|
|
|
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (The) (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (27th October 2013). |
|
The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** In 1974, Tobe Hooper quite literally changed the face of horror with his landmark film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Although the hulking Leatherface and his trusty power tool left an indelible mark upon the cinematic landscape, it wouldn’t be until 1986 that the buzz came back… in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2! Relocating the cannibalistic Sawyer clan to a cavernous, labyrinthian dwelling beneath an amusement park, Hooper’s deliciously demented sequel sees Leatherface and Co. continue their murderous exploits afresh. This time around, local DJ Stretch runs afoul of the Sawyers when she gets mixed up in the brutal slaying of two youngsters. Meanwhile, Lieutenant ‘Lefty’ Enright, is hell-bent on avenging the murder of his nephew Franklin in the first movie. A cult classic in its own right, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 serves up a heady blend of gratuitous gore, socio-political critique and jet-black humour – whilst Dennis Hopper’s unhinged turn as Lefty needs to be seen to be believed! Whichever way you skin it, Leatherface’s second cinematic outing is an uncompromisingly delirious vision from one of horror’s great directors.
Video
Arrow Films release Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 for British audiences in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The feature is 1080p, and the transfer uses an AVC MPEG-4 codec. Although flawed, this is the best I have seen TCM2 look. When the film first starts, the first thing I noticed was the fact there are a number of very light scratches in the opening scenes. They are barely noticeable, but do show up again during several scenes throughout the run time. TCM2 is quite a grainy film, and Arrow have managed to keep this gritty look without too much hassle. A few scenes are overly grainy, causing a slightly blurry feel, but these tend to be the more enclosed and darker shots. Detail varies scene to scene, with some of the close-ups of characters faces looking exceptional. Detail is never particularly poor, but sometimes the transfer struggles a little with the shadow details. I have to commend Arrow for avoiding digital noise reduction, and leaving the feature with an overall natural feel, and I noticed no signs of edge enhancement or aliasing. One or two compression artifacts sneak through, but not enough to be even slightly concerned about. The transfer on this Blu-ray is a massive improvement over the 2001 DVD released in the UK by MGM, and despite its flaws, I have never seen TCM2 look so good. It's obvious the source material has never been great, so I'm sure fans will be more than happy. The disc is region B encoded and the feature runs 100:41.
Audio
Just a single audio track is available here: - English LPCM 2.0 Stereo This audio track is one of the better Stereo tracks I have listened to for an 1980's horror on Blu-ray. The score by Tobe Hooper and Jerry Lambert is very much a product of the 80's horror genre movie, though some of the tracks played by the radio station give it that little bit of a rock boost. The various sound levels and pitches are well portrayed, from the harsh start-ups of the chainsaws, right through to the shrilled screams of Caroline Williams, a car being damaged, and vehicles skidding. Dialogue is clear at all times, and I noticed no damage to the track such as audio dropouts or scratches. I also didn't detect any background hiss. Would a 5.1 upmix have been nice and possibly more atmospheric? Sure. But this original stereo track is technically sound. Optional subtitles are available in English for the hard of hearing.
Extras
DISC ONE We start off the extra features with an audio commentary by co-writer/co-producer/director Tobe Hooper and filmmaker David Gregory. Informative and concentrating on the various processes of production including the casting, the story, and why it took so long for a sequel to go into production. There are silences between the questions that David Gregory asks, but they are generally less than thirty seconds. Gregory obviously has the knowledge about TCM2 required to pick out the right questions. Next we have another audio commentary, this time with actor Bill Moseley, actress Caroline Williams, special makeup effects artist Tom Savini, and moderator Michael Felsher. This is a much more jovial affair than the Hooper/Gregory commentary and has all the participants sounding really relaxed as they relieve their time on set. They point out locations, talk about working with certain cast members (like Dennis Hopper), and the special effects. Although nowhere near as informative as the other commentary, it's more enjoyable to listen to. "It Runs in the Family" documentary (87:54): - "Part I: The Texas Screenplay Massacre" (13:11) - "Part II: The Art of Mayhem" (17:20) - "Part III: A Cast of Characters" (26:16) - "Part IV: Prime Meat" (14:15) - "Part V: Father of the Saw" (8:05) - "Part VI: Requiem for a Sequel" (8:44) You want an incredibly in-depth and informative documentary? Well, here you go. "It Runs in the Family" is a great documentary that looks at many aspects in the production of TCM2. Filled with interviews of various cast and crew, it has been split into several parts for easy viewing (but does have a play all option). They are all straight to the point, and this isn't some MTV style back-slapping affair, with the participants able to speak freely about everything they enjoyed, and the things they found difficult. Rather funny, was special makeup effects artist Tom Savini talking about how he and another artist thought for hours to figure out the shot at the beginning with the sliced head spurting blood and how annoyed he is even to this day about how the shot was edited, avoiding all the brain effects he had made. The cast members all come across as incredibly down to earth, and having met Bill Mosely, Caroline Williams and Tom Savini in person, it does not surprise me as they all seem like genuine people who enjoy meeting their fans. The "Still Feelin' the Buzz" featurette (28:30) made by Nucleus Films analyses various aspects of the film, such as all the nods to various wars and bloodshed such as The Alamo, Vietnam and WWII, and some of the images that transfer over from the first film (just a quick glance at meathooks etc). Also analysed, is the communication via the radio, and the wheelchair of Franklin from the first film. For those that think they have spotted every wink to the original TCM, I implore you to watch this and tell me you didn't learn something new. "Cutting Moments with Bob Elmore" interview (14:40) has Mr Elmore, who was the stuntman who doubled for Leatherface actor Bill Johnson, tell us about his experiences on set. We learn that even despite breaking his wrist during filming, he carried on with the shoot, even holding the chainsaws with a broken wrist. He talks about the last few days of filming, when money was running out, and how this movie stands out in his career - a career which has spanned 22 films including Casino and Pirates of the Caribbean. Next, the alternate opening sequence (1:55) which has the credits text scroll against a wooded area background and a distant moon. It also features a different score in comparison to the final cut. Also included, is a selection of deleted scenes (10:36): - "Leaving for Work" (2:07) - "Die Yuppie Scum!" (5:56) - "The Gonzo Moviegoer" (1:45) - "Clothes Off His Back" (0:52) Rather than just show the reel of deleted scenes as is, Arrow have opted to show each one with a text introduction explaining what happens in each scene, why it was deleted, and where in the feature it was originally intended for. Unfortunately the quality of this footgae makes a fifth generation VHS look like a 4k restoration, but it's nice to have them included, We finish the disc one extras with an image gallery (86 pics) and a theatrical trailer (1:00). DISC TWO: Blu-ray Unfortunately disc two was not supplied to us for review. However, we did receive disc three, which features the exact same itinerary, just not in high definition. DISC THREE: DVD Short film, "The Heisters" (10:01) has a Hollywood Golden Age kind of feel to it, and considering this was Tobe Hoopers first attempt at directing - five whole years before he directed again - it is surprisingly well edited and put together. The laughs are minimal, and yes, the acting does feel a little amateurish, but that is because it was. Worth a single watch, but does not hold high replay value. As far as I am aware, this is the first time this has ever been made available on home media, having previously been available online via MUBI. Next, we have Tobe Hooper's second film "Eggshells" (85:32), which was his first feature length appearance behind a camera. This is essentially a series of what felt like unconnected scenes (unless I missed the point) about life in 1960s Texas. Using local University of Texas students, some have described it as a cinema-verite experiment in technique, and whilst I see the techniques used here in later films including The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Poltergeist, I found this to be quite mesmerising, because I wasn't sure what to expect. I imagine watching this stoned would be an experience to uphold. We also get an audio commentary for "Eggshells" with director Tobe Hooper, moderated by Lewis Black. This has a little different feel to most commentaries, with both Hooper and Black sounding like hippies. It's surprising just how much Hooper remembers about certain people that featured in the film considering it was over forty years ago. I quite like how they talk in-depth about what America was like in this era, rather than just concentrating on production aspects. The final substantial extra, is an interview with Tobe Hooper conducted by Calum Waddell (23:21). They talk about the political side of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2, whether rural America is a safe place to be, Hooper's social conscience on the homelessness situation in America, how the Vietnam war affected Hooper's early work and much, much more. This makes for a very interesting line of questioning, and Hooper is obviously a politically and socially conscious man. We finish the extras with a trailer reel (23:45). IN THE CASE Although not supplied for review, the retail release also includes a 100-page booklet and a numbered certificate.
Overall
|
|||||
|