The Texas Chain Saw Massacre appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Given its low-budget 16mm roots, the Dolby Vision image of Massacre came with inevitable issues but the transfer seemed to reproduce it well.
Sharpness suffered from the source material but usually worked fine. I’d be hard-pressed to cite shots that displayed terrific delineation, and the film could seem rather soft at times. That was an issue with the original photography, though, and I felt that definition mostly seemed positive.
I witnessed no signs of shimmering or jaggies, and the image lacked edge haloes or related issues. With plenty of natural grain, the movie didn’t appear to come with digital noise reduction, and print flaws never became a problem.
A speck or two might’ve materialized, but overall, the movie seemed clean. Some anomalies from the source did appear, however.
Colors lacked great vivacity but appeared fine. The movie went with a somewhat sandy feel during the day and then blue at night.
The image brought across the hues in a fairly appropriate manner, so like everything else, these tones didn’t excel, but they looked reasonably solid. HDR added a little kick to the hues.
Blacks showed positive density. Occasionally they looked a bit too dark, but those instances weren’t frequent.
Shadows could also be a little thick, but once again, that came from the original photography – and appeared to be intentional to suit the stylistic choices. With a fair number of low-light nighttime shots, the action occasionally became tough to discern, but these shots were usually rendered well.
HDR gave whites and contrast extra emphasis, though again, the nature of the source limited these improvements. Even with its inherent problems, this was a satisfying presentation.
In addition to a DTS-HD monaural track that replicated the movie’s original audio, the 4K UHD came with three – count ‘em, three! – remixes. For the purposes of this review, I focused on the Dolby Atmos version.
Despite the multichannel scope, the soundfield remained fairly restrained much of the time. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the mix kicked to life on occasion, as it rendered vehicles movement in a pretty active manner and also brought life to a few action sequences.
Music used the various channels in an engaging way as well. This didn’t make the track a consistently broad experience but it expanded horizons in a reasonable manner.
Audio quality seemed dated but decent. Speech could be a bit thin, but the lines were intelligible enough and lacked many issues like edginess.
Effects came across in a similar manner. Those elements showed acceptable clarity and didn’t suffer from too many obvious concerns.
Of all the components, music worked best. The creepy score managed to provide positive range and definition, with a good sense of dynamics. Given the movie’s age, this was a pretty satisfying soundtrack.
How does this 2024 4K UHD compare with the prior 4K from 2023? Audio and picture appeared to be identical, so I strongly suspect the 2024 4K simply reissued the 2023 disc.
On the 4K disc, we locate a whopping four audio commentaries. Originally recorded for a 1990s laserdisc, the first comes from writer/producer/director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen, and director of photography Daniel Pearl.
All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at sets and locations, cast and performances, story/character areas, photography, effects, and related issues.
The participants display good chemistry and interact well in this fairly lively and informative track. We learn a lot about the production such as Hooper’s original goal to get it a “PG” rating, elements related to the shoot, implementing the characters, and the challenges of a low budget.
Hansen provides the track’s best elements, such as when he tells us about how the intensity of the shoot led him to go a bit nuts. It’s not a great commentary, but it’s generally quite solid.
Commentary Two features actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul Partain and production designer Robert Burns. Previously found on a 2006 DVD, all four sit along with moderator David Gregory to give us a running, screen-specific take on sets and locations, effects, props and production design, cast and performances, characters, and other elements. (Actor Edwin Neal also appears briefly at the very end via speakerphone.)
For the most part, this becomes a good chat. It gets into a nice variety of topics – including thoughts about the 2003 remake – and does so in a reasonably compelling manner. Nothing here stands out as great, but the track manages to cover the movie in an enjoyable enough way.
The remaining commentaries are both new to the 2014 Blu-ray. For track number three, we get a solo chat from writer/producer/director Tobe Hooper. Also accompanied by moderator Gregory, Hooper touches on topics similar to those in the track he shared with Hansen and Pearl.
This means some redundant information, but Hooper manages to get into a fair amount of fresh material. Despite some repetition and slow spots, the commentary gives us enough new information to make it worthwhile.
Finally, the fourth commentary includes director of photography Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou. Accompanied by Gregory once again, this track looks at sets and locations, editing, camerawork and audio, cast and crew, and various aspects of the shoot.
After three prior commentaries, repetition becomes inevitable, so expect a moderate amount of information you already heard. When the participants give us new data, I can’t claim to find this material to be especially compelling. The track offers a decent look at the film but seems a bit sluggish and doesn’t turn into a great listen.
On an included bonus Blu-ray, we find a massive trove of extras. Most of these repeat from the 2023 4K release but the 2024 set adds a few new pieces to the package.
The Legacy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacrew runs one hour, 22 minutes, 45 seconds. It provides info from filmmakers Mick Garris, Marcus Nispel, Jamie Blanks, Rob Savage, Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo, Jill Gevargizian, Juan Diego Escobar Alzate, remake producer Fede Alvarez, History of Horror producer Ben Raphael Sher, Dashcam producer Jed Shepherd, Fangoria editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr., remake writers Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan, and critics Heather Wixson, Meagan Navarro, and Amanda Reyes.
“Legacy” covers the participants’ experiences with the film as well as their thoughts about it and its various elements. Maybe 15 to 20 minutes of this might work, but nearly 83 minutes gets tiresome well before “Legacy” ends.
We get occasional insights but much of the content just feels like the participants’ general opinions of the movie. This turns into a long and not especially engaging appreciation.
Friedkin/Hooper matches its title, as it provides a 54-minute, nine-second Q&A that involves Tobe Hooper and Exorcist director William Friedkin.
Shot in 2004, Friedkin acts more as moderator/interviewer than colleague. That disappoints a little, as I expected more of a “co-headlining” session.
Friedkin and Hooper focus almost entirely on Massacre and related elements. A few insights emerge, but much of this feels like a lot of praise for the film and not much real substance.
Flesh Wounds spans one hour, 11 minutes, 42 seconds and brings what it describes as “seven stories of the saw”. This means seven topics that we get one at a time, with notes from Daniel Pearl, Neal, Williams, Hansen, assistant cameraman Lou Perryman, makeup DX artist Tom Savini, special makeup designer Dr. WE Barnes, Cinema Wasteland promoter Ken Kish, Evil Dead makeup FX creator Tom Sullivan, filmmakers Tom Lofton and Mike Watt, Texas Frightmare Weekend promoter Loyd Cryer, and fan club president Tim Harden.
Those who worked on Massacre discuss their careers and their work on the movie. Harden takes us on a tour of the movie’s main location, we see some horror conventions, and we also get an “In Memoriam” feature for folks who’d passed away at the time of this show’s completion.
Once again, some repetition from earlier pieces, but we still get a generally good collection of notes. Neal proves exceptionally obnoxious, though, as he trots out wacky voices the whole time.
Next comes A Tour of the TCSM House. It lasts eight minutes, three seconds and features actor Gunnar Hansen.
As implied, this featurette shows the actor circa 2000 as he looks at the location. We already get a good view of the building in “Wounds” but Hansen’s notes add value.
Off the Hook with Teri McMinn fills 17 minutes, two seconds.
McMinn tells us how she got her role as well as her experiences during the production and the movie’s impact on her career. She offers a nice collection of thoughts.
After his we go to The Business of Chain Saw, a 16-minute, 26-second chat with production manager Ron Bozman. He discusses his view of the shoot in this informative piece.
Deleted Scenes and Outtakes occupy 25 minutes, 23 seconds. Don’t expect much in terms of true “deleted scenes”, as we mainly find silent clips without much merit beyond alternate takes and unused shots like a dead dog instead of the armadillo that opens the film.
A few segments come with sound, such as a short extension of the early ride in the van. We also get to hear Marilyn Burns scream a lot more.
A shot of the Hitcher on the ground comes with short narration from Vail. Diehard fans might derive value from these snippets but they seem pretty useless overall to me.
We follow with Grandpa’s Tales, a 15-minute, 48-second interview with actor John Dugan. He looks at his role and experiences during this decent overview.
Cutting Chain Saw runs 10 minutes, 47 seconds and features editor J. Larry Carroll. He offers insights about his work and makes this a worthwhile reel.
A Blooper Reel lasts two minutes, 21 seconds and consists of the usual giggles and goofs. It doesn’t seem very interesting.
An episode of Horror’s Hallowed Grounds fills 20 minutes, 21 seconds. Host Sean Clark gives us a tour of Massacre locations as they existed in 2006.
Grounds usually offers an engaging view of movie spots, and this one works nicely. However, the tacky intro that overuses the word “retarded” for alleged comedic effect was tasteless 17 years ago and has aged even worse.
Dr. WE Barnes Presents “Making Grandpa” goes for five minutes, 30 seconds and presents a montage of stills, as we see all the work that went into Dugan’s transformation into an extremely elderly character. The photos add value but narration would make it better.
A Still Gallery delivers another montage of photos, as we find 28 shots from the set. It feels underwhelming.
Two circa 1974 trailers appear along with one for the movie’s 40th anniversary. We also find three TV spots and two radio spots.
Next we get two programs new to the 2024 4K. The Film Which You Are About to See goes for nine minutes, 57 seconds and features Pearl, Henkel and colorist Mike Matusek.
“See” discusses the original photography as well as its 4K transfer. This turns into a reasonable look at these technical domains.
Hunters of Another Kind lasts 14 minutes, 28 seconds. It brings remarks from Radar Licensing owner David Imhoff and Texas Chainsaw Museum owner David Andersen.
In this piece, we get notes about various forms of movie merchandise. We get a few decent notes nut not a whole lot of real interest.
This package presents some non-disc-based materials as well. The primary attraction comes from a custom box that reproduces the film’s titular chain saw.
This plastic piece roars to sonic life when opened. It seems cute but insubstantial.
In addition, the package comes with a VHS copy of the movie. Why? I don’t know – I guess kitsch collector’s value.
Note that the 2024 release loses two components from the 2023 version. We lose a nearly 73-minute documentary called The Shocking Truth as well as almost eight minutes of outtakes from that progra,.
I would assume these pieces fail to reappear due to rights issues. Nonetheless, they become substantial deletions.
Based on its reputation and my usual preferences within the horror genre, I expected to like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Unfortunately, I didn’t find much about it that interested me, mostly because it could be cheap and amateurish, and not in a good way. The 4K UHD offered dated but well-reproduced picture and audio as well as an extensive collection of bonus materials.
At $300, clearly this “50th Anniversary Chain Saw Edition” will appeal only to the film’s biggest fans. I can’t find anything here that makes it remotely worth that cost, though, especially because it loses supplements from the much less expensive 2023 4K.
To rate this film, visit the DVD review of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE
