Dark Sky Films have released the long-awaited UHD release of the 1974 horror classic THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, the groundbreaking thriller that has often been imitated but never equaled. The films 4K restored version is complemented by a frightening array of bonus materials.
Violent, confrontational, and shockingly realistic, director Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE terrified audiences in a way never thought possible when it was unleashed on a politically and socially tumultuous America in 1974. Facing a storm of controversy, censorship and outcry throughout its troubled release, this masterpiece of horror has stood the test of time to become a landmark motion picture and cultural milestone.
Now, for the first time, Dark Sky Films proudly presents its director-approved 4K restoration of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE on UHD, bringing all the scares and the screams into terrifying focus and clarity, making for an immersive viewing experience audiences won’t forget. For both new viewers and long-term devotees, this is THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE as it has never been seen or heard before.
The film follows a group of young friends (played by Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail and Teri McMinn) road-tripping by van through Texas who fall victim to a bizarre family of cannibals – including a huge masked madman known as Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) who always has a gas-powered chain saw at the ready. The shocker originated many elements of the slasher genre that would soon explode: the use of power tools as murder weapons, a hulking faceless killer, a desolate rural setting, and the sadistic slaughter of innocent young victims.
Upon its initial release in 1974, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE was banned in several countries, and many theaters in the U.S. stopped showing it due to complaints about its violence. But the low-budget film was hugely successful, grossing more than $30 million domestically, and is now regarded as one of the best and most influential horror movies. It led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books and video games.
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is out now in deluxe 4K UHD and 4K UHD Steelbook editions, each containing a bonus disc containing a wealth of supplemental materials. Disc 1 holds the 4K UHD feature film and four commentary tracks: writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl; actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A. Partain with production designer Robert Burns; Tobe Hooper solo; and Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou.
Disc 2, a Blu-ray, contains the new, never-before-seen feature-length documentary The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and several featurettes. These include “The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER,” a conversation about the film between Tobe Hooper and The Exorcist director William Friedkin; “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”; “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw”; a tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen; “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn”; and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman.”Filling out the generous package are deleted scenes and outtakes, a blooper reel, trailers, vintage TV and radio spots, and much more to thrill fans old and new.
