Although Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre undoubtedly ranks as one of the most indelible and flat-out shocking horror flicks of all time, there is unfortunately no denying that certain aspects of the film just don't hold up all that well today. This is despite the effectiveness of the movie's opening forty-five minutes, in which director Tobe Hooper slowly-but-surely ratchets up the level of tension with each passing minute - to the extent that several such sequences are almost unbearably suspenseful (this is particularly true of Leatherface's initial appearance). But there comes a point at which Hooper essentially drops the ominous vibe in favor of something far more visceral; having killed off all the primary characters save Marilyn Burns' Sally, the film transforms into a typical slasher and follows Sally as she attempts to escape the clutches of Leatherface and his murderous clan (this seems to involve a lot of running and screaming). That being said, it's certainly not difficult to see why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has endured over the years - with Hooper's stylish directorial choices and Daniel Pearl's appropriately gritty cinematography two of the film's stronger attributes - and there's little doubt that the movie remains a must for horror fanatics (if only for the incredible first half).
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (October 23/06)
It's difficult to imagine what filmmaker Tobe Hooper originally set out to accomplish with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, an inept and uncomfortably broad sequel that has virtually no ties to its predecessor aside from a few off-hand references and the presence of iconic baddie Leatherface. The story follows demented Texas lawman Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper) as he enlists the help of a plucky radio DJ (Caroline Williams) in his quest to track down the cannibalistic family from the original, though it's not long before the clan - which includes Cook (Jim Siedow), Chop Top (Bill Moseley), and Grandpa (Ken Evert) - gains the upper hand over the duo. Hooper - working from L.M. Kit Carson's screenplay - has inexplicably chosen to infuse the proceedings with painfully over-the-top instances of comedy, eschewing anything even resembling horror or suspense. As a result, there's really not a whole lot within The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 worth recommending - though one can't help but admire the admittedly impressive set design (some of those caverns seem to go on for miles). And, if nothing else, the entire flick may be worth a look for the absurd moment in which Leatherface breaks loose with a particularly apt example of the ol' shifty eye.
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About the DVDs: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arrives on DVD courtesy of Dark Sky Films, armed with a surprisingly crisp anamorphically-enhanced transfer and an incredible amount of bonus features - including two feature-length documentaries, two audio commentaries, deleted scenes and outtakes, a blooper reel (!), and much more. MGM's new "Gruesome Edition" of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 presents the film with an anamorphically-enhanced transfer, and an assortment of supplemental materials (two audio commentaries, a featurette on the making of the movie, deleted scenes, and various promotional items).
Although Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre undoubtedly ranks as one of the most indelible and flat-out shocking horror flicks of all time, there is unfortunately no denying that certain aspects of the film just don't hold up all that well today. This is despite the effectiveness of the movie's opening forty-five minutes, in which director Tobe Hooper slowly-but-surely ratchets up the level of tension with each passing minute - to the extent that several such sequences are almost unbearably suspenseful (this is particularly true of Leatherface's initial appearance). But there comes a point at which Hooper essentially drops the ominous vibe in favor of something far more visceral; having killed off all the primary characters save Marilyn Burns' Sally, the film transforms into a typical slasher and follows Sally as she attempts to escape the clutches of Leatherface and his murderous clan (this seems to involve a lot of running and screaming). That being said, it's certainly not difficult to see why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has endured over the years - with Hooper's stylish directorial choices and Daniel Pearl's appropriately gritty cinematography two of the film's stronger attributes - and there's little doubt that the movie remains a must for horror fanatics (if only for the incredible first half). 
out of 
It's difficult to imagine what filmmaker Tobe Hooper originally set out to accomplish with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, an inept and uncomfortably broad sequel that has virtually no ties to its predecessor aside from a few off-hand references and the presence of iconic baddie Leatherface. The story follows demented Texas lawman Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper) as he enlists the help of a plucky radio DJ (Caroline Williams) in his quest to track down the cannibalistic family from the original, though it's not long before the clan - which includes Cook (Jim Siedow), Chop Top (Bill Moseley), and Grandpa (Ken Evert) - gains the upper hand over the duo. Hooper - working from L.M. Kit Carson's screenplay - has inexplicably chosen to infuse the proceedings with painfully over-the-top instances of comedy, eschewing anything even resembling horror or suspense. As a result, there's really not a whole lot within The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 worth recommending - though one can't help but admire the admittedly impressive set design (some of those caverns seem to go on for miles). And, if nothing else, the entire flick may be worth a look for the absurd moment in which Leatherface breaks loose with a particularly apt example of the ol' shifty eye.