Ask anyone to name a classic horror movie and it won’t take them long to drop the title The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The 1974 film from Tobe Hooper is lauded as one of the best in the genre, a pioneer of the video nasty era and a film that birthed infamous icon Leatherface. Once banned in the UK, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the latest film to get the Second Sight special treatment. In bygone times the only way to obtain a copy of the movie in the UK was on a bootleg VHS, now audiences can choose between a new Blu-ray or a snazzy UHD version of the classic.
Second Sight always put a lot of thought into each of their releases, but it is quickly clear that they have gone above and beyond for this latest release. First is the print itself, Second Sight having produced a Dolby Vision HDR print that makes the film sing. The visuals are accompanied by a new Dolby Atmos track as well as a restored original mono mix. It’s painstaking work that has paid off, this new release likely making the film a more appetising purchase for those that have (wrongly) written previous versions off as outdated and unwatchable.
For those with a thirst for trivia, there are four audio commentaries (three legacy and one newly recorded), a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, a raft of interviews and featurettes, and a brand-new documentary – The Legacy of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Produced by Second Sight, the documentary toured the festival circuit last year and is full of insightful analysis of the film from a slew of film critics and directors. If all that wasn’t enough, the Special Edition comes with a 190 page booklet packed with essays from a range of Texas Chain Saw experts. This really is the most comprehensive release of Hooper’s movie that is ever likely to exist, making it essential for fans of the saw.
There is little left to say about Hooper’s film that hasn’t been said before. The eighty-three minute movie remains tight and full of dread. The dinner sequence during the final act is still one of the most intense and disturbing sequences committed to celluloid and one never fails to flinch at the sound of the chainsaw rattle. Whilst a masterclass in tension, viewing through the guise of modern eyes it becomes increasingly unclear what exactly got the film banned in the UK. Others that suffered the same fate were full of gruesome imagery but The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is very light on blood and gore. Hooper implies far more violence than is shown, which is somehow a far more disturbing prospect. A stone-cold classic lovingly restored, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is now ready to seduce and startle a whole new generation of genre fans.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Summary
Whilst the film itself remains a classic, this release is so comprehensive it feels like the pinnacle of all of Second Sight’s work to date. It goes without saying that if you’re a fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you simply must buy this disc.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is available on Special Edition Blu-ray and UHD via Second Sight from Monday 10th April.
