Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) (Blu-ray Review)
Director: John Luessenhop
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood
Rated: R/Region: A/1:85/1080p/Number of disc: 1 (Blu-ray and 3D Versions on Same disc)
Available from Lions Gate
After the first massacre in 1974, the townspeople suspected that the Sawyer family were responsible. A vigilante mob of enraged locals surrounded the Sawyer house, burning it to the ground and killing every last member of the family. Decades later a young woman named Heather learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from her grandmother. she decides to bring her friends along on the road trip to investigate her inheritance. On arrival she uncovers she has inherited a mansion but is yet to uncover the terrors that lurk in the basement below it.
We probably should have known we were in trouble once they removed “massacre” from the title right? All in all reviewing this movie is like doing a “good idea/bad idea” installment. One could probably say it was a good idea to continue from the originally film, ignoring the other films and their awkward time frames and plots that came after. But why all the sudden when the film picks up right where the original left off did we really need a whole slew of new characters that were apparently in the house of the original the whole time? I mean they COULD have come over after the events of the original since Sally apparently did find the cops and send them there, but that is never made clear. And did we need soo many? It is in this portion of the film where we get the idea that the writers had been watching way too much of Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects. But the only different in that is we are without the horrid use of foul language, but there is other horrible lines. This of course is used to set up our plot for this movie, which is soo awkward in spots, it kind of makes my head hurt.
I can’t get into too many details because I don’t want to spoil this, but the plot takes a few weird and illogical turns along its way. And when Leatherface ends up not being the film’s biggest bad guy there is a problem, as this film once again uses some of the same tricks used in The Devil’s Rejects. The dialogue at times is so bad it’s funny and the movie does that it’s self a few time. But if there were any positives to this madness it could be the gore, which isn’t too bad. And while I don’t think you’ll care at all about any of these characters and their weird motivations, motives, and characteristic changes, the women are at least hot and easy on the eyes. The film is just lost in logic and filled with characters that make Leatherface seem like the smartest character in the film. And I won’t even get started on the plot hole with the time frame of the film. To sum it up, this Texas Chainsaw tries to just follow the format with anything new added in not working at all. I find the most entertainment value from this one comes in the form of the gore and the fact that it gets soo bad it is amusing in spots. Just don’t go into this one expecting anything matching the original OR the remake for that matter. And, for what it’s worth to you, the transfer is really awesome. Some no matter if you love or hate this movie it will at least look good on your HD TVs
– Audio commentary with producer Carl Mazzocone and filmmaker Tobe Hooper
– Special “Chainsaw Alumni” audio commentary with stars Bill Moseley, Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns and John Dugan
– “Texas Chainsaw Legacy” featurette – A look back at the history and 40 year legacy of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series with filmmaker Tobe Hooper
– “Resurrecting The Saw” featurette – A look at the development of Texas Chainsaw with Director John Luessenhop, Producer Carl Mazzocone and Writers Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan, Kirsten Elms and Stephen Susco
– “The Old Homestead” featurette – A detailed look at the re-creation of the shooting location from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre with Production Designer William A. Elliott and cast members (and Chainsaw series alumni) Bill Moseley, Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns and John Dugan
– “Casting Terror” featurette – Interviews with the cast including Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz, Tania Reynolds, Keram Malicki-Sanchez, Kyle Eastwood, Sean Sipos and others
– “Leatherface 2013″ featurette – An interview with Leatherface actor Dan Yeager on his interpretation of this legendary role, along with a look at the creation of Leatherface’s costume, mask and signature chainsaw
– “Lights, Camera, Mayhem” featurette – A look at the film’s 3D photography with Director of Photography Anastas Michos along with a look at the creation of several sequences from the film
– “It’s in the Meat” featurette – An detailed look at the film’s grisly special make-up effects with Make-Up Effects Supervisor Robert Kurtzman, and Make-Up Artists Alex Diaz and Mike McCarty
-On-Set Short Subjects: Five Minute Massacres
Burning Down The House
Trapped in the Van
Carnival Time
Leatherface In Action
Hot Times In Louisiana
Bloody Good Times
