Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Jeff Burr

Writers (WGA):

Kim Henkel (characters) and
Tobe Hooper (characters) ...

Release Date:

12 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

There's Roadkill All Over Texas

Plot:

A California couple and a survivalist encounter the cannibal family.

Plot Keywords:

Gas Station | Shotgun | Survivalist | Texas | Leatherface

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kate Hodge	...	Michelle
Ken Foree	...	Benny
Viggo Mortensen	...	Tex
R.A. Mihailoff	...	Leatherface 'Junior' Sawyer
William Butler	...	Ryan
Joe Unger	...	Tinker
Tom Everett	...	Alfredo
Miriam Byrd-Nethery	...	Mama Sawyer
Jennifer Banko	...	Leatherface's Daughter
David Cloud	...	Scott
Beth DePatie	...	Gina
Toni Hudson	...	Sara
Duane Whitaker	...	Kim
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	Checkpoint Officer
Ron Brooks	...	TV Newsman

Also Known As:

Leatherface (USA) (short title)
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (USA) (video box title)
TCM 3 (USA) (short title)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

Australia:80 min | France:75 min | Sweden:73 min | USA:81 min (R-rated version) | USA:85 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1990) | USA:TV-14 (tv rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | USA:X (original rating) | UK:(Banned) (1990-2003)

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Viggo Mortensen was not the studio's first choice top play Tex. He didn't do well in the audition, and New Line hired another actor who was later fired, and the role of Tex went to Mortensen.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The painkillers Benny gives Michelle and Ryan take effect almost instantly and then wear off in about five minutes.

Quotes:

Tinker: Technology is our friend.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Critic: I Can't Believe It's a Clip Show (#2.10)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

When Worlds Collide

Get it uncut. A lot better now than when first released.

If you watch this as a remake and not a sequel, and then you'll understand it, because that is what it really was meant to be according to all involved as well as Tobe Hooper, who was on board for a while as an adviser. Otherwise, the storyline from TCM part 2 to this one won't make sense.

I saw this when it was first released in the theater and didn't think too highly of it, but then saw the uncut, unrated version recently and it improved more than 100%.

It's spooky, atmospheric, relentlessly frightening, with a very good job by RA Mihailoff as Leatherface, whose brutal characterization is the basis for the current Leatherface character by A Briniarski. Also has a great chainsaw, plenty of great character actors doing what they do best, as great characters.

Would have been better had the squeamish producers left in the X-rated violent scenes as they were originally. Would have been top notch if the (hideously deformed) Leatherface unmasking had remained, a bit that was eventually used to a degree in the 2003 version. Could have been a 10 had someone like Savini been involved. As it is, still superb.