Texas Chainsaw Films

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

In the US the film was initially rated X, but attained an R rating after cuts. This was the last X certificate granted by the MPAA prior to the introduction of NC-17. The R rated version has been used for all releases worldwide. In the UK, the 1975 cinema release was famously banned by the BBFC. Some local councils overrode the BBFC ban and passed it X with a local certificate. The ban continued well into the home video era until unbanned (and released uncut) in 1999.

Summary Review: Classic of its generation

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made and its raw power remains undiminished to this very day. Tobe Hooper somehow created a genuine fright machine which changed the face of the horror genre completely.

The story revolves around a group of teenagers being chased, terrified and murdered when they stumble upon a canabilistic family in the countryside. The main character, Leatherface, who's remorseless killings were loosely based on real life 1950's Texan murderer Ed Gein.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic of its generation and deserves to be part of any respectable film collection. Just don't watch it alone.

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Camden 18

MPAA

• 2014 Second Sight Steelbook (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2014 Second Sight (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2009 Second Sight RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2008 Second Sight R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 2002 Universal R2 DVD
• 1999 Blue Dolphin video
• 1999 Warner video
• 1999 cinema release

• Camden 1998 cinema release.

It was given a late night screening at the 1998 London Film Festival and then ran successfully in Camden at the beginning of 1999.

At around this time, the BBFC was once again asked to consider cuts for a legitimate video release but failed to see how an acceptable version could be produced. The film therefore fell into limbo and was removed from the shelves following the introduction of the Video Recordings Act.

UK:  The R rated version was released on pre-cert video without cuts for

• 1981 Wizard VHS

US:  Cut for an MPAA R Rating for:

• 2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition (RA) Blu-ray/R1 DVD Combo at US Amazon
• 2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Edition (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon
• 2008 Dark Sky RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2006 Dark Sky R1 DVD at US Amazon

See article from en.wikipedia.org : Cut for an MPAA R rating

Hooper reportedly hoped that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) would give the complete, uncut release print a PG rating due to its minimal amount of visible gore. Instead, it was originally rated X . After several minutes were cut, it was resubmitted to the MPAA and received an R rating.

This was the last X certificate granted by the MPAA prior to the introduction of NC-17.

See article from sbbfc.co.uk. The BBFC outlined some of the history of the film:

The notoriety of the film may owe a lot to its original rejection by the BBFC in 1975. It was passed for viewing in Europe, the USA, Australia and other countries. It received a GLC licence in the 1970s and was most recently shown in central London in 1998 under a licence from Camden Council. There is, so far as the Board is aware, no evidence that harm has ever arisen as a consequence of viewing the film. For modern young adults, accustomed to the macabre shocks of horror films through the 1980s and 1990s, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is unlikely to be  particularly challenging. Unlike more recent examples of the genre, violence in THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is throughout implied rather than explicit. By today's standards, its visual effects may seem relatively unconvincing.

Possibly the most notorious feature is the relentless pursuit of the 'Final Girl' throughout the last half hour or so of the film. The heroine in peril is a staple of the cinema since the earliest days. It is nonetheless legitimate to question the unusual emphasis THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE places on the pursuit of a defenceless and screaming female  over such an extended period. The Board's conclusion, after careful consideration, was that any possible harm that might arise in terms of the effect upon a modern audience would be more than sufficiently countered by the unrealistic, even absurd, nature of the action itself. It is worth emphasising that there is no explicit sexual element in the film, and relatively little visible violence.

• London 1975 cinema release

Also passed X uncut for showing in Birmingham, Bath, Leeds and Cardiff (after 1 cut). The BBFC ban was enforced in others. In fact it was passed for showing by 9 councils and banned by 19 others.

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• 1975 cinema release

See article from sbbfc.co.uk :

Tobe Hooper's seminal horror film was first seen informally by the BBFC's Secretary, Stephen Murphy, on 27 February 1975. Murphy regarded it as a good, well-made film but felt strongly that the level of terrorisation, particularly towards the end of the film, and the film's focus on abnormal psychology was unsuitable for a BBFC X certificate to be issued. The distributor reacted to this advice by making some minor reductions in the final scenes of terrorisation, formally submitting a slightly truncated version on 12 March 1975.

The ban persisted until 1999. An official BBFC comment from their website just before the granting of the cinema certificate in 1999 read:

Most questions about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (and sequels) assume that the problem is one of violence or horror. In fact the reason that the film was refused certification was the result of the perceived degree of terrorisation of women and threat to defenceless women. The Board has for many years operated a very strict policy with regard to sexual violence, based on the incidence of this sort of behaviour in real life and the fact that a great deal of research does indicate that this is the one area where media representations do seem to have quite direct effects on attitudes and behaviour. The film was rejected by the Board on film and is most unlikely to be classified on video, where the law demands a stricter test, under amendments to the Video Recording Act 1984 contained in the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2

Unofficially banned by the BBFC from 1986 to 2001. Then released uncut, as it is in the US.

Summary Review: Dennis Hopper, a joy to watch

Dennis Hopper plays a Texas Ranger, Lefty, who's bent on revenge and wants compensation in blood for the murder of his brother's children (from the original movie). The results all lead up to a terribly disturbing and disgusting slasher flick that you won't forget (even if you want to).

What really makes the movie work is Dennis Hopper. He is usually a joy to watch in any movie, and this one is no exception.

The sequel is much more disgusting and violent than the original, but isn't really as shocking. Still, it is a pretty enjoyable flick if you're in the right mood and take it for what it is.

Unrated

• 2013 Arrow RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2001 MGM R2 DVD via UK Amazon
• 2001 20th Century Fox DVD
• 2001 cinema release

US: The Theatrical Version is uncut and  MPAA Unrated for:

• 2016 Shout! Factory (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2012 MGM RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2006 MGM Gruesome Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon

From IMDb. A US special edition includes some footage originally shot for the movie but not included in the theatrical version. This rough footage has dialogue but no music or sound effects and the video quality is atrocious. The scenes include:

• Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper) strapping two chainsaws to himself with leather belts just outside the Sawyer family's hideout. He then sees the family's truck arriving and entering the underground cave.
• A group of rioting football fans smash some cars in an underground parking lot. The chainsaw family arrives and proceeds to make mincemeat of all of them. Highlights include Leatherface slicing a guy's head in half and cutting off the hand of another (the severed hand then falls to the ground and gives Leatherface the finger!)
• A guy (Joe Bob Briggs) descending a staircase to the garage together with two women and talking about splatter movie special effects. After he opens a door, Leatherface barges in and slaughters him (off-screen).
• An alternate take of the scene where Stretch is hiding in the meat room and Leatherface comes in to butcher L.G. and remove his face.

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

• Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3
• Leatherface
• Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
• TCM 3
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3

Banned by the BBFC for cinema release in 1990. Uncut by 2004. In the US cut for an R Rating but the Unrated version is uncut.

Summary Review : Unique and interesting

The film itself is extremely well-acted, especially by the lead, Kate Hodge. It is however, not the most pleasant film you will ever see and if the filmmakers intended it to be a gruelling and punishing experience, they definitely succeeded.

Despite these strong performances and excellent (and very gruesome) special make-up effects, the completed film is left damaged and confused in several key places. But, it is still one of the better entries in this particular series and is well-worth a look as a unique and interesting horror film.

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Unrated

• 2004 EIV R2 DVD at UK Amazon

US: The New Lines Unrated is MPAA Unrated for:

• 2004 New Line R1 DVD at US Amazon

See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com . The Unrated Version is 1:36s shorter then the New Lines Unrated Version. It is missing some banter about hammer design being heard by a couple who are trussed up and waiting to be dispatched

See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com . The Rough Cut is 9:33s longer than the Spanish Version.

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• 2004 EIV R2 DVD

See pictorial cuts details from movie-censorship.com. The following cuts were made after poor audience previews and to enable the distributors to get a US R Rating:

• Alfredo using scissors to deface pictures of girls in a porn magazine
• Various blood spattered shots are missing from a chainsaw attack on Gina by a tree
• The scene or Ryan stuck in a mantrap is missing a shot of his blooded foot and a subsequent scream
• A shot of a pen stabbed into Michelle's leg and its removal by a little girl is missing along with the subsequent maniacal laughing about the incident
• A shot of Michelle's bloodied hand nailed to a chair is gone as is a shot of a hook in Ryan's leg as he is suspended upside down. Further scenes of these victim's predicaments are also cut. As have the lines with Tex teasing Ryan: Hey, if you need anything... just twitch!; and Tex teasing Michelle: Don't ever think of leaving! Not before diner!
• Missing shots of Alfredo with a cut off leg and kissing a severed head before spitting on it and chucking it away
• The little girl's big chance for a kill has been deleted. She gets to pull the chord that releases a large hammer that swings down to hit Ryan on the head. Subsequent drinking of a cup of Ryan's blood is also trimmed
• Leatherface marking a line across Michelle's face to aim his chainsaw is missing
• Missing shots of Tinker's finger stumps and his ear on a grill and blood spattering onto Michelle
• Missing shots of gandpa being shot
• Missing shots of Michelle ripping her hand to free it from the nail in the chair.
• Missing shots of mom dying and uttering son of a bitch with her last breath
• Michelle gets less hits on Leatherface's head with her rock

• 1990 cinema release

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

• The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Not cut by film censors but exists in 2 versions. A shortened Standard Version and an Extended Version

Summary Notes

This is the twisted tale of Vilmer and his crazy family which includes the lovely Leatherface. They have pastime of killing and stuffing people. Unfortunately, Jenny and her friends run into Vilmer and his clan in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods.

• 2001 Lions Gate R1 DVD at US Amazon

Japan: There is also Japanese laser disc featuring the Extended Version

shortened
5:31s

• 2001 Columbia/TriStar R2 DVD
• 1999 Columbia/TriStar VHS

Although it has not been cut by the BBFC, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4 is the short standard version which removed the pointless alien subplot and the subplot of Jenny's abusive mother; all these cuts apply to dialogue scenes, there were no cuts to the violence. This version is about 5:31s shorted than the Extended Version. See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Cut for an MPAA R rating. The resulting version is now the international standard version.

Summary Notes

Driving through the backwoods of Texas, five youths pick up a traumatized hitchhiker, who shoots herself in their van. Shaken by the suicide, the group seeks help from the locals, but their situation becomes even more surreal when they knock on the door of a remote homestead. It's quickly apparent the residents are a family of inbred psychopaths, and the unlucky youths suddenly find themselves running for their lives. In hot pursuit is a disfigured, chainsaw-wielding cannibal known as Leatherface.

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MPAA

• 2009 EIV RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2004 EIV R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 2004 cinema release

The UK Blu-ray was described as the Director's Cut in marketing material but there seems nothing to back up the claim, and it looks likely to be the standard version.

US: Cut and MPAA R Rated for:

• 2009 New Line RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2004 New Line R1 DVD at US Amazon

From IMDb: Cut to avoid an NC-17 rating in the US:

• the more graphic shots of Morgan's death were cut. The original version of the scene featured the shot of the chainsaw slicing into his crotch and then having intestines and blood falling out of him. The cut version cuts away when the chainsaw is about to cut him and totally cuts out the intestines falling from his body.
• The hitchhiker death scene was also cut severely. The original scene has her ear flying off of her head and blood and brain matter being more dark in color and more in amount flying out of her head.

This cut R Rated Version has been used for all known releases and is the best available. The cut scenes have been released as disk extras.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Cut in the US for an R rated theatrical release. There is an uncut Unrated version and both versions are found on home video. No BBFC cuts.

Summary Review: Highly Worthy

On one last road trip before they're sent to serve in Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends get into an accident that calls their local sheriff to the scene. Thus begins a terrifying experience where the teens are taken to a secluded house of horrors, where a young, would-be killer is being nurtured.

Appropriately gory and no-holds barred, Jonathan Liebesman creates a tight, slick and sadistic thriller in the eyes of Chrissie as she endlessly attempts to rescue her friends from a demented madman's clutches. This is a highly worthy and satisfying entry in the horror series that will make an indelible mark on your imagination.

Unrated

• 2007 EIV R2 DVD at UK Amazon

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• 2012 AIS RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2007 New Line R1 DVD at US Amazon

1. A bit more blood when Sloane (Leatherface's mom) is in labor with Leatherface.
2. Two more violent shots of Leatherface smashing his boss's legs with the hammer.
3. A whole new scene where nine bikers, including Holden and Alex smash up the car of the teens, also causing Eric's mirror to break which explains his line ''God Damn it, broke my mirror!''
4. Some extra dialog when Sheriff Winston and Hoyt (not the sheriff yet.) Where Sheriff Winston tells Hoyt how one of his friend told him how to finger a horse.
5. At the first dinner table scene, Hoyt talks more about the people in the town leaving and we see Leatherface starting to eat.
6. There's a very short conversation with Holden and Alex into Luda Mea's store after Bailey asks where the bathroom is.
7. Hoyt pulls the piece of glass out of Bailey's stomach after the car crash and he licks the blood off of the glass and Bailey swears at him
8. There is some more dialog in Sheriff Hoyt's car with Eric, Bailey and Dean in it.
9. When Bailey is tied under the table, Leatherface walks into the room and she starts screaming as he stares at her.
10. Before letting Dean do the push ups, Hoyt yells some more at Dean and now, Dean has to do twenty push ups instead of ten.
11. There is more dialog chat between Luda Mea and the Tea Lady
12. Eric's torture scene is a bit longer, it includes some more shots of him getting tortured and an shot from his arm skin getting peeled off.
13. The scene where Chrissie first enters the house is extended a bit, when Luda Mea drops the jar, she cleans up the mess and she throws it into the trash can.
14. Holden's death is more graphic, it includes an extra shot of him getting cut in half.
15. Eric's death has more graphic shots including a piece of flesh flying out of his body and the chainsaw coming REALLY close to Chrissie under the table.
16. The scene where Monty's legs are cut off is extended, there is an extra shot of his legs falling to the ground.
17. During Bailey's death scene, there's an extra shot of Hoyt smiling at Leatherface, before he slits her throat. And there's and extra graphic shot of Bailey's slit throat.
18. In the slaughterhouse, When Leatherface looks for Chrissie in the blood pools, we see an extra POV shot of Leatherface looking into a blood pool, without Chrissie in it, and lots of rotten flesh floating around.
19. During Dean's death scene, there's an extra graphic shot above Dean when Leatherface is still running the chainsaw for five more seconds.
20. Chrissie's death scene includes two extra shots, one is the chainsaw cutting up her belly button, and the second shot is him pulling the chainsaw out of her.

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MPAA

• 2007 EIV video
• 2006 cinema release

US: The cut theatrical version is MPAA R rated fro:

• 2013 New Line RA Blu-ray

Texas Chainsaw

Cut in the US for an MPAA R rating. Cuts restored for an Unrated version but so far this only available on digital download and in France.

Summary Notes

After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of equally psychopathic killers.

Unrated

• 2013 Metropolitan [3D + 2D] Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at France Amazon released on 4th December
• 2013 Metropolitan R2 DVD Combo at France Amazon released on 4th December

The disks include the original English soundtrack.

Thanks to Andrew. The Unrated Version was premiered as an exclusive release on digital download from 30th April 2013.

See article from bloody-disgusting.com . Director John Luessenhop spoke about the film's MPAA rating:

It initially had an NC-17 rating so we recut the movie and it got an R rating. There are certainly some gory elements but I also think there is quite some suspense in the movie. I think in America it's very easy to get an R rating for violence and blood scenes. There are plenty of those but there are also moments where it is just scary with a suspense build up so I hope some of those scenes are going to stand out, not just the gory scenes.

See article from dreadcentral.com "

Having seen the unrated version, which clocks in at 92 minutes (incidentally, the same runtime as the theatrical cut), I can tell you that the differences are minimal. We're talking a few frames cut from a couple of the movie's kill scenes, especially the final meat grinder kill. Yep. No biggie here.

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MPAA

• 2013 Lions Gate 3D RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2013 Lions Gate 2D RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2013 Lions Gate R2 DVD at UK Amazon

See pictorial cuts details from movie-censorship.com . The cuts are typically MPAA with very short edits to slightly tone down the violence whilst leaving the essence of the scenes more or less intact. There were cuts to tone down the gore in the following scenes:

• Kenny suffering from cuts from Leather Face's chainsaw
• Leather faces attack and skinning of the policeman Marvin
• Hartman having hands cut off before being dragged in grinder