Canon Films, 1986
starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Moseley ad Bill Johnson
directed by: Tobe Hooper

the plot: Nearly 10 years after a quartet of teenagers met their gruesome end at the hands of a family of chainsaw wielding cannibals, tales of the bloodthirsty killers still circulate in northern Texas. Chasing after those rumors is former Texas marshal Lefty Enright (Hopper), whose niece and nephew were killed by the cannibals years earlier. Lefty gets proof of the family’s existence when radio DJ Stretch Brock (Williams) records an on-air phone call from a pair of teenagers under attack by the murderers. When Stretch re-plays the tape over the air, cannibal family members Leatherface (Johnson) and Chop-Top (Moseley) pay a visit to the radio station, big-ass chainsaw in tow. While under attack, Stretch convinces the simple-minded Leatherface not to kill her, and when the two monsters leave, she follows them back to a nearby hideout. Lefty, now armed with three chainsaws, is close behind, but too late to prevent Stretch from falling into a trap. As Leatherface, Chop-Top and their older brother get ready to serve Stretch up for dinner, Lefty fires up his chainsaws and gets ready to exact bloody revenge.

why it’s good: Apart from the conspicuous presence of chainsaws and one returning cast member, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” couldn’t be more different from the original film. While the first “Massacre” was light on gore but heavy on suspense and disturbing imagery, the second installment in the “Massacre” franchise is excessive in every regard, from the copious amounts of blood splattered across the screen to the none-to-subtle black humor of which Hooper makes good use. Fans of the first film might be put off by the shift in tone and the emphasis on Leatherface and his clan, but it actually works, especially since Hooper uses the opportunity to give Leatherface and his brothers distinctive personalities. This actually makes them more frightening, and for all the ridiculous bits (like Chop-Top’s griping about his mangled Sonny Bono wig), Hooper maintains a fair amount of suspense throughout the movie. And, while you’d think a dude who wears people’s faces would be the most over-the-top character, that distinction actually belongs to Dennis Hopper, who snarls, spits and saws his way through the handful of scenes he’s in—sort of like a lower-key version of his role in “Blue Velvet.” But it’s Caroline Williams who deserves top billing here. She’s a smart, tough heroine, even if she does go slightly insane after taking on Leatherface. Then again, being forced to wear your co-worker’s mangled face will do that to a person.

why you should own it: MGM’s special “Gruesome” edition of “TCM2” features a boatload of extras, including commentary by Hooper, deleted scenes and a 90-minute making of feature. It’s a fun, out of control film, and fans of the first “Massacre” should give it a shot, even if they prefer the original’s somewhat subtler scares to the severed heads and chainsaw disembowelments of the sequel.