The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – The Ultimate Edition (1974 Original Version Blu-ray/Dark Sky Films)
Picture:
B Sound: B- Extras: B+ Film: B
Since
Dark Sky released the upgraded DVD Ultimate Edition set of the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the wave of
tired, dumb imitators has given way to the “torture porn” of franchises like
Saw, Hostel and its many imitators, showing the real pointlessness of the many
imitators to begin with. We first looked
at the film way back when the old Pioneer/Geneon edition (out of print and from
a company that has now gone out of business) arrived in new packaging:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/554/Texas+Chain+Saw+Massacre+-+1974
Then we
later looked at the Dark Sky DVD set:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4920/The+Texas+Chain+Saw+Massacre
Now comes
the Blu-ray edition and its release marks the first-ever all 16mm film shoot of
a feature film to hit a High Definition format.
Instead of being shot in negative film, the 16mm here used was a
reversal stock, meaning you only get back one print of everything you shot versus
a negative and a print from it. Eastman
Kodak’s ECO reversal stock (#7252) was hard to expose and the initial print
that came back did not look good and was easy to scratch, but it did produce
very good looking duplicate prints, including the kinds that were blown up to
35mm like copies I have seen.
Shown
here in 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition, all previous DVD editions are
rendered poorer, as this version has surprisingly good color, good depth for
16mm of the time and a more solid presentation with relatively more detail than
the DVD versions. Color is better than
just about any version of the film you have likely seen and does not have some
of the fading issues we have seen before.
The only problem is that in some dark scenes, as in the first
Leatherface attack (with a meat tenderizer to the head?) you cannot see that as
clearly as you should for the impact to register, but those are minor problems
and outdone by the improvements.
The new
sound option here is a DTS 5.1 mix that is better than the Dolby Digital 5.1
mix, which is likely the same soundmaster, but is slightly clearer. The old Pioneer DVD had a Hooper-approved
Dolby Pro Logic mix from the PCM 2.0 on the LaserDisc to the PCM 2.0 on the DVD;
this Blu-ray repeats the new edition’s PCM 2.0 Mono and PCM 2.0 Mono, the
latter of which is the option for purists.
I liked the DTS myself.
Extras are
the same as the Dark Sky DVD set, but the Blu-ray adds the featurette “Off The
Hook” with Teri McMinn, while the other extras include a new audio commentary
by actors Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danziger, and art designer
Robert A. Burns, the vintage commentary by director Tobe Hooper,
cinematographer Daniel Pearl, and actor Gunnar Hansen, trailers,
TV and radio spots, 73 minute documentary "Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The
Shocking Truth", 74 minute documentary "Flesh Wounds", Tour
of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house before and after remodeling, conduced by
Gunnar Hansen, deleted scenes and outtakes, blooper reel, outtakes from "The
Shocking Truth" and a few still galleries including posters, ads,
and collectibles. Carried over from the
older edition, the blooper reel is amusing, deleted scenes worth checking out
(though none of them feel like they should have remained, they are worth catching),
and the alternate footage includes all the footage shot for the brief, still
chilling enough first abduction by Leatherface.
The trailer for the unnecessary sequel was dropped and these
documentaries are mostly new.
So this
did not turn out to be the mess Anchor Bay delivered with their Halloween
Blu-ray and is such a surprise in playback that this Dark Sky edition of Texas Chain Saw Massacre is instantly
one of the best back catalog titles in the new HD format. That also makes it one of the first serious
independent film releases on Blu-ray and one done well, so much so that it will
give this classic new respect.
- Nicholas Sheffo
