The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is primarily based on the real-life crimes of Ed Gein, a notorious serial killer and body snatcher from Wisconsin in the 1950s. Ed Gein's gruesome acts of exhuming corpses, making trophies and clothing from human skin, and murdering women inspired the character of Leatherface, especially his habit of wearing human skin masks. The film also draws some inspiration from other real-life criminals and the cultural climate of the 1970s but largely features a fictional story. The filmmakers intended the movie to evoke the feeling of a true story by basing the horror on Gein's shocking crimes and the atmosphere of distrust and brutality present at the time.
