Jeffrey Allard

Jeffrey Allard's name pops up a lot if you've ever fallen down the horror-movie rabbit hole—especially if you’ve got a thing for chainsaws and the sweet, sweet sound of screaming teenagers. He’s the guy behind the 2003 reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, that slick, bloody update nobody really asked for but, honestly, people couldn’t stop watching. He didn’t stop there. In 2006, he dove back in with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, because hey, why not double down on the gore and give everyone the origin story of Leatherface they never knew they needed? Those films are a wild ride, crammed with jump scares, sweaty Texas backroads, and that gnawing sense of “oh, these kids are so screwed.” But Allard’s not just about chainsaws and carnage. Fast forward to 2014—he switches gears completely with Ping Pong Summer. Yeah, you read that right. No power tools, just a super nostalgic, coming-of-age story set in the ‘80s, all about awkward teens, summer vacations, and, well, ping pong. The vibe couldn’t be more different, but it does show the guy’s got range. One minute, he’s orchestrating the nightmare fuel that kept a generation up at night, next he’s diving into retro feels and underdog sports. Through all these projects, you can tell Allard’s got a knack for picking stories that get a reaction—whether that’s screaming, laughing, or just cringing from secondhand embarrassment. Not a bad track record if you like your movies intense...or just plain weird.