Unseen Terror 2020: Day 10-12

It wouldn't be my silly horror marathon without the occasional hiccup, would it? Sometimes I think that switching over to video reviews is a much better alternative, but I lack the funds to make that happen. Anyway, due to some birthday commitments (which included my own), here are some quick thoughts about the last three pictures I watched over the course of this weekend.

It was on the tenth day of this month that I could declare that I am mercifully done with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, and after watching the SECOND attempt at a prequel story in this series, I pray to whatever deity will listen that ideas for resurrecting the Sawyer family and their kin remain dormant for a lengthy amount of time. Leatherface is set several years before the events of the original picture and tells the story of how the titular character came to be who he is. There's a story involving him being sent to a mental asylum and escaping with a group of crazies and.....honestly, I can't muster the energy to even give this movie the thorough trashing that it deserves. Though the kills are appropriately nasty and Lili Taylor gives a decent performance as Verna Sawyer, the rest of this movie is just putrid, forced, or downright idiotic. I was aghast when I saw that this came from the same people who made the horrifying and unsettling Inside, which is one of the most uncomfortable and cruel flicks that I've ever seen come from overseas. I'm torn between who I think has the the worse luck when it comes to lousy sequels or retreads: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Hellraiser. At this point, this series doesn't need someone to bring integrity back to the franchise: it needs a pillow over the face.

On the plus side, it IS marginally better than Texas Chainsaw 3-D.

1985's Creature was a film that had been on my radar for much longer than I realized. I do like me some Peter Benchley, plus the addition of Craig T. Nelson and Kim Cattrall as lead performers only added to my excite-...wait, this isn't THAT Creature? This is the one directed by the man who gave us Feardotcom? And from the writer of Supernova?

Well then. Creature (also known as Titan Find) is essentially what would happen if you made Alien, splashed in some elements from The Thing, and slashed its budget significantly while also forgetting how to keep your audience interested. I'd love to say that the presence of noted German legend Klaus Kinski lifts this film up even a smidge, but he's barely in the picture as it is and feels incredibly subdued when he does appear on screen. Come to think of it, I can't really come up with anything positive to say about this one. It's shockingly boring, poorly lit, and cheap-looking in the wrong kind of way. You'd be better off watching other Alien "ripoffs" like Contamination or even last year's ridiculously dumb Shocking Dark.

I feel as though whatever the twelfth day brings, I desperately need my mood lifted.

 

Okay, I'm (technically) cheating here. I first saw portions of Cat's Eye as a kid and eventually made my way to watching the film in its entirety during my teenage years. It has been quite a while since I did that though, and through the magic of Plex I was able to revisit this wonderful anthology from the year of my birth. I won't mince words: Cat's Eye holds a very special place in my heart. It was one of my earliest introductions to the world of Stephen King, showed me how great practical effects and green screen can be when in the right hands, and most importantly it solidified my love for tabby cats. Two of the stories found here are based off of previously-published King short stories ("Quitters Inc." comes from Night Shift, "The Ledge" from Penthouse magazine and also Night Shift), with the third ("General") being a wholly original one penned for the flick by the Maine madman himself. Other than every segment involving the same cat in some sort of capacity, the connecting theme throughout all of these appears to be the fear of losing your loved ones. 

"Quitters Inc." revolves around James Woods joining a strange organization that will seemingly cure him of his nicotine addiction, though if he strays from this path even once, they promise that there will be consequences involving his family. I did not remember this one being as goofy as it is, but Woods' near-constant neurotic performance makes this a very entertaining thirty-or-so minutes. Hell it could have gone on for another ten and I still would have been perfectly content. "The Ledge" is eerily similar to "Something to Tide You Over" from Creepshow; Robert Hays plays a man who is forced to circle a VERY narrow exterior of a tall building by the husband of the woman he's been having an affair with. Even those who don't share the same fear of heights that some of my own friends do will likely feel a little queasy, which can be attributed to some great camerawork and trickery. "General" however, is perhaps the most notorious and well-liked story in Cat's Eye. The aforementioned cat, who had acted as more of a background player prior to this while also avoiding other King creations such as Cujo and Christine (not kidding!), finds himself in the home of young Drew Barrymore and runs afoul of her distrustful mother. Because of her apprehension and insistence that he remain an outdoor cat, the feline is initially unable to protect the girl from a benevolent troll who enters her room with the intention of stealing her breath. Eventually the two creatures meet and we bear witness to a wonderful fight which showcases how criminally underrated this film's effects are. I feel as though I've lost count with how many times I've watched this particular segment over the decades, but it never fails to put the biggest smile on my face. It also has a great vocal performance from Frank Welker as the tiny terror whom only Barrymore is convinced exists.

Like I did with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I don't think there's much else that I can add when it comes to heaping praise on Cat's Eye. It's a truly wonderful little movie and was the perfect piece to help erase the memory of the past few flicks from my mind. Go watch it and give your pussy some loving while you're at it.

.................note to self: don't type that again.

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 9

Okay, I'm on a very tight schedule this weekend, so this review might not be as long as I would want it to be. Then again, there's a very good chance that most of the following paragraphs would consist of various ways of saying "but why though" should I spend too much time on it. We're into the fifth decade of the Texas Chainsaw franchise, and this time around we're (again) jumping back in time to the events of the first picture (specifically the moment after it ended) and ignoring every other entry that followed. We open with a gaggle of Texas residents burning down the Sawyer family home just after they had reluctantly agreed to surrender Leatherface to the authorities. Fast forward to present day where young Heather Miller discovers that her grandmother has recently passed away, and she sets out on a trip with her friends to collect the inheritance that may or may not also include a certain chainsaw-wielding maniac.

Look, I'll be as brutally honest here as I can be: I was going into Texas Chainsaw 3D expecting bottom of the barrel material. The reviews on this have been pretty nasty over the years, and seeing as how I am not the biggest fan of the "3D" gimmick in cinema (at least for horror films), I didn't have much hope for this entry. Compared to yesterday's TCM: The Beginning it is marginally better, but that's like saying you prefer to get punched in the stomach rather than kicked in the head. For starters, if you are a stickler for continuity and timeline accuracy, this movie will drive you absolutely bonkers. There are plot holes so large you could drop a goddamn Gundam through them. I'm not trying to be meticulous or anal about this, but if we the audience are to believe that this takes place in present day, that means Leatherface is possibly in his SEVENTIES but can still run like he's training for the Olympics. It also means that Alexandra Daddario (True Detective) is significantly older-looking than she appears to be. Don't get me wrong, she's one of the better things about this mess of a movie (save for having to shout one TRULY terrible line towards the end), but it's yet another aspect that I believe they forgot about when the screenplay was being finished. Speaking of that, this could legitimately have the worst script of any entry in this series so far, which manages to somehow take a step backwards in terms of crafting likable protagonists (something that even The Beginning did better) or writing memorable dialogue. I found myself just yawning or groaning during most of the lengthier conversations between characters and the boredom feels that much worse when you realize that most of it amounts to absolutely nothing (an affair subplot for one).

If I could list off a few positives about Texas Chainsaw 3D though, they would be that there are some nice cameos from veterans of the series during the opening segment. The aforementioned Daddario is also perfectly fine but that can also be attributed to the fact that everyone else around here is pretty damn bad. The kills aren't too shabby. There's also some.....interesting choices that are made to the Leatherface character; painted here as more of a crazed antihero than a full-on villain. I'm not too sure if I liked this decision personally, but it was a risk they were willing to take knowing that it could alienate a good portion of the fanbase so...uh, good on them? Then again, this film is also co-written by Adam Marcus of Jason Goes to Hell fame, so I suppose that I can't be too surprised by the biggest twist reveal during its third act.

I'm certain this film has its fans, and I may be willing to revisit it down the line so I can view it in legitimate 3-D (my own television lacks the ability to utilize it), but boy oh boy I do not expect that to be any time this year. All I can say is thank goodness there's only one more entry left in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, because I think I've had just about enough of these films and their inability to stick to just one timeline or tone.

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 8

Alright, now that the detour known as The Car has come and gone, let's finish what we started shall we?

2006's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is (to nobody's surprise) a prequel to the remake from three years prior and also marks the final time that the world of Leatherface and co. would be handled by the likes of New Line Cinema. The plot centers on two brothers and their girlfriends who are driving across the country to have some fun before they enlist in the Vietnam war. One small mishap involving a biker gang leads to them having an accidental encounter with the Hewitt family and, well, you can just guess how everything goes from here. 

Unfortunately this is where Beginning's biggest problems lie: a lot of just feels so predictable and familiar. Even some of this movie's biggest twists and reveals lack the impact that they should have, and the fact that this film serves as a precursor to the 2003 film means that we know that nothing major is going to happen to any of the returning cast. And my goodness are the origins behind some of these "mysteries" just utterly lame: was there really a demand to know how the old guy in the wheelchair lost his legs, or that Leatherface used to work in a slaughterhouse? It just feels so unnecessary, as if the filmmakers wanted to attempt to spice things up a bit rather than just deliver another substandard slasher picture. Nice try, but it missed the mark for me. Beginning is also so intent on showing the audience how "mean" and "brutal" it can be that it comes across as forced and obnoxious. It can't be coincidental that this Chainsaw entry was released right after the success of flicks like Saw and Hostel, which ushered in the "torture porn" genre (side note: I REALLY hate that term), because more than ever before it loves to linger and focus on how much physical damage can be done to a human being while they are compromised or constrained. There is a sequence where R. Lee Ermey has the two male protagonists tied up while he physically and psychologically torments them, and despite the best efforts from the actor I found myself honestly getting bored by the whole affair.

There are plenty of positives to be found in this new (old?) Texas Chainsaw entry though: the cast is surprisingly solid, with Jordana Brewster making for a fine heroine and the aforementioned Ermey turning in a (mostly) wonderful slimy performance yet again as Sheriff Hoyt. Truth be told this was one of the few situations where even when I disliked a movie overall, I liked every protagonist and was genuinely sad when any of them died. Chalk that up to either deceptively good actors or me being extremely empathetic. The kills are also fairly well done, though I have to wonder if the filmmakers or writers know how a chainsaw actually works. Eh, that's horror logic for you though.

There isn't much of a reason for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning to exist. It doesn't excel in any particular area, it wants to mislead you into thinking that being "brutal" is the same as being "scary," and outside of some grisly deaths it just doesn't make for a very memorable experience. For all of the flak that films like Next Generation and TCM2 got, at least they had personality and had something to tell your friends about. For all the problems I had with the remake, it's still infinitely better than this and seems like it was made with more respect for the source material. For me, this was just another mediocre slasher "origin" story that was best left on the cutting room floor.

Of course, there are still two more flicks to go. Perhaps I'll ease up a little once those are knocked off...

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 6

For better or for worse, we have this bad boy here to thank for the onslaught of unnecessary remakes and retreads that seemed to plague cinemas for nearly two decades. I briefly recall seeing the trailer for 2003's remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and not being fully aware that this was a reboot rather than a sequel. Of course, now that I've sat through five of these films (of which a couple can arguably be called remakes/reimaginings of the original itself), I feel like perhaps an update would be a right proper move to make. No disrespect to the prior three entries in this franchise, but this series desperately needed to get back to its more terrifying roots. Thankfully it succeeds....kind of.

The plot revolves around a group of friends who pick up a hitchhiker while on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The stranger is seemingly traumatized and quietly murmuring to herself about "everyone being dead," but before they can get any further information about what this means, she pulls a gun from between her legs (like you do) and commits suicide. After pulling over to call the authorities, things start to get worse and worse for the youngsters as they find themselves being harassed and stalked by a plethora of psychotic individuals. Surprisingly, this reboot manages to wrangle up a few familiar faces from the original flick: cinematographer Daniel Pearl, narrator John Larroquette, and even Tobe Hooper & Kim Henkel (though the latter two co-produce this time around). Pearl in particular was a very nice addition: 2003's Chainsaw looks grimy and ugly considering that it still has Hollywood (specifically Michael Bay) deeply involved with it. The film's color palette is dreary and even from the get-go we never really feel as though there is ANY hope in this hellish landscape that we've entered. It's probably the best "aura" that we've seen emitted from a TCM movie since the first film. I do wish that they had stuck to minimal usage of music though: this new entry is a little too "loud" if you get my drift. Sound-wise it's oftentimes too reliant on jump scares, which while entertaining from time to time, don't really instill genuine fear in a lot of people.

In terms of the cast, 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre is perfectly adequate. Jessica Biel makes for a good final girl and gets some truly badass moments to shine during the film's final twenty minutes. Full Metal Jacket's R. Lee Ermey makes for a truly great psychopathic sheriff who feels arguably more threatening than the most famous figure in this franchise. Speaking of that, even if I may think that the guy is a complete fucking knob, Andrew Bryniarski makes Leatherface feel threatening for the first time in quite a while. He's imposing and intimidating without seeming too superhuman, even if he's missing some of the more quirky traits that made the villain so interesting to fans. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the cast, because I feel as though this is one of the film's biggest flaws: there isn't a distinctive feature amongst them other than maybe some very small physical traits (that and Biel being a legitimately recognizable face). Yes the original film's cast was nothing super flashy, but there was at least something unique about them. In this picture, they all come across as extremely unlikable, and moments of padding out the film were likely done to help the audience care for them, but I don't think it works very well. Heck even Leatherface's "family" feel like they've been ripped from the big book of redneck stereotypes.

I was expecting to come out of 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with very mixed emotions, and it turns out that such a thing came to be a reality. It's not a terrible movie by any stretch of the imagination (and from I'm told, I'll come to appreciate it more with what other films come afterwards), but like most modern remakes/retellings, it just doesn't seem to serve any purpose or warrant a reason for existing other than the belief that a lot of younger audiences won't watch "old" horror movies anymore. Funnily enough, this picture could now be considered "nostalgic" for the generation just underneath my own, and I've met an abundance of genre fans who used films like this as a stepping stone for them to dive further into this oh-so wonderful world that we call horror cinema. So despite my mixed feelings, I do acknowledge and respect its importance to horror, whether some other folks may want to or not.

Oh if only this flick was sentient though: it'd owe us an apology for the wave for crappy remakes like The Fog, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and the like.

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 4

 

"You know guys, it just dawned on me how weird this film is. Kinda goofy." - Tom Servo

This might not come as a huge surprise to those of you tuning in this early (or at all) to my yearly marathon, but for 2020's iteration of "Unseen Terror," I have made the conscious decision to watch every single entry in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise that has been released as of this month. After sitting through the absolute insanity that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (originally released as The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) though, I think I'm taking a slight detour with tomorrow's entry. I remember sitting through TCM4 (I am not typing out that entire title every time) when I was a teenager and not having strong feelings about it one way or the other. I recall the film not being particularly violent despite having such a striking title and that its cast of characters spent more time fighting with each other than trying to kill other people. I also recall that it had very early roles from Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey before they ever officially became A-listers. It turns out that those recollections were pretty damn accurate and this oddball picture, which has earned a pretty notorious reputation as the "love it or loathe it" entry in the series is just as strange as I remembered.

The fourth film, which seems to acknowledge that the prior three entries all happened in some sort of capacity, centers around two couples out and about during prom night who (naturally) run into Leatherface's unhinged and deranged family after they accidentally collide with another driver on the road. Nothing too out of this world, but I do find it amusing that some platforms where this is streaming (mine was on Plex. Thanks to Jon if he's reading this) state that apparently Leatherface always attacks people on the night of prom. As Mike Stoklasa once said, "are they experts in things that have never, ever happened?" Regardless of that funny little error, it's kind of unfortunate the protagonists of TCM4 are stuck in that perpetual "obnoxious 90s teenager" mode which really wants you to like them, but ends with you breathing a sigh of relief whenever they're dispatched of so you don't have to hear them talk like no human being ever does. Renee Zellweger comes across as probably the most likeable of the bunch, but that's only because her heroic costars are either too stupid to live or just plain badly written. She does make for a pretty darn good final girl though, handling herself well considering everything going on around her (there's apparently a deleted flashback sequence which explains how/why she doesn't break as easily as others have in the past) and showing no hesitation to f*ck up her tormentors whenever the option was available.

We aren't going to spend all of this time talking about the future Oscar winner though. Instead, let's discuss what is easily TCM4's highlight: another....erm, future Oscar winner. Yes, that would be a (then) twenty-five-year-old Matthew McConaughey as the head villain of the picture: the bonkers, self-mutilating, mechanical-leg brace-wielding Vilmer Slaughter. Every damn moment that the famed Texan is on screen is just pure magic. He is comically unhinged and batshit crazy, making even Chop Top from TCM2 look subdued in comparison. There are times where one has to wonder if he was a little TOO into this role, because whenever he has to get close to poor Renee Zellweger he has a very sadistic look on this face which suggests that maybe studying for this part involved partaking in some VERY illegal crimes. His cohorts are equally entertaining: Darla Slaughter (played by the amusing Tonie Perensky) has a very morbid sense of humor, but is far more competent and considerably normal than her family members. Despite his cliched redneck appearance, W.E. Slaughter (portrayed by Joe Stevens of Justified fame) is more well-educated than other evil family members in prior entries (even going so far as to constantly quote famous authors and figures). Unfortunately, I was not the biggest fan of what the film did to poor old Leatherface: he spends a large portion of the film relegated to the background while mostly cowering and screaming. There's an expansion on the idea that the character may be a transvestite or sexually confused (not one in the same by the way!), but it never gets fully explored and just kind of exists to add to the overall weirdness of the picture. There's also a ridiculously stupid revelation which implies that the Sawyer....sorry, Slaughter family has connections to an illuminati-like organization that was responsible for the J.F.K. assassination. It's very, very stupid and again, doesn't really serve much of a purpose save for a scene of pure coincidence in the final five minutes of the film.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is oftentimes baffling, kind of sloppy, and not the most well-directed (did I mention that this was directed by Kim Henkel, who co-wrote the original movie?). It is also, however, really damn entertaining during its second half once the family "gets together." Though largely bloodless, the performances from our leads are good enough to warrant giving this a cautionary recommendation and at the very least, it has a TON of personality, which is more than I could say throughout most of the previous film's running time. There's a nifty-looking Blu-ray out there from Scream! Factory for those of you with a "buzz" for something different.

.....and boy am I ashamed of that joke. Sorry.

I'll make it up to y'all with a really obscure kaiju flick soon.

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 3

By the time that Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III hit theaters, this film franchise had gone through THREE different distributors. This time around, New Line Cinema acquired the rights in hopes that they could assure the public that we would see a return to the deadly serious and terrifying nature of the bad boy that started it all back in 1974. Side note: can you believe that for a short period of time, New Line owned Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, AND The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Had they managed to obtain Halloween they would've arguably had a monopoly in the realm of slasher pictures. Back to the subject at hand though. Due to the very mixed reception for its predecessor, Leatherface seemingly ignores the second film and everything that happened afterwards. Instead, the opening crawl tells us that the character of Leatherface has been on the run since the horrific killings back in the 1970s and that our final girl from the first film died in a health care facility (boo). The plot revolves around a young couple who find themselves being stalked and terrorized by the titular villain and his new family of crazies. I would say that there are deeper and more fascinating plot elements that are being left out in my review, but that would be a lie. It's kind of standard stuff, though not without some charm.

The very first thing you're likely to notice is the presence of a young Viggo Mortensen as "Tex", one of the newest members of the Sawyer clan. The handsome youngster is seemingly the most "normal" of everyone in this crew of antagonists, but he is the furthest thing from sympathetic. Hell at this point in the series, the most sympathetic villain we've been witnesses to is TCM2's iteration of Leatherface, and he was still killing people and peeling their skin off of their faces. Mortensen and his costars are perfectly adequate in their roles, but personality-wise there isn't anything wholly memorable about them. True his brother "Tink" sports a prosthesis for a hand and there's a little girl who is implied to be the product of a rape that involved Leatherface (ugh), but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss the zaniness of someone like Chop Top or even Drayton Sawyer. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I did enjoy Kate Hodge's performance as Michelle (a.k.a. TCM3's final girl). While she lacks the spunkiness of the previous flick's protagonist, she still comes across as a bit of a bad ass during the final twenty minutes or so. It all pales in comparison though to the excellence that is the character of Benny (played here by genre great Ken Foree). The Dawn of the Dead veteran is always a joy to watch, and I'm sure that he was glad to know that he wouldn't end up as mincemeat within the first act.

Outside of the performers, however, is where my legitimate complaints about Leatherface: TCM3 begin. For starters, I just didn't find it to be particularly scary. The first Texas Chainsaw Massacre might seem ancient for a lot of modern audiences, but its power and entire vibe is something that is incredibly difficult to recreate. I'm not certain that I would be content with this franchise just going further and further off the rails ala a series like Child's Play, but the entire aesthetic of TCM3 just feels so very off and I can't quite explain why. Perhaps it was due to discovering that most of it was shot in California (and you can tell) or perhaps it was discovering that this movie went through absolute hell trying to get an acceptable cut released to cinemas. Then again, I can still enjoy a film no matter how sloppy or torn apart the finished product may be (Exorcist III). I also don't feel as if this picture added much to the entire mythos or TCM universe in terms of useful information or character development. Most of it feels wholly unnecessary, and although one of the coolest revelations comes in the form of a striking golden chainsaw with "The Saw is Family" engraved on it, it doesn't get much use and comes from a phrase uttered in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Which doesn't exist now according to this film.

Ah fuck it.

Perhaps I'll track down the "unrated" cut of Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III at some point in the future. But for now? I just don't think it makes for a worthy watch. Yes the kills are decent, the acting isn't too shabby, and it does have a pretty swell list of thrash metal bands on the soundtrack (Laaz Rockit and Death Angel!), but you shouldn't be a hurry to track this one down unless you're a diehard fan. If you've got the cash to spend, then you can track down the film fairly easily on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Unseen Terror 2020: Day 2

Well this was....unexpected.

Okay, I was well aware that the sequels in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise were of varying quality, but to say that I was awaiting something more akin to a dark comedy than a full-on intense horror flick ala its predecessor would be a lie. Alas, it does appear that director Tobe Hooper was fully on board with the decision that should a sequel be created to the film that made him an in-demand name, it should be the complete opposite of what preceded it by twelve years (infamous film distributors Cannon were reportedly not a fan of this choice). It's a goofy, over-the-top, and bloody slasher with very little in the way of deeper meanings or commentaries. It lacks the grimy and eerie realism that made the 1974 film so shocking and respected.

And yet.......it's also ridiculously entertaining and kind of a joy to watch.

The plot for the second movie in what is a surprisingly large film franchise technically begins with an explanation that due to some very odd technicalities and bumbling, the brutal and cannibalistic Sawyer family were never captured by authorities and are on the run. Hell, there's a contingent that doesn't seem to believe that they even exist! After massacring (ha) a couple of rowdy teens who were harassing a young disc jockey nicknamed "Stretch" over the phone, they proceed to track down and terrorize the young lady due to the possibility of her having recorded their killings. Elsewhere, former Texas Ranger Boude "Lefty" Enright has seemingly turned vigilante and is in pursuit of the murderous family who just so happen to be responsible for his nephew's death over a decade ago. Once the credits began to roll on TCM2, it struck me how eerily similar this was to a motion picture released two decades later: Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. I won't venture into spoiler territory (and usually don't unless I REALLY hate the film), but the fact that both feature a man of the law in pursuit of a demented family who killed someone very close to them, they star the amazingly talented Bill Moseley in what are arguably scene-stealing roles, and are noticeably different in tone or style when compared to their predecessors is very peculiar. I'm almost certain that this is a combination of a passionate love letter via Zombie and pure coincidence. But let's get back to this bad boy before I get sidetracked.

As mentioned above, director Tobe Hooper wished to film Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as a straight up black comedy rather than an intense horror movie, having believed that the more comedic elements of the first picture went by almost completely unnoticed when audiences first viewed it (I'll include myself in that list). In some regards it works. Writer L.M. Kit Carson concocts an unabashedly silly script that turns the murderous and psychotic Sawyer clan from the first film into a more demented version of a cantankerous, squabbling sitcom family. Jim Siedow is one of the only performers to return this time around, and his portrayal of family head and meat connoisseur Drayton Sawyer is still solid overall. Considering just how iconic Leatherface has become in the horror world, I think it's a bit of a shame that Drayton is glossed over by casual fans of the genre. Leatherface (naturally) makes a return as well, although he's played by a different actor this time around (something which apparently becomes a regular occurrence throughout the series) and his new mask has certainly seen better days. There's a side plot which seems to imply that perhaps he isn't as evil as society believes he is, but it never really amounts to much when the final twenty minutes kick in. I might disappoint some of my friends when I say that he came across as a bit of wasted potential this time around. 

The same can not be said for franchise newcomer Rob "Chop Top" Sawyer (played by an absolutely crazed Bill Moseley). He is a living cartoon character come to life, and even if he does feel like someone who could've been thrown into a Batman book, he is just so damn charming and legitimately funny. I can see why he has developed a rabid cult following. As luck would have it, we also have a much more well-developed "final girl" this time around too in the form of Caroline Williams' spunky "Stretch." I mean no disrespect to the late Marilyn Burns, but I felt as though she was more lucky than anything during the entire ordeal of part 1. Williams, on the other hand has some legitimately great moments of character growth and sports some real chutzpah during moments of serious peril and danger. The only newcomer that I wasn't enthusiastic about was protagonist Lefty Enright (played here by the late Dennis Hopper). True he has a good motivation for everything that he does, but more than anything else, he feels like an afterthought and shows up in the nick of time towards the end so that he can participate in what is admittedly a very cool scene involving dueling chainsaws. He isn't a bad character per se, but perhaps he was just outshone by everyone else around him.

There was a very small part of me that was prepared to dislike The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 just based on how much I ended up loving its predecessor (call it sequel trepidation I suppose). I am always happy to be pleasantly surprised though, and if you can go into this with a bit of a open mind (and a tolerance for gore), there's a high chance you'll be smiling throughout a lot of its running time. As of this writing, the flick is available to stream via Amazon Prime and a collector's edition Blu-Ray from Scream! Factory shouldn't be too difficult to track down.

And now, some parting words for racists, fascists, and all-around pieces of human trash via Mr. Moseley: