Non aprite quella porta - Parte 2

TCM 1 is to TCM 2 what Alien is to Aliens. Nuanced tension building is replaced with "more is more" theatrics. This may have inherently less artistic merit, but it does follow through on an intention that's impossible to ignore. In a way, maybe this always should have been the tone, as no one ever expected subtlety from a movie called Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It gets to the point quickly then proceeds with a relentless bludgeoning of blood and gore. Not achieving the comedic brilliance found in the excesses of the Evil Dead franchise, but thankfully not succumbing to the trappings of self serious torture porn. Also fun to realize how much Rob Zombie's 1000 Corpses movies were just as much an homage to TCM as his Halloween movies were to the John Carpenter originals.

U got one choice boy, sex or the saw! I remember that line in the film the most and it was my favorite quote. Anyway let's get down to another review of horror madness from the dead, lol.

The original 1974 cult (never go to Texas) classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a large hit and still remains in our souls of being one of the most bone chilling, shocking horror films of all time. It is my third favorite horror film and I treasure it for it's memories of disgust but intelligent scares. That was Tobe Hooper's good and only really scary film.

Now the his sequel "The Buzz is Back!" isn't a bad sequel at all though it really falls on the lines of the original as Tobe decided to go to a more comedic root instead of sticking to the horror ones. The horror roots were put back into the third and fourth though they are way beyond crappy.

Moving on I'll point out the good and bad plotters for TCM 2.

The good: The acting is still good especially Bill Moselsy who played the insane, cannibalistic f***ed up Chop Top who loves his dead corpses. The only returning character (s) is Dawerer (I think that's his name) and he still did a good job. Dennis Hopper also did really well and the back up actors were average.

The kills aren't great though there bloody enough. 1 point there.

The music also had a weird feel to it and the humor was contained well and there were enough scenes to make me enjoy this film a lot.

The bad: The only problem I had with this film was that even if the humor was average and contained well, it sucked that Tobe Hooper took it to a different level and the scares are no where to be found. That's the only major problem other wise.....

6.5/10 (It's another good slasher film if your bored and it has the right amount of enjoyment leaking out of it) I would watch this awesome sequel than wasting my time on TCM 3, TCM Next Gen and TCm the Beginning. My opinion.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is one of the most misunderstood movies of all time. I saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 when it was released in theaters back in 1986. I loved this horror flick then. But everyone else hated it. Critics trashed it. Even many horror fans, of the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre or slashers in general, hated it and dismissed it. Now after a decade or so after its release, TCM 2 is now a bona fide cult movie.

There are so many things to point out why TCM 2 is a stand-out. The first and most important thing to point out is that back in the 1980s, horror films were reduced to simple slashers. TCM 2 is totally different than the plethora of slashers that many horror fans expected to see, which is one reason why many horror fans didn't get it. The body count is extremely low in TCM 2 compared to the Friday the 13th or Elm Street flicks. But that doesn't mean it's not violent. No, it's VERY violent. But the violence in TCM 2 is more engrossing, shocking and even at times funny, and in turn less acceptable than the unreal violence found in many slasher films. Because of the amount of violence and violent imagery, films critics trashed TCM 2, pointing out how the first film didn't rely on gore and violence to scare the audience.

I love Texas Chainsaw Massacre as much as I love TCM 2. I understand what the critics were saying. Unfortunately, they didn't get the point of the violence in TCM 2. While TCM is a sweat inducing TERRIFYING horror film in the first order, TCM 2 is a "GRAND GUIGNOL HORROR" horror film in the first order. In TCM 2, Hooper creates a vast canvas of baroque imagery, where we watch the insane and gory story unfold before our incredulous eyes. I'm amazed that critics missed the whole difference between TCM and TCM 2. It's odd that critics will rave about Peter Greenaway's "THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER" which is a twisted drama in the the Grand Guignol style, but didn't see TCM 2 in the same way. It's probably due to the fact that TCM 2 is a sequel to a quasi-legendary horror film and everyone expected the sequel to be the same as the first movie.

I give credit to everyone involved with TCM 2. They actually TRIED to do something different: different from the equally great TCM, different from the increasingly boring horror films of the 80s. And in my eye, they've succeeded. There are so many memorable scenes in TCM 2, some of which are the most amazing horror moments ever put on screen (when Leatherface tries to put the scalped face on Stretch, the scene when Stretch finds her friend sans face, etc). And there are so many quotable lines too. TCM 2 is also a very funny film ("Rain, rain, rain, rain..." Choptop says as he checks out records at the radio station).

TCM 2 is not perfect. The ending is abrupt. And the chainsaw fight at the end is too short. Dennis Hopper is a bit hard to take as a "hero." But he does play the "twisted hero" right. It's just difficult to see him fighting big and burly Leatherface. BTW, the very last image of TCM 2 is Strecth dancing with a chainsaw in her hands at the top of that amusement park structure. In the original film (and the original video release), we can see cars and trucks driving by on a highway in the distance. On the DVD, they cropped this shot and we don't see the traffic anymore. Personally, I thought it added a LOT to the whole surreal aspect of the film. Like the world was continuing on with its relentless pace, no matter what had just happened that night. I wished they didn't crop this shot on the DVD. Oh well...

It's a shame few people "got" TCM 2 back then. After reading the reviews at IMDb and at Amazon, it's great to see that some are finally "getting it." For anyone who's game, watch TCM 2. You'll be squealing in horror and laughing at the insanity of it all in equal amounts.

In 1974 upon the release of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre it was immediately met with shock and became an overnight sensation. It was horrifying and people had seen little like it before.

It's creators clearly never saw the potential for a franchise as it took twelve years before a sequel came out.

Tobe Hooper returns for this odd little film, odd because it follows a dark gritty horrific gory serious horror with a colourful campy and often comedic effort.

The movie revolves around the demented Sawyer family and the random killing sprees they go on. But when they get outed by a DJ they go after her for revenge. Add to that Dennis Hopper as a former US Marshall who is as crazy as the family themselves and you have a the recipe for a gory riot.

Trouble is I couldn't take it seriously, it simply didn't feel like a TCM movie! It was loud, colourful and the jokes flowed freely. Leatherface doesn't even get anymore screen time than the rest of the family and even he is goofy and no longer scary.

I have no idea what they were thinking when they made TCM 2, but it sure as hell doesn't work.

The Good:

Bill Moseley

The Bad:

The screaming, really!?

Such a crazy shift in genre

Sudden and dumb finale

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

LG has the hardest skull in the history of movies

"The sex" is a swindle

Chainsaw "Sword" fights aren't as exciting as you'd imagine

Aside from a few memorable moments ( The stuff in the ending mainly) this is a poor sequel. Caroline Williams is likeable and Dennis Hopper does his best with the material. The more comedic tone could have made it an interesting sequel but it just doesn't work for me.

Stick to the original I'd say.