6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A tale of five 20-somethings whose freespirited roadtrip becomes a terrifying descent into madness. When they find themselves isolated in a rural Texas community, they fall into the clutches of a monstrous clan of Texas cannibals and find themselves being whittled away by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric BalfourHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 52% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An idyllic summer afternoon became a nightmare.
2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre does so many things right that its one downfall may
be that it's just too good at accomplishing what it sets out to do. While that's normally something
that would make a movie an all-time classic, this is one instance where "too much of a good thing"
can have the opposite effect. On one hand, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an incredibly
well-made movie in the context of its genre. One of the most chillingly atmospheric films viewers
are ever likely to see, there's not one single frame in the movie that doesn't at least hint at despair;
the film's vomit-toned color palette is evidence of that. The atmosphere is made possible thanks to
stunning cinematography, chillingly grisly and worn down locales, and above-average acting from
every member of the cast. The film is also incredibly brutal; legs and arms are hacked off, people
are impaled on hooks, bodies are sliced in half from the groin up, people are shot through the head,
and their faces are worn as masks. The gore, combined with the atmosphere, simply becomes too
overpowering.
Before dinner.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre slices into Blu-ray with a transfer that reflects the film's intended rotten appearance. Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p Blu-ray looks about as good as it can given the source material. As might be expected of a dark and grimy movie, fine detail is never all that impressive; then again, the dreary, depressed, and borderline grotesque locations and color palette, combined with plenty of dark locations, don't really lend to the film an opportunity to present lavish eye candy. Interiors are often hazy and drenched in shadow, lending even less opportunity for the transfer to reveal the nitty-gritty nuances of the film's several eerie locales. Nevertheless, there are a few shots that allow the film to bask in the resolution afforded to it by Blu-ray, particularly in the film's opening segment inside the hot and stuffy van, which showcases a fair amount of sweat glistening off skin and facial hair on the men. Though much of the film is bathed in darkness, black levels can sometimes look too bright and unnatural, but then again the film must juggle between being so dark that audiences can't see what is going on and brightening things up just a bit to reveal the intricacies of the set design. The transfer also retains a generally fine layer of grain throughout. Though there is a touch of shimmering in a few scenes as well as a bit of edge enhancement, the film doesn't seem to suffer from too many other problems. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre may not be pretty, but this Blu-ray seems to capture the film's intended look nicely.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre features but one soundtrack, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless mix. Dialogue is occasionally a bit difficult to make out, though this seems more a result of character sometimes mumbling their lines rather than forcefully annunciating each syllable. The track's true strength and most noticeable trait, however, comes in the form of its excellent, virtually seamless atmospherics. Many outdoor scenes reveal a fabulous level of environmental ambience, particularly in the form of buzzing insects, that brings the hot and sticky Texas afternoon to vivid sonic life. Indoor scenes, too, deliver the goods; Leatherface's hellish basement features the sound of dripping water and rattling chains coming from every direction; the surround speakers are used to good, natural effect here, only adding to the nasty visuals and intense violence. As to the more aggressive sound effects, the film's title weapon -- the chainsaw -- buzzes with a horrific presence and slices through wood and flesh with a terrifying volume and power. While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't the most aggressive, bass-heavy, or loud soundtrack out there, its incredible sense of space and atmosphere nevertheless makes it an upper-echelon track.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre serves up a smorgasbord of supplemental features, this
package headlined by a trio of commentary tracks. Track one features Director Marcus Nispel,
Producer Michael Bay, Executive Producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and
then-Co-Chairman/Co-CEO of New Line Cinema Robert Shaye. This track is cobbled together
from several sources, but this doesn't really interrupt the flow. The participants discuss the way
the film came to be, the importance that audiences believe the story to be true, the film's look
and tone, the assemblage of the cast, the film's uneasy tone, set design, and more. Track
number two again features Director Marcus Nispel, this time accompanied by
Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Production Designer Greg Blair, Art Director Scott Gallagher,
Supervising Sound Editor Trevor Jolly, and Composer Steve Jablonsky. Billed as a "technical
commentary," this one is again cobbled together from several different recordings and looks at
the differences between this film and the original, the budget, the film's look, shooting locations
and geographical conditions, set dressing, and more. Finally, track three is manned by Director
Marcus Nispel, Producer Michael Bay, Screenwriter Scott
Kosar, Executive Producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and Cast Members Jessica Biel, Erica
Leerhsen, Eric Balfour, Jonathan Tucker, Mike Vogel, and Andrew Bryniarski. As with the other
two commentaries, this one is assembled from various sources and edited together. The
track covers much of the same information as heard in the previous tracks but sometimes from a
different perspective. The
participants speak on how the story evolved, the characters' experiences throughout the film,
shooting on budget, casting, why people are drawn to Horror films, and more.
Next up is Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre (480p, 1:16:08). Though dubbed a
"featurette," this is in fact a fill-length documentary that begins by looking back at the original
picture and the process of reinventing it for a modern generation. Though some of the
comments overlap from the commentaries, this piece does take a solid, fascinating, and
to-the-point look at the production. The piece recalls New Line buying the film before there was
even a script and takes an in-depth look at the casting, shooting the picture, designing the sets
and
Letherface's mask, creating some of the more gruesome special effects, and more. Ed Gein:
The Ghoul of Plainfield (480p, 24:16) gives viewers a more in-depth look back at the
Wisconsin killer that served as an inspiration for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Severed Parts (480p, 16:41) takes an in-depth look at the cutting room floor and reveals
some of the scenes deleted from the final picture. These scenes are also included separately
under the Additional Footage heading. Next is a collection of three screen tests, one
each for Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, and Erica Leerhsen (480p, 7:16). Rounding out this collection
of extras is the music video Suffocate by Motograter (480p, 3:06), two trailers (480p,
1:30 & 2:20), and seven TV spots (480p, 3:49 combined runtime).
No doubt about it, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most effective movies ever made. It absolutely captures the tone it strives for, but it's so effective at being positively terrifying that it often seems just too much to bear. As to whether this is a "good" movie or not, that's up to each individual viewer's tolerance levels for the material. Most over-the-top or excessively violent films seem to have some sort of lighter, maybe even comedic edge to them, but not here. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is dark, unforgiving, exclusively violent, and unbearably atmospheric from beginning to end. Be forewarned. New Line's Blu-ray release is generally spectacular. The 1080p transfer recreates the film's intended look just fine, and the Dolby TrueHD lossless soundtrack reinforces the film's chilling atmosphere to near perfection. Also featuring a plethora of bonus materials, this Blu-ray comes recommended to fans of the film.
Theatrical Cut
2006
2017
2013
2007
40th Anniversary Edition
1974
Unrated
2005
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
Unrated
2012
Collector's Edition
1988
Collector's Edition
1989
2014
Unrated
2010
Unrated Edition
2006
Collector's Edition
1978
2016
Unrated Collector's Edition
2007
1986
2003
Unrated
2007
2018