Saturday, March 30, 2013

Rue Morgue 200: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2


God I love this poster!  As a child of the eighties you got to love this poster.  I finally got around to watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, part of the Rue Morgue 200: Gore section.  TCM 2 is high budget, gory, and funny: everything the original wasn't (OK, the original was kinda funny).  It also runs on a little too long and gets quite boring near the end, something the original also didn't do.  I don't know if there is much of a "point" to TCM 2, but it's kind of fun and it has Bill Moseley in it, so it can't be all bad.


Where to begin.  Thirteen years after the events in the original film, we find ourselves just outside of Dallas, Texas.  Two drunk, obnoxious Eighties College douche bags (were there any other kind) are on their way to a football game.  They call the local radio station from their car phone (how cool) and harass the local DJ "Stretch" (Caroline Williams).   While harassing her over the phone they manage to piss off some local rednecks, whose version of road rage involves a chainsaw.  Yes my friends, the Sawyer family is alive and kicking!


In addition to Grandpa, the Cook, and good old Leatherface, we also get "Chop-Top", played by Bill Moseley.  Truly a vile character, "Chop-Top" manages to be more disgusting that Leatherface himself!  Speaking of Leatherface, he develops a bit of a crush on the DJ Stretch, who, through a series of unfortunate events, finds herself trapped in the Sawyer lair.


On the hunt for the Sawyer family is Lt. "Lefty" Enright (Dennis Hopper), who happens to be the uncle of Sally and Franklin from the first film.  He is obsessed with tracking down the "Chainsaw" killer, so much so that he becomes a maniac himself.  It is a typical crazy Dennis Hopper performance.  He must have really needed the paycheck circa 1986.


You can't take this film seriously and I don't think Director Tobe Hopper intended us do so.  It is silly and ridiculous.  Totally different from the original.  And GORY.  Savini does the effects, which include beheadings and skinnings.  God, I hate when someone gets their face skinned.  It really bugs me.  Happens here, and the poor bastard lives!  I used to hate head trauma in general, but after The Walking Dead I have gotten used to beheadings, bashings, stabbings, and other assorted head related injuries.  But skinning alive?  I can't deal.  I don't think I will be adding TCM 2 to my "must watch" list, but it was enjoyable.  Except for the skinning thing.  Yuck.

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