Director: Tobe Hooper
Screenplay: L. M. Kit Carson
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Jim Siedow, Bill Moseley and Bill Johnson
Country: United States
Running Time: 100 min
Year: 1986
Sequels can be tricky. When a film ends up being a success, the demand for more is inevitable and in the case of Tobe Hooper’s iconic film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the demand was through the roof. Nowadays, we’re familiar with countless iterations, sequels, remakes, reboots, requels and video games attempting to recapture the magic of Hooper’s classic horror but when Hooper signed a three-picture deal with The Cannon Group, he’d end up making the first of what seems to be a never-ending list of Leatherface and company.
For the longest time, Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, or more commonly known as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, was considered a huge misstep for the director. Shifting the focus from pure horror to a mixture of horror, comedy and satire didn’t bode well with critics or audiences when it hit theatres in 1986. That’s if you were in the States, as it was refused classification here in the UK. However, as time has gone on, the film’s garnered quite the following from people who are more in tune with what Hooper was attempting with his farce of a sequel.
The film follows radio DJ Stretch (Caroline Williams) and Lefty (Dennis Hopper) as their paths cross with the dreaded Sawyer family. Leatherface is back, albeit with a different actor along with Drayton Sawyer, also known as The Cook, played to trashy perfection by Jim Siedow. New to the family is Chop Top (Bill Moseley), a Vietnam veteran and brother of the first film’s Hitchhiker. It’s an absolutely nutty cast of characters, all of whom are impossible to look away from. Stretch is full of personality, thanks to the excellent performance from Williams, Hopper is crazy in virtually every scene he’s in (the wood chopping scene is fantastic) and the actors playing the Sawyer family are arguably even more nuts.
Moseley’s Chop Top isn’t just the best character in the film, it’s arguably one of the great horror performances out there. Moseley would go on to star in Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy, but there’s a reason his social media handle references his TCM 2 character. Aside from the great performances across the board, the special effects by horror legend Tom Savini are fantastic. While the first film operates on the less is more mentality, TCM 2 is bigger, bolder, bloodier and gnarlier in every way. Whether it’s seeing Leatherface skin a man, Chop Top bashing heads in with a hammer in graphic detail while having ‘Nam flashbacks’ or the carnage from the ridiculous third act chainsaw battle, it’s a showcase for why Savini’s one of the best to ever do it.
For many people, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 dives too far from the formula of that original film, which is arguably the greatest horror film of all time. While I don’t think it lives up to the highs of that original, it’s still a film I love dearly for how gonzo Hooper was allowed to go with it. There’s tonal issues, with one sequence in particular involving Stretch and Leatherface that’s never quite sat right with me, and dramatic beats involving Lefty that make little sense due to missing scenes in the edit, but it’s a ton of fun. There’s defenders of some of the later sequels, remakes and other instalments but personally, I feel as if the franchise peaked with Hooper’s first two films.
Truly one of the most absurd horror sequels out there, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is something that all horror fans need to check out at some point. It’s up for debate as to whether it’s an underrated masterpiece or something that completely misses the mark as both a horror and a comedy, but name me another film with antagonists on the same level as The Cook, Chop Top and Leatherface, I’ll wait.
Film: 
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II released on Limited Edition 4K UHD via Arrow Video on February 17th. The film previously made its UHD debut courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome in 2022. The primary difference between VS’s release and Arrow’s is the inclusion of a Dolby Vision grade for Arrow’s disc. After comparing the discs, Arrow’s presentation is the one to go for thanks to slightly better encoding and that Dolby Vision grade. The film looks marvelous on each release, but the DV grade compliments TCM 2 well. Audio wise, there’s the standard 2.0 stereo track that’s on most releases of the film and it sounds as solid as always. Optional English subtitles are included for the main feature.
NOTE: Some people have mentioned having issues with Arrow’s disc using Panasonic players, reporting that the film doesn’t play and highlights a black screen. I use a Sony player myself and didn’t encounter this issue, but there’s no word from Arrow on whether this will get rectified with a replacement program in the future to affected buyers. The following extras are included:
2-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Limited edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady and Dare Creative
Booklet featuring new writing by Johnny Mains, Anna Bogutskaya, Guy Adams and Neil Mitchell
Double-sided fold-out poster
Texas Battle Land theme park postcard
Chili cook-off recipe card
Three double-sided collector’s postcards
DISC 1 (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) – THE FILM
4K restoration from the original negative
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless stereo 2.0 audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Commentary with director Tobe Hooper
Commentary with stars Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects legend Tom Savini
Commentary with cinematographer Richard Kooris, production designer Cary White, script supervisor Laura Kooris and property master Michael Sullivan
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY) – BONUS FEATURES
Are We Not Both the Living Dead?, new visual essay by Scout Tafoya
You’ve Got Good Taste: Cannibal Camp and Perverse Parody, new visual essay by Miranda Corcoran
Stretch Lives!, interview with Caroline Williams
Serving Tom, interview with makeup effects artist Gabe Bartalos
Texas Blood Bath, interview with makeup effects artist Barton Mixon
Remember the Alamo, interview with actor Kirk Sisco
Die Yuppie Scum, interview with actor Barry Kinyon
Extended interviews with Tobe Hooper and co-producer Cynthia Hargrave, from Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
It Runs in the Family, (plus outtakes!) on the film’s genesis, making and enduring appeal
House of Pain, interview with makeup effects artists Mixon, Bartalos, Gino Crognale and John Vulich
Yuppie Meat, interview with actors Chris Douridas and Barry Kinyon
Cutting Moments, interview with editor Alain Jakubowicz
Behind the Mask and Cutting Moments with Bob Elmore, two interviews with Leatherface’s performer
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds, featurette exploring the film’s locations
Still Feelin’ the Buzz, interview with horror expert Stephen Thrower
Behind-the-scenes
Alternate opening credits
Deleted scenes
Trailers and TV spots
Still gallery
Three audio commentaries are included on the release, two of which were previously included on Arrow’s Blu-ray release, with the latter being ported from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release. The first track with director Hooper is a treat, hearing him recount his time working on the film and what his intentions were with the sequel. The second track with stars Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects legend Tom Savini is a laid-back listen, with a range of great anecdotes from the production and it’s clear that the trio are having a blast. Finally, the track with cinematographer Richard Kooris, production designer Cary White, script supervisor Laura Kooris and property master Michael Sullivan is the most technical of the bunch, offering a drier but informative track that’ll please fans of the film.
Are We Not Both the Living Dead? is an exclusive visual essay by Scout Tafoya, running for 14 minutes. It dives into Hooper’s film and how it critiques American culture of the 80s. It’s well-edited, interesting and worth your time.
You’ve Got Good Taste: Cannibal Camp and Perverse Parody is an exclusive visual essay by Miranda Corcoran, who dives into the campy and satirical nature of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. It runs for 24 minutes and is a fascinating piece, with Corcoran’s take on the film being worth your time.
Stretch Lives! Is an archival interview with Caroline Williams, ported over from Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K UHD and Blu-ray release. It runs for 30 minutes and features Williams discussing her time working on the film and reminiscing fondly.
Serving Tom is an archival interview with makeup effects artist Gabe Bartalos, ported over from Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K UHD and Blu-ray release. It runs for 20 minutes and is another delightful watch, with Bartalos describing the shoot and working with his idols like Tom Savini and Tobe Hooper.
Texas Blood Bath is an archival interview with makeup effects artist Barton Mixon, ported over from Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K UHD and Blu-ray release. It runs for 18 minutes and similarly to Bartalos, Mixon recounts his time working on the film and how he landed the gig. Another solid watch.
Remember the Alamo is an archival interview with actor Kirk Sisco, ported over from Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K UHD and Blu-ray release. Running for 14 minutes, it’s equally as interesting as the other interviews conducted for the VS release and it’s great to see it ported over.
Die Yuppie Scum is an archival interview with actor Barry Kinyon, ported over from Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K UHD and Blu-ray release. Running for 13 minutes, Kinyon describes how he didn’t think he was going to initially get the role and the process of shooting his sequences. It’s a fun, light-hearted watch.
The interviews with Tobe Hooper and Cynthia Hargrave run for 40 minutes and are comprised of footage from the documentary Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films .It’s a fascinating piece to see and given that Hooper’s no longer with us, seeing this footage is a delight that fans should check out.
It Runs in the Family is a 2006 documentary about the production of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. It runs for 82 minutes and covers every aspect about the production that you’d hope for. I’ve actually watched this one a handful of times before, as it’s featured on most releases for TCM 2. One of my personal favourite making-of documentaries out there and is easily worth your time. 30 minutes of outtakes from the documentary are also included, featuring footage of L.M. Kit Carson and Lou Perryman that didn’t make the final cut of the documentary.
House of Pain is an archival interview with makeup effects artists Mixon, Bartalos, Gino Crognale and John Vulich that runs for 42 minutes and is ported over from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release. One of the lengthiest interviews on the release, each of the makeup effects artists discusses the process of crafting the unforgettable effects for the film. It’s a great watch.
Yuppie Meat is an archival interview with actors Chris Douridas and Barry Kinyon that runs for 19 minutes and is ported over from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release. These two play the characters in the opening scene in the film, and they recount the experience of shooting their scenes in the film.
Cutting Moments is an archival interview with editor Alain Jakubowicz that runs for 17 minutes and is ported over from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release. Alain describes how he landed the gig, the process of the edit and he’s delightful to listen to.
Behind the Mask and Cutting Moments with Bob Elmore are two interviews with Leatherface’s performer. Behind the Mask runs for 14 minutes and is ported over from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release, while Cutting Moments is almost 15 minutes and is ported over from Arrow’s Blu-ray release. Both are worth a watch to hear about Elmore’s experiences working on the film.
The Horror’s Hallowed Grounds featurette runs for 25 minutes and explores the shooting locations of TCM 2. If you’ve owned many boutique releases for cult horror films before, you’ll be familiar with Horror’s Hallowed Grounds. Second Sight’s release for the first Texas Chain Saw Massacre film had an episode dedicated to it and this one’s equally as interesting.
Still Feelin’ the Buzz is an archival appreciation by horror expert Stephen Thrower, ported over from Arrow’s previous Blu-ray release and it runs for 28 minutes. In the appreciation, Thrower dives into audience expectations, what makes TCM 2 so brilliant thanks to Hooper and company and more. It’s a brilliant appreciation that’s worth your time.
43 minutes of behind-the-scenes image is included, which seems to be sourced from a low quality print. During this footage, you can see the performers as they run through some of the key sequences in the film as well as hearing Hooper directing. This is a fascinating watch that’ll interest any aspiring filmmakers.
Alternate opening credits are included, highlighting an eerie alternate opening to the film. Sourced from a VHS workprint, these run for two minutes.
Ten minutes of deleted scenes are included, highlighting four scenes that didn’t make the final cut. They’re sourced from a very low quality print of the film, but it’s great to see these included.
A series of trailers and TV spots are included, as well as a still gallery.
I wasn’t provided with the retail release, so I’m unable to comment on the booklet, poster and other goodies included.
Arrow’s release of TCM 2 is virtually perfect, aside from the fact it’s missing a handful of bonus features from Vinegar Syndrome’s release (including an interview with Tom Savini). A better transfer, the inclusion of Dolby Vision and a series of great physical bonuses make this one a no-brainer. Again, some people are reporting issues with specific UHD players, but fingers crossed that Arrow will rectify this with a replacement program in the future.
Disc/Packaging: