Hooper's "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" Turns 40

Variety reports that MPI/Dark Sky Films announced plans to release a new and exhaustively restored version of Tobe Hooper''s 1974 classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" in time for the film's 40th anniversary.

The restoration will premiere next week at SXSW 2014 in Austin, Texas.

The upgrade will feature a brand new 4K transfer, this is the first restoration of the film to go back to the original 16mm A/B rolls - the actual film that rolled through the cameras.

The horror milestone was shot using 16mm 'reversal' film stock (ie. so there's no negative), the restoration took five months to complete. Scanned in at 4K, a painstaking frame by frame correction process took place to remove scratches, stains, dirt, tears, and glue splices.

The color correction alone is said to have taken roughly 50 hours. Hooper was heavily involved in the process, along with lending a big hand to the newly remastered 7.1 soundtrack.

Details regarding the film's theatrical re-release this summer will be announced soon.