The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) Directed by Tobe Hooper
In the 1970s there was a small, low budget horror film named The Texas Chainsaw Massacre hit theaters and left a lasting impact on moviegoers everywhere. The original Chainsaw was a grungy, crazy movie that was way ahead of its time in 1974. The sequel came out 12 years later. The tagline even says: “after a decade of silence, the buzz is back.” At the time of release Chainsaw 2 was given an X rating for the over the top gore and grim material shown in the film. The years that followed, Chainsaw 2 has developed a cult following. This was my first time watching this movie, so here is my fresh-take on it.
I have to start off by saying that I have actually avoided this movie for years. I heard that this is more of a comedy and is just full of excess. The goofy acting, crazy gore and just wacky presentation have kept me away from this. I mentioned that I haven’t seen it last week and my neighbor handed me his dvd, so I guess I was in now and I should watch it. From the beginning you know that this isn’t as serious or as dark as the original film. These two morons are playing chicken with a pickup truck on a country road and they’re attacked by Leatherface, causing a car accident. The rest of the movie is Dennis Hopper as a police officer trying to track down the culprit(s) of numerous chainsaw related murders in the area.
There are many odd scenes in this movie involving Leatherface and Stretch a female DJ from the local radio station. They aren’t odd enough to make you uncomfortable they are just odd and annoying to be honest. He acts like he’s banging her with the chainsaw and the whole season is just weird and stupid. This is the kind of movie that has the goofy humor that I just don’t get. Its in the same tone of Evil Dead, which….hold your hats, I don’t like. I know everyone has a big raging hard on for The Evil Dead, but I have attempted to watch that movie multiple times and I just can’t do it, I don’t understand the appeal. Evil Dead 2, however is leaps and bounds better than the original. Which is the opposite with this film. I have yet to find a sequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre that I enjoy.
I’m going to be honest right now, this is one of the very few moments that I can’t bring myself to finish a movie. It also may be the first time in the history of this blog that I can’t bring myself to finish a movie. Is it the worst I have ever seen? No, its not necessarily terrible. The gore is crazy and very hardcore, which is funny and intense. The comedy style and the complete 180 from the original just turns me off. I found myself being annoyed more than entertained by this. I apologize to the readers of this blog that I am doing a review about a movie that I have only seen 50 minutes of but I just couldn’t continue. I am not a fan of horror/comedies, really I only enjoy a handful of them. This movie really could’ve been a Troma movie and I wouldn’t have argued it. That’s the basic style of humor in this. I was disappointed and I should’ve trusted my gut and stayed clear. I am not giving a grade for this, seeing that I never finished it. I will give it the classic “I” for incomplete.
