Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: The Buzz is Back
No secret, it's the meat. Don't skimp on the meat. I've got a real good eye for prime meat. Runs in the family.
Good lord. I have never seen this one before and what a hot mess it is. In a good way. But damn it's all over the place haha.
First of all - the secondary title to this film is Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: The Buzz is Back which....wow...I mean...can I get that inscribed on my gravestone? Released in 1986, it's obviously the sequel to the successful 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It stars Dennis Hopper (who considers this the worst film he's ever been in) as Lefty the cop investigating the sudden surge in chainsaw murders and my new favorite girl Stretch, the radio DJ, played by Caroline Williams. Bill Johnson plays Leatherface in this one and Jim Siedow who reprises his role as The Cook.
This sequel is like the exact opposite of the first film - it's super gory, bigger budget, and less subtle. From the get go there's chainsaws flying everywhere and blood spurting. Which, don't get me wrong, I loved. This film also has a tone of dark humor and cheesy moments which were a lot of fun. When it was released originally it bombed, grossing only $8 million in the US but over the years it's become a cult fan favorite.
The premise of this film is that it's set 13 years after the original events and two bro douchebags are calling into a radio station run by Stretch. They're driving down the highway and being assholes which is being sent out live over the radio. During the phone call the two bros are attacked by a pickup truck with Leatherface in the back wielding his trusty chainsaw.
Lefty aka Lieutenant Boude Enright is the uncle of Sally and Franklin from the original film and has spent the past 13 years investigating their disappearances. He's also keeping an eye on the mysterious chainsaw killings that keep cropping up over Texas. Stretch brings her phone call evidence to Lefty to provide him with some proof because all the other cops are convinced he's nuts. Lefty asks Stretch to replay the violent phone call every hour on the radio, which she does. But unfortunately that attracts Leatherface and Chop Top who show up to the radio station to try and shutdown the evidence of their killings.
This movie is NUTS.
Let me just explain some of the scenes to you:
Lefty showing up to the Sawyer home wielding three chainsaws.
Leatherface has a crush on Stretch and so goes easy on her.
A chainsaw duel between Leatherface and Lefty.....A CHAINSAW DUEL.
A grenade blowing up for seemingly for no reason.
A shrine to the grandmother where her dead body holds a chainsaw. (Ideas for my funeral though)
"Listen. It's not going to work out. I'm trying to be open with you." Stretch says that to Leatherface at one point as if they were seated in a therapy session and not in an underground carnival graveyard?!
Although I do love the final shot of the film which is of course an homage to the original, only this time it's Stretch who has lost her mind and is swinging the chainsaw around.
"Hi, I love you, here's your friends face as a token of my love..."
Regardless of its flaws I loved this movie a lot. Leatherface is such a hot mess and he has a special place in my heart. Honestly, when I saw Texas Chainsaw (too cool for massacre) I thought it was just a piece of fan fiction I wrote about me and Leatherface being bros.
Watch it, love it for its flaws, and look at that goddamn poster!!!!!!!!! It's a play on the Breakfast Club and why don't I have this hanging on my wall yet?!
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