TCM 2 was definitely not as serious as the original film, but it had a lot of charm to it. It begins in Texas (of course) with two young men driving along the road. They call a local radio station which is when we meet our leading lady Stretch (Caroline Williams) the DJ. While on the phone with the guys, Leatherface murders both of them Stretch manages to hear the chainsaw in the background. The police try to make their deaths seem like a simple auto accident, but when a former Texas Ranger Lefty (Dennis Hopper) sees the accident scene, he knows it was more than an accident. And when Stretch gives him the audio tape of the murder, he realizes that Leatherface has struck again. Once the infamous Sawyer family catches on that people know of their crimes, they trap Stretch in their sick twisted maze of dead corpses and rotting flesh.
Chainsaw 2 was made at a time when it was competing with the Krueger/Myers/Vorhees sequels. So it had to live up to the modern day slasher film, that means more blood. It's a lot more gory than the controversial first TCM. In this one, you literally see a guy get skinned alive, his face is almost peeled off for Leatherface to use as a mask. Oh and the family is explored more in this sequel. Jim Siedow reprises the role of "The Cook" Drayton Sawyer. He now sells chili to the fine people of Texas. He proclaims at a local cook off that it's his special secret recipe. Take a guess what he uses to make the chili....
Yeah so as you can see, TCM 2 is a little more morbid and comical in a black comedy sort of way. The maze that Stretch gets trapped in near the end is an old amusement park that the Sawyers are living in. Very creepy set they built for it as well. The acting is pretty good for this one as well. We also discover Dennis Hopper's character is related to Franklin, the man in the wheelchair from the first TCM. Nice little connection. All in all, a decent sequel to a 70's classic. It's not as memorable as the first or even as good, but a fine slasher film nonetheless.
7/10
Chainsaw 2 was made at a time when it was competing with the Krueger/Myers/Vorhees sequels. So it had to live up to the modern day slasher film, that means more blood. It's a lot more gory than the controversial first TCM. In this one, you literally see a guy get skinned alive, his face is almost peeled off for Leatherface to use as a mask. Oh and the family is explored more in this sequel. Jim Siedow reprises the role of "The Cook" Drayton Sawyer. He now sells chili to the fine people of Texas. He proclaims at a local cook off that it's his special secret recipe. Take a guess what he uses to make the chili....
Yeah so as you can see, TCM 2 is a little more morbid and comical in a black comedy sort of way. The maze that Stretch gets trapped in near the end is an old amusement park that the Sawyers are living in. Very creepy set they built for it as well. The acting is pretty good for this one as well. We also discover Dennis Hopper's character is related to Franklin, the man in the wheelchair from the first TCM. Nice little connection. All in all, a decent sequel to a 70's classic. It's not as memorable as the first or even as good, but a fine slasher film nonetheless.
7/10