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Stars:
Kate Hodge, William Butler, Ken Foree, Tom Hudson, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Unger,
and R.A. Mihailoff
Writer:
David Schow
Based
On Characters Created By: Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper
Director:
Jeff Burr
Feature
length: R-Rated Version 81 Minutes/Unrated Version 86 Minutes
Extras:
Filmmaker’s Commentary, “The Saw Is Family: Making Of Leatherface”
Documentary, “We Know What To Do With Them Parts-Deleted Scenes” Featurette,
Alternate Ending, Theatrical Trailers, DVD-ROM Script-To-Screen, Storyboards,
and Web Links
Languages:
English DTS Digital 6.1 ES Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
Surround Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 20
Sound:
DTS Digital 6.1 ES Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround
Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1990/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Home
Video Distributor: New Line Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R/Unrated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
A
pool of decomposed bodies has been discovered and rumors of “The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre” have resurfaced. A pair of college students witness the
gruesome site of men in protective suits removing the toxic bodies as we get a
glimpse of former D.J. turned TV newswoman Vanita Brock (Caroline Williams in a
cameo) reporting on the grisly scene. Being the only protagonist survivor from
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” viewers
familiar with the previous film will get the sense that she suspects the cause
of this grisly finding though it is not required to have seen the previous film
to get into the third installment. Our duo is certainly not aware of what
happened and so they drive on into the desert where they are lured off of the
main highway in search of gas and come face to face with Leatherface (R.A.
Mihailoff) and his new surrogate family. Their only chance at escaping this
horror is through the help of a survivalist (Ken Foree) who has got enough arms
to blow the whole family straight to Hell.
I
remember when I was a teenager there was some controversy regarding
“Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III” on some TV news magazine show
months before the film opened and they pretty much demonized the whole film as
being excessively gory and whatnot. So now I have finally seen “Leatherface:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III” and perhaps my expectations were low
regarding the film overall and perhaps I had prepared myself for something more
disgusting, but for a sequel, “Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III”
was not bad and even in the Unrated Version, the level of gore is pretty tame. I
mean the Unrated Version of “Jason Goes To Hell” released on DVD last year
seemed gorier than this film and I am not a gore hound. Like anything else, it
is all how its used and then I have to take inter consideration, especially now
that I watch and review a lot of horror movies and my threshold for being
revolted I suppose is higher than usual. About the only scene in the film that
got to me what the wounded armadillo one of the college students puts out of its
misery. I love animals so much that I think I would have cried and tried to save
the creature by taking it to a Veterinarian if I could rather than kill it. I
hope I never really have to be put into that situation. Anyone who has ever
owned a dog or cat knows it is hard enough to have a Vet put the pet down
humanely when they are old and suffering from something that they will never
recover from so of all the scenes in the movie I guess that was the hardest one
for me to sit through.
Other
than that, I can understand why the R-rated Version of the film disappointed
audiences, but at last those involved can vindicate themselves with this fine
DVD edition recently released by New Line Home Entertainment. Both the R-rated
and Unrated Versions can be viewed off of the same disc and are presented in a
surprisingly clear anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio. Of the four
feature films in the series available on DVD, it should be no surprise that New
Line continues to set the standard in DVD quality with “Leatherface: The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre III” looking by far the best of all the discs that were
reviewed at the time of this writing. The English DTS Digital 6.1 ES Theatrical
Surround Soundtrack is terrific as is the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack.
Both exceeded my expectations greatly. An English Dolby Surround Soundtrack is
also encoded onto the dual layered DVD as an option along with English Captions
and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired.
The
filmmaker’s commentary is not screen specific, but it is very informative
featuring Director Jeff Burr, Author and Screenwriter David J. Schow, KNB
EFX’s Greg Nicotero, New Line Production Executive Mark Ordesky and Stars
William Butler and R.A. Mihailoff. They all make it pretty clear in the
commentary what they intended from Splatter Punk Author’s David J. Schow’s
visceral screenplay through the list of Directors who were considered for the
project that included Peter Jackson through the troubled production and the
really unfair editing the film had to go through in order to get an R-rating,
which subsequently delayed the theatrical opening of “Leatherface: The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre III” from a November, 1989 release date to a January, 1990
release date. The Unrated Version on this DVD represents the best quality
version of the film that is closest to the original vision of the film that is
legally commercially available in the States. The sociology of the family, the
psychology of Leatherface, and the thought that went into the creation of the
Chainsaw with the words “The Saw Is Family” on it are all detailed. Mr.
Ordesky is very honest regarding the learning curve he garnered from being
involved with the film and the mentoring he received from New Line’s Michael
De Luca through the course of the making of the film from development to the
initial screening to the studio executives reaction and so on and in the process
he nonchalantly gives the perspective of a studio executive’s responsibility
to the company he works for and some of the cold realities that people in his
position take into consideration with assisting in running a business like New
Line Cinema.
All
of the participants also appear in the documentary “The Saw Is Family: Making
Leatherface” (27:57), which covers the same ground complete with exact quotes
that were used for the audio commentary mix and touches upon the inspiration for
the film complete with some disturbing photos of the grisly acts committed by
serial murderer Ed Gein. Then there is a short featurette of deleted scenes
entitled “We Know What To Do With Them Parts” (9:45), which features scenes
presented from a grainy taped source intercut between interview clips with the
participants discussing what was originally intended. After seeing the murky
quality of the deleted scenes in the featurette, I was pleasantly surprised to
see that the alternate ending (5:21) is presented in a widescreen (1.85:1)
aspect ratio that is equal in quality to the feature presentation with a full
5.1 Surround Soundtrack. I wish the other scenes shown in the featurette were
restored for this DVD too.
The
very cool take on the “Excalibur” legend trailer (1:13) for “Leatherface:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III” is include along with bonus trailers for
“Highwayman,” “A Nightmare On Elm Street,” “Bones,” and
“Willard” in one reel (8:31). Windows based DVD-ROM users will also have
access to Script-To-Screen comparison features, storyboards, and web links.
Unless it is hidden as an Easter egg on the DVD, I was surprised that the
trailer for New Line’s 2003 remake was not included as a DVD-Video set top
feature on the DVD although one can view the trailer now by visiting the
official website.
The
menus feature full motion scene selections and are all easy to navigate.
“Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III: R-Rated & Unrated
Versions” is now available on DVD-Video now from New Line Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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Generation"
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