Texas Chainsaw Films

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Camden 18

• 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

• 1983 Iver VHS identified by 'uncensored' on the case
• 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.

X

• 1979 Iver VHS identified by being packaged in an adapted Super 8mm case

• London 1975 cinema release

Also passed X 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.

See video from YouTube (with thanks to Ben & clown). The pre-cuts were:

• A scene with a wheelchair hitting a guy's leg is marginally curtailed for no apparent reason.
• The scene where Leatherface is preparing to use a chainsaw on a body on a table in front of girl suspended by a meat hook is terminated as soon as the chainsaw is fired up,

pre-cut

• 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.

• 2017 Arrow RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 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

The film was submitted to the MPAA in 1986 who suggested that it would be X rated. The distributors didn't accept an X rating and didn't want to cut it for an R, so opted for an MPAA Unrated release. They made a play on this for the promotional material. with repeated warnings that under 17s would be banned.

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.

The film was submitted to the BBFC by Cannon and the result was 22 minutes of required cuts. The cuts were to the opening sequence with Leatherface and the woman with the chainsaw between her legs. Other cuts to gore were also required. The distributors weren't interested and the submission was dropped without formal publication. The unviable amount of cuts offered has generally been considered as an unofficial BBFC ban.

Thanks to Scott who explained further:

I've been researching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II's history with the BBFC. I've found in a book called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Companion , by Stefan Jaworzyn. Here's what I've learnt from the book:

The film was submitted to the BBFC by Columbia-Cannon-Warner (CCW) in 1986. The Board viewed the uncut film three times. Even after the third viewing, on October 23rd 1986, they still couldn't decide whether to cut heavily or outright Reject.

The distributors then submitted a pre-cut version, known as the "Northern European Cannon Cut" . The technical manager of CCW, Steve Southgate, wrote to the BBFC on October 29th to detail some of the cuts to this version:

• "The opening scene with the boys in a car, when they are attacked, now only consists of one shot of an open head wound."
• "Scene in radio station where L.G. is being hit on his head with a hammer now has been reduced to only three blows. (The scene with the girl sitting with her legs astride with Leather Face in front of her with chainsaw remains the same.)"
• "The scene with Dennis Hopper going into the underground cabin for the first time, where he discovers blood and entrails coming out of a wall has been shortened."
• "The complete scene where Leather Face uses an electric knife on L.G. removing flesh from legs, chest and face has been removed, and also Leather Face placing skin mask on girl's face has been removed."
• The scene where Leather Face has chainsaw put through his chest has been shortened to establishing shot only. The scene with Chop-Top cutting his throat has been shortened. The scene with Chop-Top slashing girls back with cutthroat razor has been reduced.

Despite the heavy pre-cuts, this still failed to get through.

By May 21st 1987, numerous cut versions had been attempted, and all had failed, yet the BBFC felt it was worth cutting further. At this point, the distributors gave up.

Sweden 

Canada: The film was originally banned in Ontario but was unbanned after the distributors cut 10 minutes of gore.

Sweden: The film was banned for its first release,

best
available

Unrated

• 2004 EIV R2 DVD at UK Amazon

US: The New Lines Unrated is MPAA Unrated for:

• 2018 Warner R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 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 article from thedigitalbits.com :

the real trouble began when the film was submitted to the MPAA for a rating. Its biggest obstacle to overcome (besides its bloody content) was the fact that it mixed dark humor with violence, which was not unlike its predecessors, but was something that the MPAA had a big problem with. Receiving an X with little to no chance of achieving anything else, the film went through many drastic re-edits, eventually receiving an R-rating. Judging from the deleted scenes that didn't make the final cut, it's fairly tame by comparison and could have potentially been a much gorier film.

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

• 2018 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition [Standard + Extended Versions] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon

Canada: The Extended Version/Director's Cut is MPAA Unrated for:

• 2001 Lions Gate R1 DVD at US Amazon

Japan: There is also Japanese laser disc featuring the Extended Version with an extra 5:31s of additional material.

• 2023 Mediumrare (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon #ad

UK: The Theatrical Version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for:

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

• 2018 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition [Standard + Extended Versions] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon

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

• 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

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

• 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.
• 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.

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.

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

• 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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• 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

• 2018 Lionsgate Home Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2017 LIONSGATE RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2017 LIONSGATE R1 DVD at US Amazon