Another one of my writer friends by the name of Gary Murray recently reviewed the new big budget remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” on another website and he made the comment that some movies are classics and should never be remade. He listed the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as one of those classics. And he was right. I haven’t seen the new version, so I cannot comment on its quality, but I can at least agree with his assessment that the original should be considered a classic. I’m sure I’ll eventually see the remake out of curiosity, but in the mean time I think I’d rather settle down to watch the original, in all its Special Edition splendor on the new DVD release from Pioneer Home Video. I’ve long been a fan of the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” for its gritty and bloody brilliance. Director Tobe Hooper took the story of Texas’ own Ed Gein and embellished upon it to create this visceral nightmare of a film.

It has never been for the faint-hearted as some of the scenes are, quite simply, as gruesome as they come. The delight that Leatherface displays after a kill is disturbing to watch. And the insanity of the dinner scene is one of the most unsettling ever committed to film.

Part of the brilliance of Hooper’s masterpiece (yes, I said masterpiece) is in its ‘you are there’ look. The camera work is often claustrophobic, each shot set up to make you really feel the terror that the victims experience as they meet their demise. What makes it worse is that the killings are never ‘over the top.’ They are realistic in manner, and realistically shown in form. The original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is the movie that most horror directors seem to want to emulate, but rarely succeed.

The new DVD release by Pioneer Home Video is a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” connoisseur’s dream. Most of the extras won’t mean a lot to the average movie watcher, but fans of the flick will go nuts over the deleted and alternate scenes. Most have no sound, but they all have an onscreen description of what they are and why they weren’t used. The commentary track by Hooper, along with director of photography Daniel Pearl and Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen is entertaining as well as informative. It’s a mixture of anecdotes and ‘film school 101.’

I was shocked to find out of the existence of a blooper reel, and was thrilled to see it was included on this disc. The film itself is so ultra-realistic that when you see an actor in the film flub a line and crack up it seems almost disconcertingly surreal.

When I actually watched the film as it is presented on this disc I was immediately taken aback by the quality of the presentation. I’ve seen the film many times, either on TV or video and it always had a grainy, low budget look and sound to it. This version went through a Digital Superscan transfer that was supervised by Hooper and it and the image is so clear that the film looks like it was shot yesterday. And the new stereo surround soundtrack is nothing short of amazing.

Admittedly, I had two reactions to this presentation. First, I was impressed with the fact that the film could look this good. I watched it with a little bit of awe at what this new process had accomplished. But then the traditional side of me started to miss the old look of the film. You know, that ‘muddied and scratched’ appearance that was always a part of what made it seem so real. This version was almost too clean, if you know what I mean. But overall I certainly can’t knock this restoration process. They did a fantastic job.

There is no way in the world that “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” will appeal to everyone, but for those who have spent many a late night enjoying the ‘granddaddy’ of the modern slasher flick, this is by far the best version of it you could ever hope to own on DVD.

Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen
Extras: Audio Commentary by Director Tobe Hooper, Director of Photography Daniel Pearl, and star Gunnar Hansen. Deleted Scenes and Alternate Footage, Blooper Reel, Original Theatrical Trailers and Television Spots for Other Films in the Chainsaw Series, Posters and Collectibles, Still Photos
Specifications: Widescreen, Stereo Surround
Studio: Pioneer
Release Date: 10/14/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R

We'll give The Texas Chainsaw Massacre an A.