Horror sequels are tricky. Copying the first film is usually a mistake, but simply amping things up isn’t all that satisfying, either. For the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (this time they realized “Chainsaw” is one word), director Tobe Hooper knew he had to do something dramatically different or a sequel would be pointless and forgettable. So he made a fucking crazy black comedy.
In the commentary for this film, Hooper says that the first film had a lot of dark humor that was lost on audiences, so he decided to lean into the comedy for this one so people wouldn’t miss it. He definitely did. The tone is immediately goofier, and it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking of this as a proper horror film. And that’s why this film works so well.
There was no way to re-capture what made the original so special. It came out with no expectations, shot with unknowns, documentary-style, etc. It changed horror. How do you follow that in a traditional way? This is why horror remakes became so popular. Studios realized that they can’t make a better sequel, so why not try to just recreate the original? Despite the money-grab nature of this, I will always check out remakes, and I sometimes even like them (while I find almost all of these remakes pointless, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake is one of my favorites). But back to originality. Tobe Hooper wasn’t interested in repeating himself, which is why we got this weird-ass, fun sequel.
You know you’re in for a different type of film from the get-go when you see the Cannon logo. The ensuing opening action scene is more about punishing annoying characters in a funny rather than terrifying way. Rather than feeling bad for the victims, we’ve switched into Friday the 13th territory and are rooting for the killers. Maybe “rooting” is a strong word; at the very least, we’re ambivalent about the deaths of the annoying frat bros. If that wasn’t enough to tip you off to the comedic slant to this one, we get to see the cook from the first film (now named Drayton) win a chili cook off.
If you go into this expecting more of the same horror of the first film, then this might be a reason to hate this sequel. But if you go along with it, it’s a crazy good time. The tonal shift alone makes it more interesting and entertaining than a regular sequel, but the casting of two new characters played a big factor, as well.
First off, you have Dennis Hopper hunting the Sawyer clan to avenge the death of his nephew and the mental breakdown of his niece. Hopper is up for the insanity of the film, going completely nuts by the end, dual-wielding chainsaws and fighting Leatherface in an abandoned theme park.
Somehow one-upping Hopper, Bill Moseley shows up as Chop Top, a mentally unstable Vietnam vet. Mosely is amazing in this, and this role created his entire career. Moseley is able to walk the fine line between crazy and annoying. Crazy characters can easily become one-note and silly, but Moseley has turned it into an art form. Chop Top is funny and a bit frightening, which is very difficult to pull off. No matter what you think about this sequel, you have to appreciate that it gave us Bill Moseley.
Viewers should also simply appreciate the different tone of this film. I’m at a fairly ambivalent stage in my movie taste at this point. I don’t hate much, but I don’t feel passionately about much, either. If people like seeing the same shit over and over again, who cares? So when I come across something weird, like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, I respect it. This sequel is nowhere near the level of the original (which I consider one of the greatest horror movies of all time), but it’s light years beyond any of the lazy remakes or sequels out there.
In other words, you can throw millions of dollars at a project and make the most gruesome version of Leatherface ever made with gallons of blood and the best visual effects ever, and I will enjoy it. But I will always prefer to see shit like a cannibal winning a chili cook-off, a crazed Dennis Hopper having a chainsaw fight, and a twitchy weirdo spouting gibberish at a radio DJ.
Random Thoughts / Favorite Quotes
I like the local cop trying to be like the mayor in Jaws to Hopper. “This is just an accident. Just a couple of wild punks out raisin’ hell.”
“Yup. One of those boys was so wild he sawed his own head off going ninety miles per hour!”
The last time we saw Drayton he was losing his fucking mind in a cannibal house. The first time we see him in the sequel…he’s winning a chili cook-off.
Drayton was way ahead of the game with his food truck business.
“Dog will hunt!” I’m a big Primus fan, and that line is sampled in “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.” I can’t believe I’m just now finding out the source.
The score to this movie is pretty fucking atrocious. It is definitely the weakest link in the film. It sounds like some stock score Hooper just stumbled upon.
God damn Bill Moseley is having a good time in this.
Leatherface looks like he’s doing a mime routine at times.
Dennis Hopper shows up wielding three chainsaws and singing hymns and shit, and Drayton thinks he’s been sent by rival cooks. What a life he must live.
Don’t get me wrong; if I was living through this movie, it would be fucking terrifying. But watching it, it’s pretty fucking (intentionally) goofy.
This movie is in the top half of the series just for the Dennis Hopper vs. Leatherface chainsaw fight.
I think George Lucas may have gotten the idea for Obi Wan and Anakin to fight on top of a table in Revenge of the Sith from the chainsaw fight in this movie.
I love Dennis Hopper going chainsaw crazy, but you know, he could’ve just used his standard issue firearm. But hats off to him for wanting to level the playing field a bit.
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