The film was produced with a budget of $80,000–$140,000. Burns had performed several of her stunts herself, and she, along with other cast members, had sustained several injuries throughout production. In an article for Texas Monthly detailing the production of the film, John Bloom reported that Burns had "been poked, prodded, bound, dragged through rooms, jerked around, chased through cocklebur underbrush, jabbed with a stick, forced to skid on her knees in take after take, pounded on the head with a rubber hammer, coated with sticky stage blood, and endlessly pursued by Hansen with his chain saw and Neal with his constantly flicking switchblade." The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released to major critical and commercial success. The film grossed an excess of $30 million and became the 12th highest-grossing film of its year, and was the most successful independent feature until it was overtaken by Halloween in 1978. Writing for The Cincinnati Enquirer, Donald B. Berrigan stated that Burns "deserves a special Academy Award for one of the most sustained and believable acting achievements in movie history." Screen Rant ranked Burns' performance first on their list of the "10 Greatest Female Performances in Horror Film History", writing that she "is so convincing in her work as the mentally broken Sally that the audience can’t help but be left shaken and deeply disturbed by the time the end credits roll." The acting of Burns has continued to earn praise from critics and audiences, and established her as a scream queen and a popular culture icon. In 1976, Burns had a role in the television miniseries Helter Skelter about the real-life trial of Charles Manson and his "family". In the series, she played Linda Kasabian, a member of the Manson family who was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony against the defendants. Recalling her memories of working on Helter Skelter, Burns said: "It was a great experience, but nobody really wanted to touch it [due to the subject matter]. It was like, 'Who wants to be in that picture? Who's actually gonna do that picture?'" The miniseries was acclaimed and nominated for three Emmy Awards. Following her roles in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Helter Skelter, Burns sporadically worked in acting. She played Faye in the horror film Eaten Alive (1977), where she reunited with director Tobe Hooper, and subsequently starred in the films Kiss Daddy Goodbye (1981) and