Introduction"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" is a 1986 American scary sequel written by L.M. Kit Carson and directed by Tobe Hooper. It is a follow-up to the 1974 timeless horror film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Despite the significant debate surrounding the original film, the follow up drew in a special group of enthusiasts by purposely guiding away from the original's disturbing, documentary-style horror, and instead concentrating on dark humor and gory special effects.
PlotThe opening scene of the film includes two rowdy, drunk children, who unknowingly disturb the grave-robbing, chainsaw-wielding psychopath, Leatherface, and his psychopathic, grave-robbing family, leading to their harsh death. A radio DJ named Stretch, played by Caroline Williams, occurs to be on the air live during this dreadful occurrence.
This gruesome event captures the attention of previous Texas Ranger, Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright, who is portrayed by Dennis Hopper. Lefty is the uncle of Sally and Franklin Hardesty, the two primary victims from the first movie, so his ingrained desire to dismantle the malevolent clan consuming innocent lives is personal. Stretch, drawn into Lefty's mission due to her inadvertent on-air involvement, accepts assist him to lure out the murderous family.
Characterization and ThemesDennis Hopper's eccentric efficiency as Lefty and Caroline Williams's courageous portrayal of Stretch stand as the highlights. Lefty is a man driven by vengeance, while Stretch is a female who progressively grows from ignorant DJ to a survivalist heroine. On the atrocious end, the Leatherface character, personified by Bill Johnson, brings this film, instilling a mix of fear and perverse romantic fascination towards Stretch.
The sequel identifies itself from its predecessor by injecting a large dosage of black humor and including insanely excessive gore. The film spoofs the gung-ho attitude of Texas culture with its strong, kidney-bean spitting patriarch, and the unreasonable weapons Lefty acquires to fight the clan.
Cinematic Style and ReceptionThe art direction boasts a darker and richer tone than the first movie, with a grotesque underworld burrow decked with human remains. The cinematography and atmosphere provide a carnivalesque and lurid sensation which pairs well with the movie's stunning yet strangely funny material.
While the movie was not initially well-received by critics, who considered it a disappointing follow-up to the original due to its considerable tonal shift, it has actually because gotten a cult following. Numerous movie lovers retrospectively applauded the follow up's wild, excessive violence and dark wit, pulling away from the raw, visceral terror of the original to something more in line with 1980s horror patterns.
Conclusion"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" doesn't aim to carefully imitate the atmospheric horror of the initial, instead producing an unique design of its own with heavier leanings towards dark humor and gory unique impacts. The performances from the cast lend a level of appeal which, integrated with its outrageousness, has earned it a strong cult following.
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