The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Portrait of an American family.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 17, 2023

Tobe Hooper's seminal 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has had no shortage of home video releases. It's been well-represented on most every available format, and MPI/Dark Sky's new 4K edition isn't even its first outing on UHD if we're talking international releases. But most fans' last purchase of TCSM was MPI's 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray; a disc that, despite our glowing review, was hurt by a rough encoding of its director-approved restoration and a botched mono mix. This new 4K disc is better on both counts, has plenty of extras, and even a Steelbook variant, but they'll still likely be eclipsed by Second Sight's upcoming remastered 4K edition. Like I said, well-represented.

For a synopsis of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, please read Martin Liebman's review of MPI's 2008 Ultimate Edition Blu-ray. This is a clear genre benchmark that falls slightly short of a full 5/5 rating, in my opinion, but it's downright impossible not to acknowledge the film's craftsmanship, effectiveness, and of course its lasting influence.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Critiquing the video quality of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a double-edged sword, as this notoriously ugly horror classic might be just as effective -- if not more so -- on a worn-out film print or second-generation VHS dub. That fact alone makes the notion of a "pristine picture" almost off-putting, so the best-case scenario for fans is something that aims for period authenticity with no pesky compression problems to muck things up. From this perspective, MPI's 2160p, HDR10/DV-enhanced transfer looks to be a solid upgrade over their lukewarm (IMO) 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray... yet it still falls a little short of whatever qualifies as "perfection" in this dark corner of cinema.

As seen in this review's screenshots (many of which are exact or close matches to the linked 40th Anniversary review, albeit now downsampled to 1080p/SDR from the 4K source), a few fundamental differences can be seen right away. For starters, it's now matted to the proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a touch darker, with a bit more prominent textures and film grain... though not as much as some might expect, since TCSM was shot on more of a fine-grain stock. Blacks are deeper, too, yet they don't necessarily swallow dark greys and other shadows. Yet some of this transfer's benefits can't be properly seen via screenshots: HDR does indeed make a difference (though not always for the better, as explained shortly), with brighter whites and even deeper blacks courtesy of local dimming that'll vary depending on your setup's capabilities. Colors run mostly muted as expected yet many primaries are the exception, including red and its warmer cousins. Even so, it's not a night-and-day difference from the already-good 4K-sourced restoration used on the 40th anniversary disc, even though compression is obviously a bit stronger this time around; I still noticed stray artifacts and posterization, though admittedly it's tough to distinguish these from the film's baked-in griminess.

Still, there's room for improvement. The HDR grade, while a benefit in many areas, tends to overpower certain white levels like a handful of outdoor shots during the group's drive on that deceptively bright, sunny day. Cloud detail is all but swallowed up in a few prominent shots and, though to some extent these shows have always looked a more than a little blown-out, HDR only exacerbates this problem and even introduces a bit of colorful noise into the equation. On the other end of the spectrum, a handful of black levels -- many during the nighttime chase sequence soon after the film's mid-point -- likewise run a bit too deep, further swallowing up details that are barely there to begin with. Additional tweaking to the HDR grade or further spit and polish might yield more balanced results and, given that Second Sight's upcoming remastered 4K edition promises both "a new presentation featuring additional restoration work" and a "Dolby Vision/HDR presentation produced by Second Sight Films" (as well as a Blu-ray copy of the film, which this release unfortunately lacks), those subtle but welcome improvements might just be right around the corner.

In any case, less nitpicky folks are bound to be happy with this presentation overall: it's a more accurate end result than the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray -- which I'd personally rate at a 3.5/5, for the record -- and, as mentioned earlier, "perfection" may not be the Holy Grail where a film like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is concerned.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

On the other hand, I have absolutely no qualms about the audio mixes. There's something for just about everyone... including purists, who will be relieved that both the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio and DTS-HD 1.0 MA mixes included here are genuine rather than clumsy downmixes of newer surround tracks. Those who play a little more fast and loose with authenticity, though, will enjoy both the ported-over DTS-HD 7.1 MA option or a full-fledged Dolby Atmos mix, which clearly takes its cues from the 7.1 track while adding a little more weight and height to the proceedings. (Perhaps the only noticeable absence is a DTS-HD 5.1 mix, which was included on MPI's 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray but not carried over here.) Either "modern" option offers a surprisingly full-bodied but spiritually faithful remix of the original elements, which unavoidably dials up the terror by a few decibels but simultaneously detracts from whatever's left of its documentary-style ambitions. It's a fair trade, all things considered, but the important thing is that both extremes are finally represented on a wide domestic home video release. Certainly a notch in the "win" column.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with poster-themed cover elements; an exclusive first-run slipcover also features eye-popping alternate artwork. No inserts are included. Bonus features are spread across both discs; most have been ported over from MPI's own 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and are listed below in name only, while two new (or rarely-seen) extras are given a bit more love. One missing item is also identified.

DISC ONE (UHD movie disc)

• Audio Commentary #1 - A fun vintage group track with production designer Robert Burns and actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain.

• Audio Commentary #2 - Similarly, this enjoyable roundtable chat features writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen, and cinematographer Daniel Pearl.

• Audio Commentary #3 - A second solo track with Tobe Hooper.

• Audio Commentary #4 - New and returning contributors including cinematographer Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll, and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou.

DISC TWO (Blu-ray bonus disc)

• NEW! The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (82:45) - Written/directed by Phillip Escott and co-produced by Second Sight Films for their own forthcoming 4K edition, this feature-length documentary -- which yes, is just about as long as the film itself -- offers a very well-produced retrospective of the film from several different vantage points including a few international subtitled contributors. Featured participants include film critic Heather Wixson, producer Fede Alvarez, filmmaker Jamie Blanks, History of Horror producer Ben Raphael Sher, producer Jed Shepherd, Fangoria editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr., film critic Meagan Navarro, TCSM remake director Marcus Nispel, Leatherface co-directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris, and others. It's a very entertaining and accessible piece though, given the wealth of bonus features already on this release and produced for earlier discs, a few bits and pieces of information are repeated.

• NEW-ISH! Friedkin/Hooper: A Conversation about "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (54:09) - Previously exclusive to MPI's limited "Black Maria Edition" Blu-ray set (on a bonus DVD, no less!), this 40th anniversary Q&A with filmmaker William Friedkin and director Tobe Hooper is detailed in Martin Liebman's linked review of that release. It's at least now upscaled to 1080p and bumped up to LPCM audio, which is nice.

• "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre": The Shocking Truth (72:49)

• Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw (71:42)

• A Tour of the TCSM House with Gunnar Hansen (8:03)

• Off the Hook with Teri McMinn (17:02)

• The Business of "Chain Saw": An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman (16:27)

• Deleted Scenes & Outtakes (25:23) - Please note that this is the older collection of clips seen on many previous releases. A second collection -- appropriately dubbed "New Deleted Scenes & Outtakes" -- was first included on MPI's 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, but for unknown reasons is not included here.

• Grandpa's Tales: An Interview with John Dugan (15:48)

• Cutting "Chain Saw": An Interview with Editor J. Larry Carroll (10:47)

• Blooper Reel (2:22)

• Outtakes from "The Shocking Truth" (7:40)

• Horror's Hallowed Grounds: TCSM (20:19)

• Dr. W.E. Barnes Presents "Making Grandpa" (2:45)

• Still Gallery (2:27)

• Theatrical and 40th Anniversary Trailers

• TV and Radio Spots

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

MPI/Dark Sky's welcome new 4K edition of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the latest (but possibly not greatest) home video release of Tobe Hooper's grisly horror classic. Yet taken on its own terms, this is a decently well-rounded release that corrects two nagging problems with their 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray -- iffy video compression and a botched mono track -- while adding HDR10/Dolby Vision and a couple of new bonus features to the ever-growing pile. It's heartily Recommended for non-importing fans, as is the pricier but better-looking Steelbook variant.