The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1994
Running Times: 83 mins (Sweden)/ 83 mins 14 sec (UK - video)/85 mins (Finland)/ 86 mins (USA)/95 mins (USA - theatrical)
Format: colour/35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Ultra-Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Genre Pictures/Return Productions /River City Films/Ultra Muchos Productions
Producers: Kim Henkel, Robert Kuhn

SCRIPT
Script: Kim Henkel

DIRECTOR
Director: Kim Henkel
1st Assistant Director: Ed Cathell III

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Levie Isaacks
Key Grip: Sean Devine
Stills: Todd Morris

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Sandra Adair

MUSIC
Music: Wayne Bell
Song: Debbie Harry, Robert Jacks (Love Theme to Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation)

SOUND
Sound Effects Editor: Todd Toon

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costume Designer: Kari Perkins

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Andy Cockrum, J.M. Logan

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Deborah Pastor
Art Director: Ann Yzuel
Property Master: Kevin Berve
Storyboard Artist: Mark Lambert Bristol

OTHER CREW
Production Assistants: Patrick J. Gallagher, Mimi N. McGreal

LOCATIONS
Locations: Austin, Texas, USA; Pflugerville, Texas, USA

CAST
Renée Zellweger (Jenny)
Matthew McConaughey (Vilmer)
Robert Jacks (Leatherface)
Tonie Perensky (Darla)
Joe Stevens (W.E)
Lisa Marie Newmyer (Heather)
John Harrison (Sean)
Tyler Cone (Barry)
James Gale (Rothman)
Chris Kilgore (Rothman's chauffeur)
Vince Brock (I'm Not Hurt)
Susan Loughran (Jenny's mother)
David Laurence (Jenny's stepfather)
Grayson Victor Schirmacher (grandfather)
Jeanette Wiggins (woman eating chocolates)
Carmen Nogales (girl in red dress)
Lisa Caraveo (Brenda)
Les Martin, Adam White, Bill Wise (hecklers)
Loren Guerra (Bud's Pizza attendant)
Derek Keele, Debra McMichael (cops at Bud's Pizza)
Geri Wolcott, Axel L. Schiller (couple in RV)
Andy Cockrum (stuffed DPS officer)
Roger Roe, Angee Hughes, Rebecca Rosenberg (stuffed family)
John Dugan (cop at hospital)
Paul A. Partain (hospital orderly)
Anonymous (real name: Marilyn Burns) (patient on gurney)

PLOT SUMMARY

A group of teenagers on their way to the prom take a wrong turning and find themselves being menaced by psychotic truck driver Vilmer. But back at Vilmer's home, there's something even nastier waiting for them - a family of chainsaw-wielding cannibals, led by the cross-dressing Leatherface.

A disastrous attempt by one of the makers of the original to restage the The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). The result is a film that misfires in almost every way imaginable. It remains marginally interesting now as the film made by pre-fame Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, but even that wouldn't be enough to engage and keep the interest of most viewers. A travesty.

Canada
Theatrical Distributor: Ciné 360

UK
Video Distributor: Columbia/Tri-Star (CVT24857)
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tri-Star (CDR 24857)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: New Line Cinema (1994); Cinépix Film Properties Inc (1997)
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tristar (03741)

Australia
Rating: R

Finland
Rating: K-16 (most of the violence has been cut from this version)

Germany
Rating: 18 (because the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) was still banned in Germany at the time that this film was released, in order to sneak this version past the authorities for a special screening, the film was labelled King of Texas to fool customs!)

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: banned

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R (in 1997 the film was re-issued on video as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and was missing several scenes, including the entire sub-plot of Jenny being abused by her father. Several other scenes were also trimmed, though mostly it was dialogue that was removed or altered not scenes of violence.)

1994
October
7: USA - theatrical release

1995
March
12: USA - shown at the South By Southwest Film and Media Conference, Austin, Texas

1997
August
29: USA - theatrical re-release

September
11: Hungary - video release

1998
January
15: Portugal - video release

September
16: Sweden - television broadcast (on TV1000)

October
23: USA - television broadcast (on HBO)

1999
July
13: USA - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (03741))

November
9: UK - rated 18 the BBFC (for video release)
22: UK - (Columbia / Tri-Star (CVT24857))

2000
April
12: France - television broadcast

July
2: UK - video deleted (Columbia/Tri-Star (CVT24857))

October
23: UK - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (CDR 24857))

2001
January
31: UK - rated 18 the BBFC (for video release)

December
31: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax)

2002
January
13: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax)
25: USA - television broadcast (on Cinemax)

December
22: Indonesia - television broadcast (on TransTV)

Still buzzing after all these years...

The legend is reborn.

If looks could kill he woudn't need a chainsaw.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation - re-release title

REMAKE OF
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

SEE ALSO
All-American Massacre (2000)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

MAGAZINES

People Weekly 15 September 1997 p.29 (USA)
review (by Leah Rozen)

chainsaws, teenagers, forests, remakes, drag queens, proms, splatter, teenagers, transvestitism

CONTRIBUTORS

Kevin Lyons; Jonathan Young