The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1986
Running Times: 89m (USA, Canada)/100m (USA - director's cut)
Length:
Format: 35mm/Todd-AO
Colour Format: colour
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Company: The Cannon Group / a Golan-Globus Production
Executive in Charge of Production: Rony Yacov
Executive Producers: Henry Holmes, James Jorgensen
Producers: Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus
Co-Producer: Tobe Hooper
Associate Producer: L.M. Kit Carson
Unit Production Manager: Henry Kline
Production Coordinator: Tamara Carlisle

SCRIPT
Script: L.M. Kit Carson
Characters: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Director: Tobe Hooper
2nd Unit Directors: Newt Arnold, John Moio
1st Assistant Director: Richard Espinoza
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Director: David Anderson
2nd Assistant Director: Mark Lyon
2nd Unit 2nd Assistant Director: Leo Zisman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Richard Kooris
2nd Unit Director of Photography: J. Michael McClary
2nd Unit Camera Operator: Vince Baldino
1st Assistant Camera: Ralph Watson
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Camera: Brown Cooper
Gaffer: Phillip Curry
Rigging Gaffer: Doug Sutton
Best Boy Electrician: Jon Lewis
Rigging Best Boy: Dwight Cary
Key Grip: Ferrel Shinnick
Dolly Grip: Bobby Lewallen
Video Assist Operator: Samuel Crowther
Stills: Gary Farr
Colour: TVC
Colour Timer: Angelo Russo

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Alain Jakubowicz
1st Assistant Editor: Koby Dagan, Anne Couk
2nd Assistant Editors: Iris Dagan, Chris Notarthomas, Anne Jordan-Bruton
Apprentice Editor: Linda Mitchell
Negative Cutting: Ron Vitello, Anne-Marie Vitello

MUSIC
Music: Tobe Hooper, Jerry Lambert
Music Supervisor: Paula Erickson
Music Editor: Michael Linn
Songs: Pat McDonald, Barbara K. McDonald (Shame On You); Connor (White Night); Ronni Cook (Goo Goo Muck); Danny Elfman (No One Lives Forever); Pat McDonald (Life Is Hard); Johnette Napolitano, Jim Mankey (Over Your Shoulder); Johnette Napolitano Haunted Head); Roky Erikson (Crazy Crazy Mama); Stiv Bator, Brian James (with lyrical inspiration from Kit Carson) (Good To Be Bad); Stewart Copeland (Strange Things Happen)
Songs Performed By: Timbuk 3 (Life is Hard; Shame on You); Torch Song (White Night); The Cramps (Goo Goo Muck); Oingo Boingo (No One Lives Forever); Concrete Blonde (Over Your Shoulder; Haunted Head); Roky Erikson (Crazy Crazy Mama); Lords of the New Church (Good To Be Bad); Stewart Copeland (Strange Things Happen)
Songs Produced By: Dennis Herring (Shame On You; Life Is Hard); William Orbit, Laurie Mayer (White Night); The Cramps (Goo Goo Muck); Danny Elfman, Steve Barteck (No One Lives Forever); Earle Mankey (Over Your Shoulder; Haunted Head); Duane Aslaksen (Crazy Crazy Mama); Lords of the New Church, Dennis Herring (Good To Be Bad); Stewart Copeland (Strange Things Happen)
Songs Mixed By: William Orbit, Dick O'Dell (White Night)

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Wayne Bell
2nd Unit Sound Mixer: Paul Harrison
Boom Operator: Henry Miller
Re-Recording Mixers: Christopher Jenkins, Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe
Supervising Sound Editor: David Bartlett
Sound Editors: Allen Hartz, Jane Lang, Steve Shearsby, Richard Vandenberg, Richard Villa, Fred Wasser
Assistant Sound Editors: Bobbi Banks, Nick Barnard, Spike Allison Hooper, Sara Sheranian, Justine Vacco, Amy Vincent, Tony Wakefield, Ron Bartlett, Oscar Mitt
Apprentice Sound Editors: Brian Chic, Paula Greatbatch, Carolann Sanchez, Steve Schwalbe
ADR Editor: Jessica Gallavan
Foley Supervisor: Tracey Smith
Foley Editors: John Duvall, Albert Gasser, Marian Wilde
Foley Assistant: Karen Joseph
Re-Recording: Todd AO / Glen Glenn

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Candi Duke
Hair: Denise Carfagno
Costume Designer: Carin Hooper
Costume Supervisor: Julia Gombert
Costumer: Karen Miller

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Tom Savini
Special Effects Make Up Crew: Jon Vulich, Mitchel Devane, Gino Crognale, Shawn McEnroe, Bart Mixon, Gabe Bartalos
Cosmetic Lenses: Felix Leal, Linda Lowenthal

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Eddie Surkin
Special Effects Leadman: Joshua Hakian
Special Effects Crew: Gerald McClanahan, Todd Smiley, Ray Beetz, Joe Quinlivan, Ken Sher
Mechanical Special Effects: Daniel F. Morris

VISUAL EFFECTS
Model Maker: Tony Hooper
Title Designers: Wenden K. Baldwin, Kyle Seidenbaum
Main Titles and Opticals: Freeze Frame

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Cary White
Assistant Art Director: Daniel Miller
Set Decorator: Michael Peal
Property Master: Michael O'Sullivan
Property Assistants: Anita Dallas, Terry Evans
Construction Coordinator: Pat Welsome
Leadperson: Jay Raymond

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Laura Debolt Kooris
Production Accountant: Rachel David-Ames
Production Assistants: David Parks, Richard Rosser
Unit Publicist: Scot Holton
Hotel Furniture Provided By: Haverty's Fine Furniture
Production Services and Equipment Provided By: Keylite-PSI

LOCATIONS
Locations: Cut-Rite Chainsaw Store, Austin, Texas, USA; Austin American Statesman Newspaper, Austin, Texas; Prairie Dell Amusement Park, Austin, Texas
Location Manager: Sjon Ueckert

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks To: The Texas Film Commission, Joel Smith and Liz Kline; The Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation; The Texas Department of Public Safety; The city of Austin, Texas; The city of Bastrop, Texas; the county of Belton, Texas; Watson-Casey Companies; Artesia Waters Inc; B.H. & Associates Inc; Big Red Inc; Shiner Beer

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: John Moio
Stunts: Daniel Barringer, Bob Elmore, Larry Holt, Tom Morga, Beth Nufer, Jim Stephan, Allen Wyatt Jr

CASTING
Los Angeles Casting: Robert MacDonald, Bonnie Pietila
Austin Casting: Pat Orseth
Extras Casting: Actors Clearinghouse

CAST
Dennis Hopper (Lieutenant "Lefty" Enright)
Caroline Williams (Vantia "Stretch" Block)
Jim Siedow (Drayton Sawyer)
Bill Moseley (Chop Top)
Bill Johnson (Leatherface)
Ken Evert (Grandpa)
Harlan Jordan (patrolman)
Kirk Sisco (detective)
James N. Harrell (CutRite manager)
Lou Perry (L.G. McPeters)
Barry Kinyon (Mercedes driver)
Chris Douridas (Gunner)
Judy Kelly (gourmet yuppette)
John Martin Ivey (yuppie)
Kinky Friedman (sports anchorman)
Wirt Cain (anchorman)
Dan Jenkins (TV commentator)
Joe Bob Briggs (real name: John I. Bloom) (gonzo moviegoer - Director's Cut only)

PLOT SUMMARY

A radio DJ, 'Stretch' Brock, listens in as a pair of annoying teenage callers to her show are slaughtered by the chainsaw wielding Sawyer clan. She plays the recording of the killing to try to draw the killers out and gets a lot more than she bargained for. Meanwhile, deranged Texas Ranger Lefty Enright is also searching for the cannibal clan, looking to revenge the death of his nephew Franklin Hardesty and the torture of his now insane niece Sally.

Although Hooper pulls out all the stops - ramping up the gore considerably, highlighting the black comedy, filling in the background on the mad cannibal clan - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is ultimately a disappointment. The first half is the best, with lots of squirm inducing nastiness (Stretch's initial encounter with Leatherface is one of the most uncomfortable scenes ever filmed) but the last reel is just an hysterical and way over-the-top rehash of the original. It has its moments, though sadly, nowhere near enough of them.

UK
Video Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment (17195S)
DVD Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment (17195DVD)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Cannon Films
Video Distributors: Anchor Bay Entertainment Inc; Condor Video; Fusion Video; Image Entertainment; HBO Home Video; MGM Home Entertainment; Media Home Entertainment; Video Treasures; Movies Unlimited
DVD Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment (1000837)
Laserdisc Distributor: Elite (EE8622)

Australia
Rating: banned; R
The film was initially banned and denied a theatrical or video release, though it was eventually shown on cable TV in 2000, though the scene where Chop Top batters L.G. with a hammer in the radio station was cut. Following the broadcast, the film was finally released uncut on video.

Denmark
Rating: 16

Finland
Rating: banned

France
Rating: -16

Germany
Rating: 18
Prints were initially seized by the authorities who tried to suppress the film's release.

Netherlands
Rating: 16

Norway
Rating: banned

Sweden
Rating: banned in 1986
Although denied a theatrical release, the film has been shown a few times on television.

UK
Rating: banned; 18
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was never even submitted for a certificate when it first came out - when it was first presented to the BBFC in 1990, the distributors, Canon, were told that they might have to accept up to 25 minutes of cuts. They declined to go ahead with certification and the film remained unavailable legally unto 2001 when, on 23 July, the BBFC finally passed it uncut with an 18 certificate.

USA
Rating: unrated

1986
Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Caixa de Catalunya: Best Actress (Caroline Williams) - winner

1989
Fantasporto
International Fantasy Film Award: Best Film (Tobe Hooper) - nominated

1986
May
5: USA - shooting begins

July
4: USA - shooting ends

1986
August
22: USA - theatrical release

1987
January
21: France - theatrical release

1989
February
Day Unknown: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival

1996
September
17: USA - laserdisc release (Elite (EE8622))

2000
February
18: Australia - television broadcast

August
1: USA - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (1000837))

2001
July
23: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release - uncut)

August
25: UK - shown at Frightfest 2001, London
28: USA - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (1000837))

September
17: UK - video release (MGM Home Entertainment (17195S))
24: UK - television broadcast (on Bravo)

October
5: UK - theatrical re-release
22: UK - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (17195DVD))

After a decade of silence... The buzzz is back!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 - US video advertising title

SEQUEL TO
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

SEQUELS
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994)

SEE ALSO
All-American Massacre (2000)
Redneck Zombies (1987)
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (1968)
The Texas Comedy Massacre (1987)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The 'burbs (1989)

MAGAZINES

Flesh and Blood no.9 p.29 (UK)
review

Premiere February 1987 p.17 (France)
review (by Stella Molitor)

Scapegoat no.1 p.11 (UK)
note

NEWSPAPERS

Daily Telegraph 5 October 2001 p.27
review (by Tim Robey)

Evening Standard 4 October 2001 p.29 (UK)
illustrated review (It can buzz off back to Texas by Alexander Walker)

The Guardian Section 2 5 October 2001 p.15 (UK)
review (by Peter Bradshaw)

Independent on Sunday 7 October 2001 p.11 (UK)
review (by Nicholas Barber)

The Observer 7 October 2001 p.9 (UK)
review

The Sun 6 October 2001 p.34 (UK)
review (by Neil Roberts)

Sunday Telegraph Review 7 October 2001 p.11 (UK)
review (by Jenny McCartney)

BOOKS

The Psychotronic Video Guide p.564
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

chainsaws, cannibalism, teenagers, sequels, gore, splatter, djs, radio, texas, revenge, funfairs

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009