‘Texas Chainsaw’ (2013) & ‘Leatherface’ (2017) (Individual) SteelBook Blu-Ray Review – A Franchise In Freefall

Texas Chainsaw – In 1974, enraged townspeople hunt down and kill every member of the Sawyer family for committing a series of grisly murders. Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a young woman learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from a grandmother she never knew she had. After embarking on a road trip with friends to uncover her roots, she finds she is the sole owner of a lavish, isolated Victorian mansion. But her newfound wealth comes at a price as she stumbles upon a horror that awaits her in the mansion’s dank cellars…

Leatherface – In Texas, years before the events of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff’s daughter dead. Ten years later, he kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities, including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s death, the Sawyer teen goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface.

For thoughts on Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface, please check out our video here. 

Video Quality

Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface get individual Blu-Ray re-releases courtesy of Lionsgate which recycles the Blu-Ray releases first seen in 2013 and 2017 respectively. Texas Chainsaw includes a 3-D option that we do not have the equipment to review. Both of these discs still hold up extremely well for the format, but now seems like it would have been the perfect time for a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade. That being said, each of these discs has exquisite clarity throughout with grotesque flourishes in the haunting production design and makeup effects. The gnarly practical effects leave an impression in high definition.

Color saturation is great with the warm color palette mimicking the sweltering environment that is key to these stories. Skin tones are natural to the lighting conditions, although a lot of exposed skin is covered in all manner of cuts or much worse as the story goes along. True black levels are pretty deep and do not fall victim to much in the way of noticeable digital noise and only sporadic banding. This is especially helpful considering how much of these films take place in darkness or shadow. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has delivered a strong HD presentation here. 

Audio Quality

Lionsgate brings Texas Chainsaw to Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track, while Leatherface survives with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio outing. Each of these tracks does exactly what it needs to and is extremely engaging while never failing to deliver something perfectly pleasing. The nightmarish soundscape on display here is quite dynamic with the natural environment conjuring noises emanating from numerous directions. Neither film is intended to be a full-throttle action film, but there is a consistent level of violence that packs a punch.

Whenever Leatherface utilizes his iconic weapon on some poor unfortunate soul, the track really digs deep. Dialogue comes through crystal clear with none of the information feeling overtaken by the music in the films or the sound effects. Speaking of music, the score never fails to maintain perfect fidelity. The movie uses environmental sounds to great effect, and the track retains strong detail even in the more chaotic developments. Numerous moments make good use of the low end. Each track is a powerhouse from start to finish. 

Special Features

Lionsgate has provided Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface with optional sleek new SteelBooks in collaboration with Bloody Disgusting available exclusively at Wal-Mart. Video of the SteelBooks can be found above. 

Texas Chainsaw

• Audio Commentaries: A trio of commentary tracks are provided which share a lot of information yet all have their positive aspects. The greatest coup of this release is getting both Tobe Hooper and some of the original franchise icons on board to discuss this inferior addition. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Director John Luessenhop and Actor Dan Yeager

• • Audio Commentary #2: Producer Carl Mazzocone and Filmmaker Tobe Hooper

• • Audio Commentary #3: Special “Chainsaw Alumni” Commentary featuring stars Bill Moseley, Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns and John Dugan

• Texas Chainsaw Legacy: A seven-minute piece in which the cast, creative team, and franchise legends discuss the lasting impact of the original iconic film.

• Resurrecting The Saw: A nine-minute featurette on the decision to reboot this franchise. 

• The Old Homestead: A 15-minute look at the recreation of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre house for this film and the return of some original cast members to the set. 

• Casting Terror: A 12-minute conversation with the main performers in the film in which they share their experiences working on set and their place in the narrative. 

• Leatherface 2013: A 15-minute profile on Dan Yeager, the newest performer to play the iconic horror figure. 

• Lights, Camera, Massacre: A 12-minute exploration of the 3-D process implemented in the film. 

• It’s In The Meat: An eight-minute look at the gory special effects. 

• On Set Short Subjects – Five-Minute Massacres: A behind-the-scenes look at key sequences from the film. 

• • Burning Down The House (6:36)

• • Trapped In The Van (5:12)

• • Factory Action (5:49)

• • Leatherface In Action (5:26)

• • Hot Times In Louisana (5:10)

• • Bloody Good Times (5:04)

• Alternate Opening: A three-minute alternate opening is provided that brings back another character from the original film. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided. 

Leatherface

• Play Feature with Alternate Ending (1:28:44)

• Behind The Bloody Mask – Making Leatherface: A nearly 14-minute featurette that delivers some interviews and behind-the-scenes footage delving into the creation of the film.  

• Deleted Scenes: There are six unused scenes totaling 21 minutes of material including the alternate ending that can be viewed within the context of the film as noted above. 

Final Thoughts

Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface are inarguably two of the low points of the iconic horror franchise, but there are still elements that make you want to watch them on occasion. Texas Chainsaw is so ridiculous that you can gather a group of friends and laugh at the absurdity, while Leatherface is a decent, vicious “psychopaths on the run” outing that simply doesn’t feel tied to the larger Chainsaw universe. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has delivered new individual Blu-Ray releases featuring a great A/V presentation and a solid selection of special features in a snazzy new SteelBook. If you are a franchise completist, these are technically sound releases. 

Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface are currently available to purchase individually on Blu-Ray SteelBook exclusively at Wal-Mart. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.