The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

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

Slaughterhouse five.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 12, 2023

Released barely a month after MPI's recent 4K edition, British label Second Sight -- well-known among region-free enthusiasts for their fantastic A/V presentations and deluxe Limited Editions -- has unleashed their own treatment of Tobe Hooper's 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It's offered as a Limited Edition combo pack (which includes a few packaging goodies) as well as two more affordable slimmed-down options: this 4K-only release and its Blu-ray (Region B) counterpart, both of which contain the same great pile of on-disc bonus features.

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 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced directly from Second Sight's remastered Blu-ray, available separately.

For my thoughts on Second Sight's new 2160p transfer, please see my review of the Limited Edition combo pack.

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

Likewise, for my thoughts on the Dolby Atmos and original mono mixes, see my review of the Limited Edition.

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

This one-disc set ships in a standard keepcase featuring classic UK VHS artwork. The bonus features largely mirror those found on MPI's recent 4K and earlier Blu-ray editions, with a few exceptions.

• NEW! Audio Commentary #1 - Four audio commentaries not enough for you? Enjoy this brand-new track with filmmaker/author Amanda Reyes and podcaster Bill Ackerman, who apparently recorded their joint session in the actual TCSM house (now a restaurant!). It's a fairly fast-moving, informative, and historically-minded "tag team" track, filled with trivia and very few dead spots or moments where the on-screen action is described. You'll have to really sit up for this one -- it's candid for sure, but not one you can just listen to in the background. Whoever runs the restaurant might want to check on their smoke detector, though: the battery is low.

• Audio Commentary #2 - A solo track featuring director writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper.

• Audio Commentary #3 - The first of several larger group chats, this one with cinematographer Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll, and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou.

• Audio Commentary #4 - This enjoyable roundtable chat features Tobe Hooper, this time flanked by actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl.

• Audio Commentary #5 - Another vintage group track with art director Robert A. Burns and actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain.

• NEW-ISH! The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (82:45) - Debuting on MPI's recent 4K edition and written/directed by Phillip Escott, this full-length documentary -- which yes, is just about as long as the film itself -- offers a broad retrospective of TCSM from several different vantage points including a few international 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 an entertaining piece, though given the wealth of extras already on this release and earlier discs, some of the stories won't exactly be new.

• NEW! Behind the Mask (8:40) - Another new bonus feature produced by Second Sight, this short piece features Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of "Masks in Horror Cinema: Eyes Without Faces", who offers her thoughts and observations about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and looks exactly like she sounds.

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

• Outtakes from "The Shocking Truth" (7:41)

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

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

• Horror's Hallowed Grounds: TCSM (20:08)

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

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

• The Business of "Chain Saw": An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman (16:25)

• House Tour with Actor Gunnar Hansen (8:03)

• NEW-ISH! Interviews - Two vintage DVD-era interviews recorded for Blue Underground in 2002 that feature writer-director-producer Tobe Hooper and co-writer Kim Henkel speaking candidly about the film. As far as I know, these haven't been included on any recent Blu-ray or 4K release so it's good to have 'em back.

• Tobe Hooper (13:46)
• Kim Henkel (8:25)

• Deleted Scenes & Outtakes (25:23)

• Trailers, TV, and Radio Spots (5:58)

• Stills Gallery (50 photos)

A few vintage odds and ends are curiously absent, including "Friedkin/Hooper: A Conversation about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (first included on MPI's limited "Black Maria Edition" Blu-ray set, and again on their recent 4K edition), a blooper reel and the short featurette "Dr. W.E. Barnes Presents: Making Grandpa" (likewise on the earlier MPI releases), as well as a second set of silent deleted scenes which still remains exclusive to MPI's 2014 Blu-ray.

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

Well-represented on home video in a variety of formats, Tobe Hooper's 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre seems to have approached "definitive" territory thanks to the reliable British boutique label Second Sight. Their outstanding Limited Edition combo pack is aimed at collectors, but this separate 4K edition is a solid alternative for those who don't want the extra packaging goodies or Blu-ray discs. Highly Recommended indeed.