The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 28, 2018

Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Turbine Classics. The supplemental features on the disc include multiple audio commentaries; documentary films; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English, German, and German SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The 4K restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which was supervised by director Tobe Hooper, was first released on Blu-ray by Dark Sky Films in 2014. You can read a review of this release here. For a complete analysis of the film, please see Marty Liebman's review of the original release here.

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

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Turbine Classics.

The release is sourced from the beautiful 4K remaster that was prepared to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary and quite predictably the presentation is vastly superior to what was available on the home video market in various markets before it. I like just about all of the qualities of the new remaster. Density and delineation, in particular, are so much better that if you compare the old release with any release that is sourced from the new remaster you will see the type of drastic improvement that the new 4K remaster of Night of the Living Dead delivered. Obviously because Hooper shot his film in color there are some different nuances on display, but the end result is the same -- this is an all-around very solid organic presentation that ensures a different type of viewing experience. The color grading is convincing. There are very nice healthy primaries and equally solid healthy nuances that wonderfully balanced. Image stability is excellent. My one and only criticism of the new remaster is that it could have exposed grain just a tad better, but the consistency and overall stability even during the indoor/darker footage is already very pleasing (see screencapture #4). This is a region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

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

There are five standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English: DTS 2.0 (Stereo), English: DTS 2.0 (Mono), German: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, and German: DTS 2.0. Optional English, German, and German SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The U.S. release has a lossless Mono track which I like quite a lot and believe should be seriously considered when viewing the film, but this release has only the lossless 7.1 track. On the other hand, I did a few quick comparisons with the DTS 2.0 Mono track and I think that it handles the film's organic soundtrack just as well. The 7.1 track opens up the film pretty dramatically and there are probably a lot of people that enjoy it a lot, but I think that the more compact Mono track is more in sync with its low-budget appearance. Regardless, there are no traces of annoying age-related anomalies so the basics are indeed very solid.

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

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Audio Commentaries - included on this disc are four audio commentaries that have already appeared on other releases of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The information that is shared in them covers pretty much everything that any hardcore fan might be interested in, from the production process and the selection of the locations where key segments were shot to the visual style, reception, and cult status that the film enjoys. In English, with optional German subtitles for each commentary.
  
  1. Commentary One - Featuring actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain, and designer Robert Burns. The commentary is moderated by David Gregory.
  
  2. Commentary Two - Featuring director Tobe Hooper.
  
  3. Commentary Three - Featuring director Tobe Hooper, Actor Gunnar Hansen, and cinematographer Daniel Pearl.
  
  4. Commentary Four - Featuring cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll, and sound engineer Ted Nicolaou.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Interviews
  
  1. Off the Hook: Interview with Teri McMinn - in this video interview, actress Teri McMinn recalls how she was hired to play the character of Pam and discusses her interactions with director Toby Hooper and the rest of the cast during the shooting of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The interview was conducted for Dark Sky Films. In English, with optional German subtitles. (17 min).
  
  2. Interview with Ron Bozman - in this video interview, production manager Ron Bozman recalls his involvement with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and discusses in great detail some of the main challenges he and the rest of his team faces during the shooting process. There are also some very interesting comments about the house where plenty of the film was shot. The interview was conducted by David Gregory for Severin Films. In English, with optional German subtitles. (17 min).
  
  3. Interview with John Dugan - in this video interview, actor John Dugan, who plays Grandfather. remembers his work in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and discusses the 'special effects' and Toby Hooper's many talents and working methods. The interview was conducted by David Gregory for Severin Films. In English, with optional German subtitles. In English, with optional German subtitles. (16 min).
  
  4. Interview with Larry Carroll - interview with co-editor Larry Carroll recalls the difficult shooting conditions and his interactions with director Toby Hooper, and comments on how the film business has evolved since the '70s. The interview was produced for Severin Films. In English, with optional German subtitles. (11 min).

• Documentaries
  
  1. The Shocking Truth - this vintage documentary chronicles the difficult production history of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Included in it are clips from interviews with production designer/art director Robert Burns, Tobe Hooper, and actor Allen Danziger, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Tobe Hooper for Blue Underground. In English, with optional German subtitles. (17 min).
  
  2. The Shocking Truth Outtakes - a collection of outtakes featuring additional clips from the interviews. In English, with optional German subtitles. (8 min).
  
  3. Flesh Wounds - this documentary digs deep into the production history of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and examines the impact that the film has had on the horror genre. It was produced by Red Shirt Pictures and Dark Sky Films. In English, with optional German subtitles. (73 min).
  
  4. Gunnar Hansen - a before-and-after featurette in which actor Gunnar Hansen visits the old house where the film was shot and explains how a few key sequences were shot. The featurette was produced for Blue Underground. In English, with optional German subtitles. (7 min).
  
  5. A Family Portrait - this vintage documentary also explores in great detail the production history of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and features numerous interviews with many of the people that made the film. The documentary was produced by Doornail Films in association with MTI Home Video. In English or German. (61 min).
  
  6. The Five-Minute Massacre - a reel of highlights from the original film and the Marcus Nispel's film.. (5 min).

• The Cutting Room
  
  1. Outtakes - a collection of restored outtakes missing original audio. (16 min).
  
  2. Deleted Scenes - a collection of deleted scenes/trims. (26 min).
  
  3. Outtakes - two longer outtakes with original audio. In English, with optional German subtitles.(3 min).

• Marketting
  
  1. 40th Anniversary 4K Restoration Trailer - With effects and music only. (2 min).
  
  2. Two U.S. Trailer - two vintage North American trailers for the film. (5 min).
  
  3. Three U.S. Teasers - three vintage North American teasers for the film. (3 min).
  
  4. Two Radio Spots - two vintage North American radio spots for the film. (2 min).
  
  5. German Trailer - vintage German trailer for the film. (2 min).

• Booklet - 12-page booklet with vintage promotional materials for the film.

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

This recent release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is sourced from the excellent 4K restoration of the film that Tobe Hooper supervised in 2014. It is possible that it could be of some interest to a tiny number of hardcore collectors, but it does not have any exclusive content that would appeal to folks residing in North America that already have one of Dark Sky Films' releases. It is definitely a very nice release for the German market. RECOMMENDED.