The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a commercial sensation on release, transcending its low budget and quick production to become a horror icon. Eventually the critics caught up too…it’s truly scary and also an excellent piece of filmmaking, definitely violent but not anywhere near as gory as one might expect. The 1986 sequel, however, had no such compunctions about toning down the gross. It also upped the satire too, led by a gonzo Dennis Hopper as a former Texas Ranger trying to stop the cannibal family. Not a sensation at the box office or critically on release, it has gone on to earn a well deserved cult following. If you need a Halloween fix and can roll with over-the-top gore and ultra black comedy, give it a try.

media release: USA | 1986 | 35mm | 95 min.

Director: Tobe Hooper

Cast: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Moseley

An FM radio DJ (Williams) and a former Texas ranger (Hopper, at his most unhinged) are drawn into the web of the cannibalistic family at the center of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. With a sharp screenplay by L.M. Kit Carson (Paris, Texas) and fearless performances by all involved, director Hooper amped up the gore and the satire and defied the odds to come up with a worthy sequel to his 1974 horror classic.

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.

1980S FAN FAVORITES: In September and October, the Cinematheque is proud to present a selection of five features from the decade that has seemingly produced more enduring cult movies than any other: the 1980s. We begin with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in tribute to the late, great Paul Reubens. On Saturdays in October, the Cinematheque’s screen will be aglow with John Carpenter’s genre-splicing action favorite Big Trouble in Little China; the musical-horror-comedy Little Shop of Horrors; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Tobe Hooper’s highly satirical sequel to his 70s drive-in classic; and David Cronenberg’s brilliant 1986 remake of The Fly, starring Jeff Goldblum.