The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

A radio host is victimized by the cannibal family as a former Texas Marshall hunts them.

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

L.M. Kit Carson, Tobe Hooper (film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre")

Stars:

Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Jim Siedow

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Hopper	...	Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright
Caroline Williams	...	Vanita 'Stretch' Brock
Jim Siedow	...	Drayton Sawyer - The Cook
Bill Moseley	...	'Chop-Top' Sawyer
Bill Johnson	...	Leatherface 'Bubba' Sawyer
Ken Evert	...	Grandpa Sawyer
Harlan Jordan	...	Patrolman
Kirk Sisco	...	Detective
James N. Harrell	...	Cut-Rite Manager
Lou Perryman	...	L.G. McPeters (as Lou Perry)
Barry Kinyon	...	Buzz - Mercedes Driver
Chris Douridas	...	Rick - Gunner
Judy Kelly	...	Gourmet Yuppette
John Martin Ivey	...	Yuppie
Kinky Friedman	...	Sports Anchorman

Storyline

Radio DJ Vanita 'Stretch' Brock's open request night is plagued by the annoying phone pranking of two road tripping, party-hard, hoodlums, but things take a disturbing turn when the hoodlums meet their demise at the hands of familiar chainsaw wielding maniacs. With the entire gruesome ordeal recorded on tape, Stretch seeks out the help of a former Texas Marshall who's on a personal quest of vengeance against this family of cannibals. While at first he turns her down, he eventually decides to use her tape to his advantage, asking her to air it during her request block- effectively baiting the cannibals to the radio station where he'll personally deal with them.

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Plot Keywords:

chainsaw murder | scene of the crime | radio | radio station | characters killed one by one | 

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Taglines:

After a decade of silence... The buzzz is back!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2

Filming Locations:

Loop 150, Bastrop, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,822,439, 24 August 1986, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$8,025,872

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cannon Films, Golan-Globus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min (Ontario) (cut) 101 min (original uncut)

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tobe Hooper: Frolicking during a party scene.

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Goofs

At various times throughout the movie, the characters say the events in the first film took place either 12 or 13 or 14 years ago.

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Quotes

Drayton: [after Stretch runs right past the Sawyers] Some kinda crazy booger just skits through here!

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Crazy Credits

Drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs is listed in the end credits as "Gonzo Moviegoer," but his scene was cut prior to the film's release. Briggs would later complain about the cut in his newspaper column, blaming it (with tongue firmly in cheek) on the Russian premier Mikhail Gorbechev.

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Alternate Versions

Banned in Sweden in 1986. Running time was 97 min. Although it has been shown on 2 Swedish TV-channels a couple of years ago.

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

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Soundtracks

Over the Shoulder
Performed by Concrete Blonde
Written by Johnette Napolitano and Jim Mankey
Published by Happy Hermit/I.R.S. Music, Inc. (BMI)
Produced by Earle Mankey

User Reviews

"Dog will hunt!"

I saw this film in my early teenage years and absolutely hated it. Years have gone by before I finally saw it again for a second time just last night, and while it's certainly not better or anywhere near close to being as good as the original, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 really isn't that bad of a movie.

Many have expressed negative feelings towards the goofy comedic tone, but I personally didn't feel too much of that in the film. Even years ago I remember the film being much sillier and even slapsticky than it was just last night. To me, the film is certainly tongue-in-cheek and doesn't take itself seriously, mostly with Dennis Hopper's bombastic climax, but it's still layered in horror, darkness, and disturbing imagery. Scenes where Leatherface forces a girl to dance with him while she wears the skinned face of her best friend like a mask are remescent of the nightmare-like trances from the first. The character of Chop-Top is also a nice addition to the film, and I found his introduction to the movie where he rambles on about nonsense for 10 minutes while picking at his scalp with a shirt hanger to still be in the same macabre vein as the first. In fact, most of the characters are pretty well written and acted, with the exception fin Dennis Hopper, who is easily the worst thing about this movie and a complete waste of an excellent actor. Hopper later went on to claim that his role in this movie was the worst of his entire career, and I can certainly see why he'd say that.

Tobe Hooper has had a very lackluster career; in fact, I might even say he's only ever made one great film, that being the original TCM. This film proves that he still had an understanding for good camerawork and sudden thrills, like a scene where Leatherface leaps from darkness in the middle of a 10 minute dialog scene. The original was full with some of the best scares in cinematic history, while this film only attempts it once or twice. It's disappointing because the few times it tries to scare, it genuinely works, and it makes you wish there was more of it.

Also, the film just ends. No resolution, no epilogue, it doesn't even finish the climax. It just ends. That gives it a sort of grindhouse feel, but it's still quite underwhelming. Overall the film is a lot more horrifying than most make it out to be, but it's still not as near as horrifying as it should be. I feel like a few tweaks could've made this movie really good, maybe even a close companion to the first, but it distracted and differed from Tobe Hooper's vision of the film.