Plot: What’s it about?
The horrific legend of Leatherface began in the kind of conditions you might expect, as when the deformed child was born, he was left for dead in a dumpster. But he is taken in by the Hewitt family, raised as their own son, Thomas and when he grew up, he worked in a slaughterhouse. After all, being a mentally limited person gave him few options and he seemed to be a natural with his instruments of slaughter. But when the slaughterhouse was condemned, this pushed Thomas over the edge and soon enough, he took his frustrations out on those around him. The bodies began to pile up, but his adoptive father Charlie (R. Lee Ermey) wasn’t about to let his son take the fall. Even when the local sheriff arrived to take Thomas in, Charlie took care of him and even assumed his identity, calling himself the new Sheriff Hoyt. Around the same time, two brothers traveled to begin tours of duty in Vietnam, with their girlfriends in tow. While on the road, they’re hassled by some bikers, but they pass by and are forgotten until the group stops for gas and the bikers are there also. One of the bikers decides to chase them down, leading to a confrontation with Sheriff Hoyt, but little do they know that Hoyt is more of a threat than they could ever imagine…
After a few sequels and even a remake, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre seemed tapped out, but then someone decided a prequel would be a good idea. In theory, the story of how Leatherface ended up as twisted as he was is a sound premise, but the filmmakers here botched the concept. This could have been a slow burn study of what makes someone a sadistic killer, but instead, we have a rushed, often dull experience. As much as the case wants us to believe the movie will shock us and is as depraved as a horror movie can be, that simply isn’t the case. The blood and gore is actually minimal, especially for an “unrated” version labeled as “too shocking” to be shown in theaters. A few sequences have decent red stuff, but for a movie that promises a bloodbath, this film is in reality quite tame. I don’t need tons of blood per se, but when there is minimal gore and the psychological terror is non existent, then that poses a problem. I wanted to like this movie, the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a personal favorite of mine, but this flick just plain sucks. Then again, with horror in such a massive slump of late, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much, even from Leatherface. But New Line’s disc is impressive, so if you’re a fan of this modern horror approach, or you want to torture friends with a miserable movie, at least the presentation is good.
Video: How does it look?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As this is a dark, dark movie in terms of visuals, it is a testament to New Line that this transfer is so incredible. The print has some light grain at times, due to the stock used, but aside from that, no defects in the least. The image is razor sharp throughout, so detail is high and the visuals have a lot of depth. The visuals are bathed in shadows and darkness, but the contrast never disappoints. The black levels never falter in the least, with refined and stark presence at all times. No worries with the colors either, as the hues come across in bold, vivid form, though the visual scheme requires darker colors. In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a much better visual treatment, so kudos to New Line once again.
Audio: How does it sound?
New Line went above and beyond the call for this release, providing both a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack and a DTS 6.1 ES option. This movie has a good mixture of atmospheric audio that helps build and maintain tension and more powerful moments that shock the surrounds to life. I found the DTS option to be the better of the tracks, with tighter overall presence and cleaner, crisper bass, but both offer a terrific experience. The surrounds are alive from start to finish here, with lots of “in the middle of nowhere” background fodder, as well as the eerie music and of course, Leatherface’s murders to spark up the speakers. I never had any trouble with dialogue here, with vocals coming through in solid form at all times. This disc also includes English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Jonathan Liebesman, the film’s director is joined by two of the producers for an audio commentary track, in which a lot of time is spent on what had to be removed to attain an R rating for the film. Even in this unrated version, I wasn’t too impressed with the gore, so I can’t imagine what the theatrical version is like. The trio also covers the casting process, general production insights, and thoughts on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre mythology. All in all, not a bad track, but not one I would care to listen to a second time, but maybe the film’s fans might. Down to the Bone is a five part documentary that runs just over forty-five minutes, The piece is in depth and has a lot of information, but the presentation wasn’t as good as I would have liked. Even so, if you liked the movie, you’ll want to check out this substantial look inside the production. This disc also includes a selection of deleted and extended scenes, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
