredo’s population being mostly Hispanic. Sonnier has found his way to that side of his Hispanic heritage, but he also feels like there’s more of him that he wants to discover. “Before I met Jordyn, I didn’t care much for my heritage or anything because I just lived life without having to know about it, but now it seems interesting,” he said. “Jordyn has so much fun talking about (culture) and it all seems interesting now.” With everything she has learned, Rebeles believes in listening and understanding others when they speak about their experiences. “If someone is speaking about their trauma, listen and learn,” she said. “You’re here to learn, not push down an already oppressed group. Listen. Teach others. If you hear someone say something, speak up. Be open minded. Listen. It’s literally that easy.”
6 Newsletter
Valentine’s Day
y Performance
Students in Ms. Mary Ellen Leyendecker’s Classical Ballet classes treated our students, staff, and parents to a Valentine’s Day Dance on February 14, 2022. Photos By Jacob Rodriguez
Back to Basics By Frida Garcia
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s life goes on, you may start to wonder “where did the years go by? How can society be any different than last year?” Well there’s no telling that technology or trends completely changed the whole perspective of a person’s mind. In doing so, I have conducted a list of what we should bring back and how it can be more enjoyable Drive-in movies were one of the most wonderful and interesting ways to watch a movie. It consists of a High Definition (HD) Drive-in movie projector, good cables, sound system, and a good parking area for the automobiles. It’s the same as a movie theater, however it was outside and you would have to see the movie through your car. Mostly people would park their cars and open up the back door in order to sit there and view the movie. Other than that, the popcorn and drinks would be given out in a booth, but now you can bring your own. The reason why Drive-ins aren’t as popular as they used to be is because in the 1970s it has been switched from Hollywood fare to exploitation films, and by the time that occurred, home movies started to become a thing. In 2007, there were only 405 drive-ins left in the U.S. The last time that I’ve been in one was in 2019 when Toy’s story 4 came out. My aunt took me
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and my family to a drive-in to watch the movie and it was amazing to watch the movie on a big screen outside with our blankets. I would love it if it came back once quarantine is over. Another thing I would like to bring back is handwritten letters. It’s not as common as it used to be. In the 1700s, handwritten letters were being addressed to family, relatives, soldiers, and friends. I liked to think it was special when writing letters in that century. Not only was it a useful way to catch up with any of your acquaintances, but it was also a special way to express your feelings towards something and getting the experience to share it with someone. A logical reason as to why it died off was technology. As the years passed, technology and devices were made and in doing so it made talking with people easier than writing letters. Text messages and emails made it simpler. Writing letters was no longer needed in order to contact someone. It’s still around but not as much as it used to be. It would be nice to just write letters with some stickers, flower petals, and fill it in with your emotions. Sealing the letter with a wax seal, and just waiting with excitement of receiving a letter from someone else and getting to read it from someone else’s perspective. And finally, bringing back serenades in order to
express your feelings towards someone special on any occasions. It didn’t provide much when it started to become a thing, but it was one of the most special things you can do in order to confess your feelings towards someone. It’s romantic to be with a mariachi band in the middle of the night alongside you as you play and sing a song to dedicate to that special someone while they look at you from their window in pure joy that’s swelling from their hearts. However, it doesn’t mean specifically to buy a band of mariachi for the night, but it can also be the person themselves playing and singing a song to that person. It shows that you truly care for that person. Nowadays, it’s just stuffed animals and roses, and I’m not saying that isn’t romantic either, but it would be nice to do something as special as before. Although the person wouldn’t receive any items, they would be receiving one of the most memorable memories and they will never forget that. However, it is common for people to get invested with new sources that involve trends, technology, dances, and even clothing brands. Let’s think about, “why not bring back some of the old trends?” “Why not bring back the old memories?”
IT FOLLOWS Movie Review By Juan Espinoza
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t Follows is an indie psychological horror film that was released in 2014. It was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. It Follows is a psychological thriller with horror film elements that has a unique premise which can be interpreted a bunch of different ways. The young cast does an incredible job of getting into these characters who have no idea what/who is following them, and what/who is trying to kill them. The protagonist is a girl named Jay who contracts a sexually transmited shape-shifting stalker that incessantly follows her and will kill her if it ever catches her. The only way she can pass it on is by sleeping with someone else. That new person will be followed, but if the monster ever killed them, it would return to pursue it’s previous victim. It’s an interesting concept that can be considered a warning about sexually transmitted diseases especially to the young audience that the film targets. The themes for the film are simple but truly disturbing. Two big themes the movie tackles include sexual intercourse and sexual assault and can be heartbreaking to see. It Follows is one big beautiful nightmare. The viewer has no idea what time this takes place and we don’t know anything about the It. It Follows is anachronistic; the film is told in a time period where time simply doesn’t exist. There’s mismatched technology which may suggest no time period at all. Another example is the seasons aren’t set in stone either. In the beginning when we meet Jay, she’s wearing a bathing suit and swimming in the pool, but the next day she’s walking down the street all warmed up in a winter coat. It Follows being set in this anarchistic timeline adds to the surreal and dreamlike tone of this nightmare. The film gives little to no information about It, although there are rules for the creature’s behavior; It travels in a straight line. It is slow but not dumb. It could appear as someone the victim knows or as a complete stranger. The film is more interested in themes and atmosphere than trying to solve the monster’s origin story or over explaining it. What’s following them? It is. It is bad, that’s all the film gives us. The entity’s relentlessness to get closer to it’s potential victim is truly a thing of terror that drives this entire film and fills every scene with paranoia. Especially when we know It cannot be killed no matter how hard the characters try. The film doesn’t feel the need to make a big deal out of the creature everytime we see It, as unsettling as the thing is, it’s now part of Jay’s life and the pervasive paranoia means they don’t need to rely on cheap jumpscares.
Another thing the film does is show what the thing looks like from other people’s perspectives; since they can’t see the creature, they see what it does. For example, in the beach scene of the film, It grabs Jay by her hair but the only thing they see is Jay’s hair floating. The film allows viewers to think on what It may be or what It may stand for, which the film does a lot letting the audience guess what happened or make them think what could’ve happened throughout the film. My interpretation of “It” is about growing up and as time goes on we get closer to the end of our lives. It represents the eventualities of the end of life. The creature’s slow pace represents the passage of time, and the longer we’re alive the closer we get to this creature. The soundtrack for this film made by Disasterpeace is something out of night terrors, beautiful but at the same time haunting. The soundtrack is mixed with retro and what I can best explain as a scratched CD sound truly fits the film and gives it an overall more terrifying feel whenever the It enters the frame. It’s truly one of the best soundtracks a horror film has, even beating John Carpenter’s Halloween soundtrack, in my opinion. It Follows also tackles the theme of clas and the horror of urban decay, especially in Detroit, where the film takes place. The characters talk about 8 mile; 8 mile is a road where the city starts and the suburbs end. It’s also a big issue with extreme division of race and socioeconomic status. It Follows is one of the best horror films we’ve gotten this past decade, but not a lot of people know about this film. It is a slow burn and since It is an unknown horror, audiences aren’t used to unconventional horrors like demons, ghosts, killers, or monsters. It is something unique and different and stands as a metaphor for a greater issue. The film also lacks blood and gore but that does not take away from the experience; a great horror film shouldn’t need gore nor blood to make it fantastic. The ending of It Follows leaves the viewer paranoid and makes them question if they really beat this It. It Follows is something we don’t get a lot of in horror cinema now, which is originality, but this little indie film stands out and will sooner or later get the title of a horror classic. Be careful who your valentines are this year or you might just be getting followed by It.
10 Newsletter
My Phobia Story By: Jazmine Jurado
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ockroaches. Just typing out the word makes me feel ick. When I was younger, I wouldn’t get scared when I saw a roach or even a flying insect. Sure, I’d get startled by it but never to the point where my heart would pound fast and I’d feel dizzy. However, that all changed when a roach landed on my chest. I was outside of my house with my friend. It was pitch dark with a little bit of light coming from the moon. I don’t remember why we went outside, but suddenly, leaves started to dance around us. The wind was upset. I swear the leaves were going around us like a circle and we were inside the circle. I specifically remember that I was about to say something to my friend (probably to tell her that we should go inside) when something landed on my left chest. Being the non-sensitive person that I was back then, I didn’t freak out nor did I do anything because I thought it was a leaf. A few seconds went by and I started to get confused why this “leaf” didn’t get off of me. I looked down at my chest and saw this big fat nasty cockroach. My soul left my body. I know I didn’t scream, but I did make a weird noise. Because of that dang cockroach, I get startled easily when I see something dark, big or small, that’s moving. Because of that dang, unnecessary insect that God made, I’m not a big fan of being outside at night. Because of that dang small insect that doesn’t harm anyone physically, I get startled by a butterfly. I wish that was the last experience I encountered with it, but sadly, I came across it six times… and those six times that I came across it
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were in a restroom. agreed with him and went back to sleep. The first time it happened I was in 7th grade. So being the stupid person that I was, I went It was around 6 a.m when I got up to use the back to the restroom to brush my teeth but had restroom. I was standing near the sink when I the restroom door open. I washed my hands saw this big, dark cockroach coming under the and texted my friends. I was shaking; My hands door running towards me. kept moving. I kept looking around the bathInstead of screaming, I made a weird noise. room. I kept feeling that there was something Luckily, my mom was near the restroom and that was crawling on me. I stayed in place and quickly opened the bathroom door, and hit it moved my legs and my body to ignore that with her sandals. feeling. About 3 minutes later, I looked up from I was in shock. So in shock that I did not my phone and saw the mirror that was in front move even though the roach was 2-3 feet of me. I see that unharmful insect on my back, away from me. close to my neck. The other times were from restaurants or stores For whatever the reason is, every time I enwhere I would go to the restroom and see a counter a damn cockroach, I don’t scream; I cockroach (they were all big). make a weird noise. I remember this one timeIfwhen I was on I was full-on the world was about to crying. My dad quickly got up the toilet and I looked at the end sink and sawwold this your and killed I couldn’t talk. I was in shock. I what last it.meslarge cockroach trying to get sage out of be it. I quickly went to my parent’s room and through tears to that one person? cleaned myself and didn’t bother washing my told my mom, “This wouldn’t have happened if hands (I did put on hand sanitizer). you got up the first time and killed it”. I swear The last encounter was probably the most I was crying as if someone had died. My dad disgusting and horrifying experience. This time basically shooed me away. I went back to the I had a breakdown. restroom and cried. I quickly brushed my teeth It happened last year in September. I got up and texted my friends about what had just hapearly and went to the place that loves to haunt pened. My mom then came and apologized to me emotionally. I sat on the toilet and did my me. I told her exactly what happened. business. I went back to my bed and cried silently. I felt something that fell on top of my head. Then I had to get up again to go to school. I quickly shook my head and had my hand From all of these horrifying experiences, on my head to shake it off and this half large I learned to always check the restroom from cockroach fell down to the floor near my feet. looking under the sink, around the toilet, checkIt took me a couple of seconds to understand ing the shower to, most importantly, checking what just happened. the ceiling. I quickly cleaned myself and went to my parI am glad that I haven’t gotten a phobia of ent’s bedroom and begged for my dad to kill going to the restroom. it. Dad didn’t listen to me and told me “Just kill it. It’s not gonna do anything to you.” My mom
If the world was about to end what wold your last message be to that one person?
Hey, I know we only have a few minutes left before everything happens, but just wanted to let you know that even though we ended up drifting paths, I’m so blessed to have crossed yours even if it was just for two years. You showed me love, happiness, sadness and even anger, I felt every emotion because of you. I wish I could say I hate you but hate is a strong word to use and as much as I should, I will never hate you. The amount of things we did together like raising a bird together, watching some of my favorite films, going on trips outside the city, and spending countless holidays together will always be what stops me from hating you. You always told me run to you when I’m afraid, I wish to see you on the other side. Thank you for everything GoGo. Hola. I can’t get you out of my head. It’s nothing serious. Pero, we’ve built this conection. We’ve begun the foundation of this friendship that I’d been searching for so long. I started to tiptoe around the edges unsure of whether or not it was safe to step forward to the center and find the tip to the balance I’d so carefully built around myself these past years. I allowed you to rock my mind in a way I hadn’t let others do. And now that we have to part ways, no espere tenerte tan presente a mi. There’s so much left to say and do but we ran out of time. These last moments, I wish you peace and love like you’ve never known before. I wish you the happy moments we were sure to have, the conversations with words left unspoken, and the feelings that were present but never said. Most of all, I wish you know deep inside how much I wish we could’ve been more than we were. Hola. A lo mejor no es el mejor momento, but during these last moments I want to tell you that you really mattered to me. Para mi eras todo; aprecio la parte de mi vida que pase contigo. Eras el motivo de mis alegrías. Right now, we have the same fate and I just wish this was like a fictional story where Superman can come and save us, but this is the sad reality. And since that’s the case, I decided to text you and tell you that it was an honor having you next to me for the time we had. A lo mejor no fuimos las mejores personas en el mundo pero eso no importa. Ahorita what mattered were the moments we had and all the happy memories. I will take all that happiness with me these very last moments with a smile on my face knowing that you were part of my life. It was all worth living for, after all. Maybe you don’t feel the same but I want you to know that I…
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12 Newsletter
Gore, Blood, and Mayhem: There are many horror films and films in general that are known for being miserable to work at or be a part of. One of these films is the 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
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he movie set is notoriously known for being a toxic worplace. From the director Tobe Hooper to the shooting location, malfunctions and even torture to some of the actors, the making of this film was total hell. First of all, the origin of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a really horrible story to make a film off of, many people to this day still think the main villain, Leatherface, is based on Ed Gien, the infamous serial killer. This is a lie although Hooper might’ve been loosely inspired by him along the way. Another lie is the claim that the movie was based on a true story. The date shown in the beginning where the film claims the true story happened is August 18, 1973. That would have been completely impossible because the film was made prior to that date. As much as a lot of people want to believe that the movie is based on a true story, it is all a lie. The actual origin of the film comes from Hooper himself and the story is more disturbing than Ed Gien. One day during the holiday season, Hooper was in a hardware store and while trying to find an exit, he saw a display of chainsaws and thought about what it would be like if he just hacked up all the people. He fantasized about slashing his way through the crowd with chainsaws. Along with his own fantasies, he later heard a story about a doctor who bragged about making masks from human cadavers in premed. After that Hooper started developing the story of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That is the actual origin story of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the character of Leatherface. Gunnar Hansen plays Leatherface. The film initially hired a different actor for this role, but out of nowhere the actor, in his motel room in a drunken state, called out of the film, wanting to be out and having no connections to the film claiming it was bad karma and he was worried for his soul. Another fact about Leatherface is that Hansen was given free range of the character. Hooper gave him free reign as to what the character was going to be, so Hansen took it upon himself and went to a school for disabled children where his mom worked and he studied their behaviors and their speech patterns. Hooper wanted Leatherface to be mentally challenged, and, in my opinion, Hansen did well.
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There were many, many wrongs with the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So many difficult things that these actors, cast, and crew had to deal with to make this film. One of these was the working conditions. First, this film was made at a farmhouse near Round Rock, Texas in the middle of July, where temperatures would reach up to 110 degrees everyday. Due to the expensive equipment rentals and extremely low budget of $140,000, the entire cast and crew had to film seven days a week for 16 hours at a time. They had no rest and filming took five and a half weeks to complete. The farmhouse itself was a struggle to film in mostly because it had no air conditioning or ventilation. Hooper used real animal bones and real animal blood that was used to cover the walls; they were obtained from a local slaughterhouse and at the end of the film there is a REAL human skeleton. Due to the small budget, the art director found it cheaper to buy a real human skeleton from India rather than buying a skeleton prop. Another thing the art director did was drive around Round Rock looking for roadkill, cattle carcasses, stuff that was already decaying and collect them all and put them in the house. He littered the floor with the items to help build the set and atmosphere. Actors and crew complained that the farmhouse smelled putrid. None of the cast members were allowed to wash their costumes. They wore these since the beginning of filming, never once washing the clothing. Hooper was worried and very obsessed with continuity that none of the cast were allowed to wash their clothing. The director thought washing the costumes would alter the coloring since Leatherface’s costume had to be specifically dyed a certain color. Hooper didn’t want the costumes to lose their authenticity. Similarly, Hooper did the same with the makeup and prosthetics with the character of “Grandpa” played by John Dugan, who was only 18 years old while filming. All of Dugan’s scenes had to be filmed in one sitting while he was in makeup and nearly took over 36 hours of filming. Dugan said in an interview, “I will never do what Hooper made me do again.”
The Story Behind the Toxic Horror Set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
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THE LAST SUPPER
he “Last Supper” is the nickname given by cast and crew to the dinner scene of the film, which is one of the most disturbing experiences by the cast. Most specifically for Marilyn Burns who had the worst experience filming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Burns plays the main character “Sally.” Burns has said that most of her acting wasn’t acting at all, it was all pure fear. Burns was the one who got injured in almost every single scene that she’s in, most of those injuries came from the action scenes whenever she had to jump through windows, when she’s running through bushes and trees she was all cut up, the blood that you see on her was actually her real blood a lot of the time and the dinner scene where she was in fact injured. The dinner scene was filmed over a period of 25 hours. The only breaks the cast and crew got were brief breaks to go outside or to vomit because what they were filming was “hell” and the house smelled disgusting. The scene that is the most disturbing during the “Last Supper” is where Sally has her finger cut and Grandpa sucks her blood out of it. breaks the cast and crew got were brief breaks to go outside or to vomit because what they were filming was “hell” and the house smelled disgusting. The scene that is the most disturbing during the “Last Supper” is where Sally has her finger cut and Grandpa sucks her blood out of it. Originally the plan was to use a prosthetic knife with a vial of fake blood that Hansen was meant to pierce and then put on her finger which Dugan would put in his mouth and suck, worse came to worse for Burns when Hansen kept trying and trying so when it didn’t work Hansen takes out a razor blade and cuts Burns’ actual finger and puts it in Dugan’s mouth which by Burns, he kept sucking. Burns and Dugan did not expect what happened. Additionally, Dugan did not know until years later that he sucked Burns real blood. All he said was the experience was erotic. What’s worse is that Burns gave no consent whatsoever and also stated that she barely knew the actors that were involved in the dinner scene. (which were mostly the murderers of the film)
Burns started to wonder if what she was filming was actually real; this is why most of her acting, especially in the dinner scene, was her genuine fear. Another thing Burns went through was getting hit by a real hammer when Grandpa was hitting Sally in the head to crack her head open. Since Hooper wanted it to be realistic, Burns was hit multiple times in the head. The “Last Supper” was done in eight takes and took about 25 hours to complete and by the end of it Burns fainted. Burns was called back after finishing filming to reshoot the final scene where Sally escaped and was in the back of the truck happily laughing. That last scene was not acting. Burns was that exhausted and over it that her reaction was genuine. There is a famous quote by the actor Edwin Neal who plays the hitchhiker. Neal said, “Filming the dinner scene was the worst time of my life, and I’ve been to Vietnam when people were trying to kill me.” Neal added he would actually kill Hooper if he saw him again. There were many other instances of close calls. The scene where Leatherface kills the character Kirk with a hook and chainsaw, actor William Vail was nervous that Hansen told him “You better be still or otherwise you’ll die for real.” Hansen came within three inches of his face. There were many risks involved and most of them were unnecessary even though the budget was low. Hooper also stated very proudly that every actor walked away with some sort of injury. Of course, Hooper shouldn’t be celebrated or bragged about and his work ethic shouldn’t be normalized when filming a movie like this. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre does remain one of the most effective horror films of all time because it can never be recreated. It’s super effective even though you actually don’t see a lot of gore on camera. This is a movie and a style of filmmaking that will never be done again and we got it this one time and we got a great film out of it. By Juan Espinoza
14 Newsletter
In Loving Memory
Mr. jose A. Valdez District I, Trustee 1941-2022
Board of Trustees Hector J. Garcia President, District 6
Hector J.Noyola Vice President, District 3
Monica Garcia Secretary, District 7
Dr. Minita Ramirez Parliamentarian, District 3
Jose A. Valdez † Trustee, District 1
Guadalupe Gomezc Trustee, District 2
Ricardo Garza
The Medallion Newsletter is produced by students in Communication and CTE classes of the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communication and Fine Arts, Laredo ISD.
Maria Salas Photojournalism Adviser
Jose A. De Leon Director
The Medallion NewsLetter Vol. 1 Issue 3 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 Production: VMT Journalism/CTE students using Adobe InDesign and iMac Computers Copyright: ©2021 Vidal M.Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts & The Medallion Newsletter VMT is a magnet school within the jurisdiction of the Laredo Independent School Districts.
Contributors
Trustee, District 4
Luis Sanchez NHS
Juan Espinoza CHS
Jazmine Jurado NHS
Frida Garcia NHS
It is the policy of the Laredo Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, limited English proficiency, or handicapping condition in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.