| The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Tobe Hooper |
| Produced by | L. M. Kit Carson Yoram Globus Menahem Golan Tobe Hooper |
| Written by | L. M. Kit Carson |
| Starring | Dennis Hopper Caroline Williams Jim Siedow Bill Moseley Bill Johnson |
| Music by | Tobe Hooper Jerry Lambert |
| Cinematography | Richard Kooris |
| Editing by | Alain Jakubowicz |
| Studio | Cannon Films Inc. |
| Distributed by | Cannon Films Inc. Pathé Films Inc. |
| Release date(s) | August 22, 1986 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.7 million |
| Box office | $8,025,872 (USA) |
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (also known as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2) is a 1986 American dark comedy/horror sequel to the 1974 horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film stars Dennis Hopper as "Lefty", Caroline Williams as "Stretch", Bill Johnson as "Leatherface", Bill Moseley as "Chop Top" and Jim Siedow, who reprises the role of "The Cook". It was written by L. M. Kit Carson and directed by Tobe Hooper, who also directed and co-wrote the original film.
Despite having a much larger budget than the first Chainsaw film, the sequel was highly criticized by some critics for its stylistic departure from the first film, which used minimal gore and a low-budget documentary style to scare its audience by skillfully building up dramatic tension. Unlike its predecessor, TCM2 contains a large amount of gore and features special effects from make-up maestro Tom Savini.
The emphasis in this sequel is on black comedy, which director Tobe Hooper believed was present in the first film, but unacknowledged by viewers because of its realistic and shocking content. Despite being successful in its initial 1986 theatrical run, the film failed to make a substantial profit for the studio. However, it eventually became cult classic and quite popular on VHS, which led to a special edition release of the film on DVD in 2006.
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The film takes place in 1986, 13 years after the events of the first film. It begins with two rowdy high school seniors racing along an abandoned stretch of Texas highway, en route to a weekend of fun in Dallas. They are heavily intoxicated and use their car phone to call and harass on-air radio DJ Vanita "Stretch" Brock (Caroline Williams). Unable to convince them to hang up, Stretch is forced to keep the line open as what began as a simple game of chicken for the boys quickly turns into a nightmare. The two teenagers encounter a large pickup truck which runs parallel to them on a remote bridge. Suddenly, Leatherface (Bill Johnson), wielding a chainsaw, emerges from the back of the truck and proceeds to attack the boys. After a short struggle, Rick (the passenger) tries to shoot Leatherface with a .44 Magnum revolver, but misses his target. Leatherface then slices off part of the head of the driver, and the car ends up crashing.
The following morning, Lieutenant "Lefty" Enright (Dennis Hopper), former Texas Ranger, and uncle of Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother Franklin, who were victims of Leatherface and his family years earlier, arrives at the scene of the crime to help solve the murders of the two teenage boys. Lefty has spent the last thirteen years investigating his niece and nephew's disappearances while investigating reports of mysterious chainsaw killings across Texas. Although regarded with disdain by his peers, Lefty is able to convince the local newspaper to print a tiny article about his quest for justice. The article captures the interest of Stretch, who brings him a copy of the audio tape which recorded the death of the two teenagers. Initially mortified, Lefty asks Stretch to play the tape on her nightly radio show so the law enforcers and the people will have to listen to him.
As the sounds of the horrible attack echo across the airwaves of Texas, Leatherface's family arrive at the radio station. While preparing to leave for the night, Stretch finds Chop Top (Bill Moseley) (who was stationed in Vietnam during the first film and is a twin to the "Hitchhiker" from the first film), waiting in the lobby. When she tries to get rid of him, Leatherface emerges from the darkness. Horrified, Stretch locks herself behind the metal door of a storage closet, holding off Leatherface until he comes through the wall. Meanwhile, Stretch's co-worker arrives, but is beaten badly with a tack hammer by Chop Top. As Leatherface approaches Stretch, about to attack, she does some fast talking and charms him into sparing her. After a moment of distraction, Leatherface restarts his chainsaw and tears off through the studio slashing at walls, furniture and studio equipment, but leaves Stretch alive. He returns to the reception area where he leads Chop Top to believe that he has killed Stretch. Leatherface and Chop Top haul Stretch's mortally wounded co-worker off to their home, followed by Stretch, who winds up trapped inside the Sawyer home, which is actually an abandoned carnival ground decorated with human bones, multi-colored lights, and carnival remnants.
Lefty soon turns up with three chainsaws of his own and begins to carve up the home in a rage shortly before he finds the remains of his nephew, Franklin (from the 1st film). Stretch finds her co-worker dead and takes a look around the hideout. Drayton (Jim Siedow) finds Stretch roaming the grounds and the family capture her. Lefty eventually finds her being tortured at the dinner table and saves her. Drayton tries to bribe Lefty with money, but Lefty slashes Drayton's back side with the chainsaw, and frees Stretch. A battle between Lefty and the Sawyer family ensues, ending with a chainsaw duel between Leatherface and Lefty, with Lefty gaining the upper hand when he stabs Leatherface in the stomach. In the end, Lefty and most of the Sawyer family (Leatherface, "Grandpa" and Drayton) are apparently killed when one of Drayton's grenades goes off prematurely. Only Chop Top and Stretch escape, where they have a final battle in a carved-out rock tower that overlooks the property.
Despite being slashed several times with a straight razor, Stretch grabs a chainsaw held by the mummified remains of the family's grandmother in a ritual shrine in the rock tower. Stretch then gets the upper hand on Chop Top, as she cuts him with the chainsaw, causing him to fall off the tower to a presumed death. The final shot shows Stretch standing on top of the tower and emulating Leatherface's famous chainsaw dance from the ending of the first film.[1]
Several scenes were deleted by director Tobe Hooper due to pacing issues. One lengthy scene that was cut from the film involves the Sawyer Clan heading out at night to collect prime meat for their chili by slaughtering movie patrons and a group of rowdy, rioting fans. The deleted slaughtering scene featured several elaborate Tom Savini special effects. An alternate plot line involving Lefty Enright as Stretch's father was also scrapped. However, these scenes are present on the 2007 Gruesome Edition DVD special features section.
| The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Pt. 2 | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | 1986 |
| Genre | Soundtracks, Gothic rock, New Wave, Alternative rock |
| Label | IRS |
"Crazy Crazy Mama" by Roky Erickson was used in the film but not included on the soundtrack album.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 has received generally mixed reviews over the years, currently attaining a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Ken Hanke praised the film, stating "Nothing says subversive like a good horror film, and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is as subversive as they come". Nick Schager also liked the film, calling it "Irresistibly demented". Chris Parcellin however disliked the film, calling the movie a "great big mess". Roger Ebert said "Part 2 has a lot of blood and disembowelment, to be sure, but it doesn't have the terror of the original, the desire to be taken seriously. It's a geek show." It is considered the best "Chainsaw" film after the original and received more reviews than the rest of the franchise, except the original film.
After it was submitted to the MPAA in the United States, the film received an "X" certificate, prompting the filmmakers to release it as unrated. However, TV previews, theatrical trailers, and even posters for the film displayed the written statement: "Due to the nature of this film, no-one under 17 will be admitted".
The film was released theatrically in the United States by Cannon Films in August 1986. It grossed $8,025,872 at the box office.[2]
The film was released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment the same year. When initially released on home video and laserdisc, it still had no rating. When reissued on home video and on DVD in 2000, it was given an "R" rating by the MPAA.
In a similar way to its predecessor, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 has had a checkered past in regard to its relationship with censors in various countries. As a result, the film is still banned in Germany and Singapore. When the film was submitted in the United Kingdom to the BBFC for a certificate, the BBFC notified Cannon, the distributor, that at least 20 to 25 minutes of footage would have to be trimmed in order for the film to be given an 18 rating. Cannon then aborted its plans for a possible UK release in 1990. Despite this, it is now rated 18 in the United Kingdom.
The film was banned in Australia for 20 years. An uncut version was released on VHS by Warner Bros. Home Video in New Zealand in 1987, but could also be found (illegally, as the box proudly stated)[3] in some Australian video stores at the time. Nowadays, the New Zealand VHS cassette has become very rare. In 2000, an unofficial VHS release was issued to retailers throughout Australia. This was done so illegally by a duplicating house, and without the knowledge of the OFLC. When news of the illegal copies leaked, a number of retailers were raided for possessing infringing copies. The duplicating house was similarly raided by Federal Customs. The film was finally passed for official release in Australia on November 30, 2006.[4] The Uncut "Gruesome Edition" DVD was released on January 24, 2007.[5]
On August 1, 2000 the film was released in a bare bones Region 1 DVD edition, by MGM. However, on October 10, 2006, the film received a second DVD treatment from MGM, entitled "The Gruesome Edition", which featured an audio commentary by director Tobe Hooper and David Gregory, director of Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth, as well as an audio commentary by actors Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini. The special features also included deleted scenes, a feature length documentary entitled It Runs in the Family, six still galleries and a trailer.
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