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In the sequel to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” director Tobe Hooper takes his psychotic family of cannibals in a darkly comedic direction, making the film appeal to more than just hard core horror fans. The film’s debut on Blu-ray is decent, though not strong enough for owners of the 2006 DVD edition to rush out for a purchase.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray EcoBox
Year: 1986
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:41:33
MSRP: $16.99
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 1.85:1
Standard definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: English 2.0 / Dolby Digital: French 1.0
Mono
Subtitles
English SDH, Spanish
English
Note: The following contains material from my review of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 DVD.
The Feature: 4/5
As a reluctant horror film viewer I wasn't too enthused when I received the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" (TCM2) DVD in 2006. I tried to watch "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" a few years earlier with some friends, but I wound up going to my bedroom to watch "Austin City Limits" instead**, never quite able to drown out the sounds of buzzsaws and screaming from the other room. So it was with some reservation I loaded the screener of the sequel - and was much relieved when I realized it was going to be a very different film from its predecessor. Though Leatherface and his family were back, Director Tobe Hooper made a more darkly comedic and campy film on the second go around, and those things I can handle much better than the realistic horror and violence that was the original's calling card.
In the second installment the family of cannibals (now named the Sawyers) is still on the loose, largely dismissed by the authorities as a myth after finding no evidence of the sole survivor's claims. The lone exception is Marshall "Lefty" Enright (Dennis Hopper), uncle of one of the original victims, who has been pursuing every possible lead for over a decade. His quest has been fruitless until a recent killing of two yuppy males bears the telltale signs of chainsaw teeth. Local radio DJ "Stretch" (Caroline Williams) managed to record the killings on audio tape and Lefty decides to use it, and the attractive young DJ, to draw out the maniacs. Stretch manages to survive the bloodbath caused by Leatherface (Bill Johnson) and Chop Top (Bill Mosely), mainly because the Leatherface of the sequel is granted a bit of a soul and he falls in love with Stretch at the peak of his chainsaw frenzy. The rest of the film follows Stretch and Lefty as they pursue the cannibal family into their underground lair, though the two are pretty much on separate paths and adventures until the final twenty minutes.
The female lead, for all her hysterics and victimization, is written as a strong person who fights back and eventually defeats her captors. This, along with some genuinely humorous lines and dialogue make TCM2 stand out as more than just your average slasher flick, though horror fans should also find plenty to like as the blood and guts flow heavily once inside the family compound. Another significant departure from the status quo is the bright, sometimes garish color palette, which gives the horrific proceedings a twisted carnival or circus feel. Despite my initial misgivings about watching the film, the satire and dark comedy won me over, making TCM2 one of the rare horror films I would recommend to even the horror film abhorrent.
**No, I didn't know the film was shot in Austin until I reviewed the title.
Video Quality: 3.5/5
Presented in 1080p with the AVC codec, the transfer is accurately framed at 1.85:1 and features overall solid color and black levels, though flesh tones can range from being palid to over-warm. Contrast, is similarly variable, running the gamut from washed out to compressed, depending on the setting; the scenes set in the family lair (e.g. about the last 45 minutes of the movie) tending to be the most problematic. Detail is average, with wide shots sometimes looking a little hazy, and though grain can be fairly heavy sometimes, there’s no evidence of any noise reduction. While the image isn’t always the most appealing, it also suits the film’s raw and garish aesthetic, and generally speaking the transfer appears true to the film's source elements.
Audio Quality: 2.5/5
Dialogue in the 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently intelligible, though things can sound a little strained at peak levels. Surround activity and LFE are non-existent, though the track has decent channel separation and dynamic range.
Special Features: 3/5
The collection of bonus material includes all the items from the 2006 DVD edition. The commentaries aren't worth the time, though the documentary is well-made and interesting.
Commentary with Director Tobe Hoooper and David Gregory, director of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth": Gregory takes the role of interviewer, often drawing out Hooper to share stories or explain how certain scenes were shot. Even so, the commentary is a bit on the dull side, with Hooper seeming more interested in just watching the film.
Commentary with actors Bill Mosely and Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini: A much livelier commentary than Hooper and Gregory's but still rather thin on substantial information about making the film. Mosely and Williams dominate the track, but most of what they say are reactions to watching the movie. The group clearly had a fun time, but listeners will likely feel like sort of a fifth wheel when all is said and done.
The Cutting Room Floor - Deleted Scenes (12:33, SD): Six scenes largely coming from an abandoned part of the story that dealt with the Sawyers going hunting for yuppies in the city. The footage seems to be sourced from low resolution videotape, and is kind of painful to look at.
It Runs in the Family Documentary (1:27:57, SD):: Well made and thorough look into the film production, covering the script, production design, the cast, make-up, working with Hooper, and the public response to the film. The documentary has plenty of recent interviews with the cast and crew, though Hooper is noticeably absent. Skip the commentaries and watch this instead.
Original Theatrical Trailer (1:00, SD)
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 3.5/5
Audio Quality: 2.5/5
Special Features: 3/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3.5/5
MGM Home Entertainment delivers a decent high definition presentation for Tobe Hooper’s darkly comedic and satirical sequel to the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Carrying over all the bonus material from the previous DVD release, it represents a reasonable upgrade, but unless you’re a big fan of the movie, it’s probably best to wait until the release arrives in the bargain bin.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray EcoBox
Year: 1986
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:41:33
MSRP: $16.99
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
AVC: 1080p high definition 1.85:1
Standard definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: English 2.0 / Dolby Digital: French 1.0
Mono
Subtitles
English SDH, Spanish
English
Note: The following contains material from my review of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 DVD.
The Feature: 4/5
As a reluctant horror film viewer I wasn't too enthused when I received the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" (TCM2) DVD in 2006. I tried to watch "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" a few years earlier with some friends, but I wound up going to my bedroom to watch "Austin City Limits" instead**, never quite able to drown out the sounds of buzzsaws and screaming from the other room. So it was with some reservation I loaded the screener of the sequel - and was much relieved when I realized it was going to be a very different film from its predecessor. Though Leatherface and his family were back, Director Tobe Hooper made a more darkly comedic and campy film on the second go around, and those things I can handle much better than the realistic horror and violence that was the original's calling card.
In the second installment the family of cannibals (now named the Sawyers) is still on the loose, largely dismissed by the authorities as a myth after finding no evidence of the sole survivor's claims. The lone exception is Marshall "Lefty" Enright (Dennis Hopper), uncle of one of the original victims, who has been pursuing every possible lead for over a decade. His quest has been fruitless until a recent killing of two yuppy males bears the telltale signs of chainsaw teeth. Local radio DJ "Stretch" (Caroline Williams) managed to record the killings on audio tape and Lefty decides to use it, and the attractive young DJ, to draw out the maniacs. Stretch manages to survive the bloodbath caused by Leatherface (Bill Johnson) and Chop Top (Bill Mosely), mainly because the Leatherface of the sequel is granted a bit of a soul and he falls in love with Stretch at the peak of his chainsaw frenzy. The rest of the film follows Stretch and Lefty as they pursue the cannibal family into their underground lair, though the two are pretty much on separate paths and adventures until the final twenty minutes.
The female lead, for all her hysterics and victimization, is written as a strong person who fights back and eventually defeats her captors. This, along with some genuinely humorous lines and dialogue make TCM2 stand out as more than just your average slasher flick, though horror fans should also find plenty to like as the blood and guts flow heavily once inside the family compound. Another significant departure from the status quo is the bright, sometimes garish color palette, which gives the horrific proceedings a twisted carnival or circus feel. Despite my initial misgivings about watching the film, the satire and dark comedy won me over, making TCM2 one of the rare horror films I would recommend to even the horror film abhorrent.
**No, I didn't know the film was shot in Austin until I reviewed the title.
Video Quality: 3.5/5
Presented in 1080p with the AVC codec, the transfer is accurately framed at 1.85:1 and features overall solid color and black levels, though flesh tones can range from being palid to over-warm. Contrast, is similarly variable, running the gamut from washed out to compressed, depending on the setting; the scenes set in the family lair (e.g. about the last 45 minutes of the movie) tending to be the most problematic. Detail is average, with wide shots sometimes looking a little hazy, and though grain can be fairly heavy sometimes, there’s no evidence of any noise reduction. While the image isn’t always the most appealing, it also suits the film’s raw and garish aesthetic, and generally speaking the transfer appears true to the film's source elements.
Audio Quality: 2.5/5
Dialogue in the 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently intelligible, though things can sound a little strained at peak levels. Surround activity and LFE are non-existent, though the track has decent channel separation and dynamic range.
Special Features: 3/5
The collection of bonus material includes all the items from the 2006 DVD edition. The commentaries aren't worth the time, though the documentary is well-made and interesting.
Commentary with Director Tobe Hoooper and David Gregory, director of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth": Gregory takes the role of interviewer, often drawing out Hooper to share stories or explain how certain scenes were shot. Even so, the commentary is a bit on the dull side, with Hooper seeming more interested in just watching the film.
Commentary with actors Bill Mosely and Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini: A much livelier commentary than Hooper and Gregory's but still rather thin on substantial information about making the film. Mosely and Williams dominate the track, but most of what they say are reactions to watching the movie. The group clearly had a fun time, but listeners will likely feel like sort of a fifth wheel when all is said and done.
The Cutting Room Floor - Deleted Scenes (12:33, SD): Six scenes largely coming from an abandoned part of the story that dealt with the Sawyers going hunting for yuppies in the city. The footage seems to be sourced from low resolution videotape, and is kind of painful to look at.
It Runs in the Family Documentary (1:27:57, SD):: Well made and thorough look into the film production, covering the script, production design, the cast, make-up, working with Hooper, and the public response to the film. The documentary has plenty of recent interviews with the cast and crew, though Hooper is noticeably absent. Skip the commentaries and watch this instead.
Original Theatrical Trailer (1:00, SD)
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 3.5/5
Audio Quality: 2.5/5
Special Features: 3/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3.5/5
MGM Home Entertainment delivers a decent high definition presentation for Tobe Hooper’s darkly comedic and satirical sequel to the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Carrying over all the bonus material from the previous DVD release, it represents a reasonable upgrade, but unless you’re a big fan of the movie, it’s probably best to wait until the release arrives in the bargain bin.
