6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Young DJ Vantia Block is hosting a music show when two renegade hoodlums phone her and start making trouble. The situation changes rapidly as the kids drive to a passageway and get sawed to pieces by Leatherface while the shocked DJ listens the kids' screams. Local sheriff approaches Block and convinces her to play the recording made from the phone call on radio, hoping that the killers would show up
Starring: Bill Moseley, Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson (XI), Lou PerrymanHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 25% |
Dark humor | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
DD is 192 kbps
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
There are a few approaches that horror sequels typically take. They can be more cartoonish, like George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, a comic
book romp compared to the stark Night of the Living Dead. They can be more action-packed, like James Cameron's machine gun-happy
Aliens over Ridley Scott's brooding Alien. And they can be more pointedly comedic, like Sam Raimi's hammy sequel-cum-remake,
Evil Dead 2. For his 1986 followup to 1974's instantly influential Texas Chainsaw Massacre, director Tobe Hooper unpopularly took all
three tacts.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ditches the slow, grimy documentarian tone of its predecessor—which was influenced by Ed Gein and the war
in Vietnam—in favor of over-the-top Grand Guignol violence, a wacky new setting, and comedy blacker than coagulated blood. Upon release it was
promptly trashed by critics expecting something as genuinely terrifying as the low-budget original, but over the years it's developed a sizable cult
following of fans who appreciate it for its utter ridiculousness. Taken as a grisly comedy—and not necessarily as a "horror" movie—it does work fitfully,
spewing Reagan-era satire alongside its gross-out Tom Savini gore effects.
The oft-maligned sequel arrives on Blu-ray with a rather grubby-looking 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that's nevertheless an okay upgrade from the 2006 "Gruesome Edition" DVD. The film is exceptionally grainy, but it also seems susceptible to bluish compression/scanner noise here, especially in darker scenes. The chunkiness of the 35mm image inherently affects the level of clarity. Though clearly sourced from a high definition master, the picture is typically quite soft, with fuzzy lines and truly fine detail that's only visible in the tightest close-ups. While color can also appear splotchy due to the thick grain, the lurid neon red and green lighting still has plenty of density and punch. Black levels can be a bit oppressive here and there, and skin tones a hair too ruddy, but generally the tonal qualities of the image seem decently balanced. There's no DNR smoothing, no obvious edge enhancement, and only a few specks and flecks, but I suspect there's still room for improvement here if MGM went back to the original negative elements.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 roars onto Blu-ray with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Well, as much as a 2.0 can roar, anyway. A revamped multi-channel presentation would definitely up the intensity, but the original stereo mix ain't bad. You'll be hearing a lot of screaming— courtesy of Caroline Williams—and a lot of high-pitched chainsaw revving, and to the track's credit, the high-end rarely peaks or crackles or muffles. The frantic action is backed up by a very 1980s score from Tobe Hooper and Jerry Lambert, and you'll hear a few period-specific rock songs in the radio station scenes. You won't be blown away by the audio quality, but everything sounds as it ought to. Most importantly, L.M. Kit Carson's zany dialogue is always clear and easy to understand. For those that might need a little help, the disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles, plus a French Dolby Digital 1.0 dub.
Tobe Hooper's return to the Texas Chainsaw universe defied expectations in a bad way at the time of its release, but the crazier, dopier sequel definitely has a cult following now, who understand the film was never meant to be as harrowing as the original, and enjoy it for what it is—a darkly comic spoof. The least you can say about it is that it's infinitely better than the 1994 Matthew McConaughey/Renee Zellweger disaster that was Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. And it's a hell of a lot more fun than any of the recent Texas Chainsaw reboot projects. MGM's new Blu-ray release is pretty much a straight port of the DVD, with a so-so high definition transfer, but it'd make a decent addition to any pre- Halloween horror marathon.
1986
Collector's Edition
1986
with exclusive Hard Case w/Slipcover only on VS retailer site
1986
2013
2017
Theatrical Cut
2006
Collector's Edition | Uncut Version 4K + BD / Theatrical Version BD
1981
2018
Collector's Edition
1988
1974
Limited Edition
1977
Warner Archive Collection
1990
1972
Rosemary's Killer
1981
Collector's Edition | The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre
1994
2003
1985
Collector's Edition
1989
Special Edition
1980
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1980
Unrated
2010
Collector's Edition
1981
Unrated
2005