James Kline & J.H. Alison keep 1980s Killer Family Month rolling with a Thanksgiving feast of mayhem as we dive into The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2—Tobe Hooper’s wild, comedic, gore-soaked sequel to his 1974 classic.
We kick things off by revisiting the legacy of the original film and how its raw realism reshaped horror. Then we explore Hooper’s return to the franchise through his three-picture Cannon Films deal, why he decided to lean heavily into dark comedy, and whether that tonal shift actually works.
We dig into the movie’s chaotic production:
Casting Bill Moseley after his underground short "The Texas Chainsaw Manicure" caught Hooper’s eye
Budget cuts that held back Hooper’s original vision
Tom Savini’s practical FX, bringing some of the best (and bloodiest) work of the decade
Behind-the-scenes Cannon madness and the studio’s expectations for a sequel
How Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, and Jim Siedow shaped the film’s off-kilter tone
Due to some technical issues, James takes the reins solo on the full review portion—digging into Stretch’s radio-station nightmare, Hopper’s unhinged chainsaw crusade, and the cannibalistic madness of the Sawyer family as the franchise veers into full-tilt insanity.
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