The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994)

User Rating:

2.6/10   

Director:

Kim Henkel

Writers:

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

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The American legend returns, to bring you back to the cutting edge of terror.

Plot:

A group of teenagers get into a car crash in the Texas woods on prom night, and then wander into an old farmhouse that is home to Leatherface and his insane family of cannibalistic psychopaths.

Plot Keywords:

Leatherface | Woods | Texas | Farmhouse | Car

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Renée Zellweger	...	Jenny (as Renee Zellweger)
Matthew McConaughey	...	Vilmer
Robert Jacks	...	Leatherface
Tonie Perensky	...	Darla (as Tonie Perenski)
Joe Stevens	...	W.E
Lisa Marie Newmyer	...	Heather (as Lisa Newmyer)
John Harrison	...	Sean
Tyler Cone	...	Barry
James Gale	...	Rothman
Chris Kilgore	...	Rothman's Chauffeur
Vince Brock	...	I'm Not Hurt
Susan Loughran	...	Jenny's Mother
David Laurence	...	Jenny's Stepfather
Grayson Victor Schirmacher	...	Grandfather
Jeanette Wiggins	...	Woman Eating Chocolates

Also Known As:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (USA) (reissue title)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for demented mayhem and torture, and for strong language.

Runtime:

95 min (uncut version) | Argentina:90 min | Canada:93 min | Sweden:86 min | USA:86 min (cut version) | Finland:82 min (video) (1997) | UK:83 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1997) | Portugal:M/18 | USA:R (certificate #33268) | South Korea:18 | Italy:VM18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:R | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:18 (cut) | Iceland:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Genre Pictures

Trivia:

Bill Johnson, who played Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) was offered the role of Leatherface.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Darla arrives home, as she is walking indoors with the pizzas, the pizza boxes rotate in her hands a few times, evident by the large "PIZZA" printed on one side of the box.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: August 18, 1973. News of a bizarre, chainsaw wielding family - reports which were to ignite the world's imagination - began to filter out of central Texas. Regrettably not one of the family members was ever apprehended and for more than ten years nothing further was heard. Then, over the next several years at least two minor, yet apparently related incidents, were reported. Then again nothing. For five long years silence...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Wolf At Night

"I Don't Understand!"

At one point, a terrorized Jenny screams "I don't understand!" And Vilmer replies "Welcome to the real world." For me, this sums up everything I like about this movie.

The TCM series has -- at the best of times -- been about random violence...usually for the sake of sensationalism. But underneath it all is the creepy realization that not everybody thinks like you do. Some of them do things which make no sense to you. When you step into their reality, you're at their mercy, and you'll never understand exactly why.

This installment plays the "why?" theme to the hilt, eventually copping out somewhat near the end when they should have just left us wondering. Darla is wonderful as Vilmer's girlfriend, alternately getting hung up about seemingly trivial things -- having a quiet dinner for a change -- and goading Vilmer into continuing their twisted, mutually abusive relationship. Vilmer himself has fantastic moments, though none of the actors quite live up to Perensky & Zellweger's standards of convincing nuttiness and terror, respectively. Though Newmyer is also great in a role which is too small.

Outside of the mayhem, there's some wonderful dialogue, especially the first few lines in the movie: the teacher who simpers around the students and then gripes, "f*** I hate kids." Heather's friend with the absolutely bizarre mannerisms explaining that the gossip-monger is just trying to cause trouble. Heather saying that they might end up slaughtered and hidden away in somebody's basement, with Sean retorting, "that's stupid, the houses around here don't have basements." And finally, my favourite line: "Too bad about her face, Leather, but you can have her shoes!"

Despite all the bad press this movie's received, I hope Kim Henkel enjoys what she created as much as I enjoy watching it. Goofy, funny, real, unreal, terrifying and witty: good job.