The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

Remember The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Of course you do, it's an immortal cult classic and one of the main innovators of modern horror. Everyone knows and loves the original 1974 film but to me, the 1986 sequel doesn't get enough love. Sure, it up's the gore and skimps on the true scares but taken as its own film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a masterpiece.

The plot revolves around Stretch, a local radio DJ, who reluctantly becomes tangled up in the Sawyer family madness when one of their crimes gets recorded on her show. Meanwhile Lefty, a lone wolf sheriff, is on the hunt to put a stop to these horrific crimes once and for all.

There are so many great things about this movie, starting with the brilliant opening scene. The movie opens on a couple of annoying yuppies on their way to "the biggest party of the world." They call in to Stretch's radio show and harass her for a bit. They call back again later for more fun, but then they run into a mysterious truck on a bridge. The truck starts to follow the yuppies, and Leatherface appears. While the two cars are driving side by side, Leatherface starts to attack the yuppies with his trusty chainsaw. Just when the guys think they've outrun the maniacs, the guy in the passenger seat looks over to see the top of his friend's head has been sawed off. The car speeds off the side of the road, thus starting this wild ride of a movie.

That opening scene, with it's amazing Tom Savini gore and Oingo Boingo's 'No One Lives Forever' playing in the background, sets up this film perfectly. Gone is the serious tone and chills of the original. This time around, we're treated with dark comedy and over the top violence. This film is an amazing sequel because it doesn't try to be like the original, it just does its own thing.

The acting is really quite good, and all of the characters are memorable. Most notably, Dennis Hopper is appropriately whacky as the sheriff out for vengeance. He looks like he had a great time, which is always nice when a big actor does horror. Caroline Williams is also very good as the scream queen of the flick. But my personal favorite character is Chop Top played by Bill Moseley. He's gross, weird, hilarious, and scary.

Speaking of gross, the gore in this flick is amazing. Without cutting away from anything, we see heads being chainsawed in half, skin warn away around a metal plate on Chop Top's head, heads being bashed with a hammer, and someone's entire body being skinned. The effects are from Tom Savini, so you know you're in for a treat. There's even a chainsaw going through someone's body and we see it still revving! That's impressive.


The set pieces are also a major character if this film. The radio station is memorable, especially when Leatherface and Chop Top come in and pretty much destroy it entirely. But the best set in this movie, hands down, is the underground lair of the Sawyer clan. A deserted theme park is such a good place for all of the carnage and insanity to take place. I see now where Rob Zombie got the idea for his underground finale in House of 1000 Corpses. Every set is colorful, eerie, and goes with the mood of the film perfectly.

Even though it's nothing like what made the original so good, this sequel still deserves a lot of love. It's crazy, fast paced, bloody as all hell, and a really fun watch. Now, go see what all the buzzzz is about!