The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Blu-ray Movie Review

Pretty cool, but pricey.

MPI Media Group previously released a four-disc 40th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' that was met with high praise, containing an all-new 4K remaster, 7.1 audio, and a quality assortment of new and old supplements alike. This special "Black Maria" edition, released several weeks later, comes with all of the great material packed into the last release and adds a sturdy shaped cardboard outer box and few more surprises inside. Read on for details.

Truckin'

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

For a full video review, please click through here.

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

For a full audio review, please click through here.

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

The "Black Maria" box set arrives in a sturdy cardboard box in the shape of a truck (well, half a truck, anyway), measuring approximately 10.25" in length at the longest point, just under 6" in height at the highest point, and 5" wide. The box opens from the back with the help of a small attached handle. When fully removed, it displays the back end of the truck, sits flush, but not even, against front, and extends the length of the display box to a full 17.5". Housed inside the back are two items: a Blu-ray case holding five discs and a theatrical poster, and a "blood-splattered" apron.

There's no real "prize" in here, no intricately designed statue, no detailed replica model truck or chainsaw, not even a die-cast version of the Maria. It's a fairly straightforward special edition that comes with a bonus disc -- which is a DVD, not a Blu-ray -- as well as the apron and a folded poster in the Blu-ray case. The poster is a neat little bonus. It looks quite nice and will certainly decorate every fan's theater wall. It measures about 11.5" in length and about 13.75" in height. The apron won't stand up to repeated butcherings, but it should make a nice enough conversation piece at the next barbecue or even an easy Halloween costume centerpiece.

And that's pretty much it. The included fifth disc (third DVD) runs 54:09 and features a discussion between filmmakers William Friedkin (director, The Exorcist) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper. It's a fun discussion, filled with some gentle humor but defined by significant exchanges including the film's lasting appeal, its scares, human emotional responses to cinema, Hooper's history and work on the film, story origins, the technical details of the filmmaking process, Hooper's film influences, shooting locations, and much more. From the Vista Theater in Los Feliz on July 21, 2014.

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

The "Black Maria" limited edition is a quality set at too high a price. There's nothing here to justify the current $69 asking price when the standalone four-disc collection is going for about $23, again at time of publication. A sturdy and nicely detailed outer box, a poster, an apron, and a bonus disc don't really add up to $46 in value, even for the hardcore collector. Nevertheless, fans will definitely want to find a way to acquire this collection when the price falls more in line with what's included. The lower "overall" score rating is reflective of this release's overall value based on both the Blu-ray and DVD content versus the added bonuses and current $69 price. Rest assured the release's meatiest parts -- the movie, the A/V presentations, and the on-disc bonus supplements -- are absolutely top-notch. Recommended when, and if, it falls into the $30-$40 range.