The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

We told you about it last March, and now we have a street date: Dark Sky Films' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Ultimate Edition will be released on September 26th. This two-disc set of the 1974 horror classic will include an anamorphic widescreen transfer (from a new high-definition transfer of the 16mm camera negative), along with new Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo mixes and the original mono track.

Bonus materials will include a new commentary track with stars Marilyn Burns, Alan Danziger, Paul A. Partain and Production Designer Robert A. Burns, a second track with Tobe Hooper, Director of Photography Daniel Pearl and Gunnar Hansen (ported over from Pioneer's release), deleted & alternate footage, trailers, TV spots, radio spots and still galleries. Making its Stateside debut on disc 2 is David Gregory's 2000 documentary "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth" with outtakes, the new "Flesh Wounds" featurette featuring new interviews with various cast & crew members, a tour of the house with Gunnar Hansen, plus other goodies. Retail is $29.99.

DAVISDVD.com

I have never seen this version of the movie, I've only seen the remake [I know pathetic indeed]... But I will be getting this since I love features on DVD and seems to be a good movie to see.

Isn't this, like, the 14th different version of this on DVD?

It sounds great... I'm in.

if you thought the remake was distubring at times, you ain't seen nothin yet.

Nope. The first release was non-anamorphic and had terrible picture quality. When the remake came out they just changed the cover art, and the disc was the same.

This will be the first time on DVD that it will be remastered and anamorphic.

Damn! I've had the R4 2-disc deluxe edition (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/777817) since March last year that already has that doco on it. I wonder what the holdup was in releasing it?

Damn really, sweet.

kinda off, but on topic.

oh RYPRO 525. What do U think about the remake to the original?

Cool, this sounds like it'll be finally worth picking up.

Looks like a double dip for me since this is in my top 10 flicks.

There's discussion of TCM2 in this thread and there's some talk about TCM.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=466351

Leather Face

personal opinion, the last 25 minutes of tcm the original will keep you up the night you watch it. and unlike the remake (which i actually like), there is barely any on screen violence.

That is one of the great things about the original TCM. Back when it was first released, so many people were terrified, yet, when you REALLY pay attention, there is very little blood. People only thought there was tons of blood.

Strong agreement.

It seems to make people think they saw more than they saw (pun intended?).

I think watching it for the first time now is gonna leave some disappointed. It might have been terrifying years ago, but it really isn't by todays standards. At least that's what I thought when I watched it for the first time yesterday.....

Times, unfortunately, have changed. Loaned the original and the remake to a buddy of mine...he hated the original. Shorter attention spans maybe? Given the movie-going audiences of today, I'm suprised Hitchcock has held up as well as he has....no shakey, MTV cutting camera work.

People are definitely more desensitized now then they were in 1974. I don't know, the original is still a damn scary movie to me and I still get chills at the meat hook scene.

I still have the original Pioneer release. I haven't watched it in a few years but from what I remember the transfer wasn't that bad. I believe they even list it as a feature as being "supervised by Tobe Hooper". I'll probably upgrade at some point though because I love this movie.

Only thing I'm upset about is having to wait till september.

I think the original still holds up. You just have to be in the right mood and go in with no expectations to let the film work you over.

While it did shatter my nerves more when I was 12 and first saw the film totally unprepared for what I was in for. It still made my knees rattle and stomach twist in knots when I reviewed it again as a teen 4 years later. And I noticed the dark humor in the film this time as well,which I missed completely the first time(since I was shocked out of my mind).

And watching it again on dvd a few years later. It still was able to grip me with the madness of it all. Even if it didn't quite shatter my nerves as it did originally.

The final half of the film for example is really well put together with the editing and sound effects that 'feel' like madness and is overwhelming. And it still is a nerve wracking experiance for that segment alone.


Meanwhile the last time I watched it was in 2003 when I showed it to a friend of mine,who loved the remake and said it was 'the most disturbing movie I've ever seen!'.

He was freaked out by the original and kept worrying since it looked like the herione was really going insane from the experiance. That he was pleading "When will it end? why are they doing that too her? That is just wrong!".

When I asked him which one he prefers more. He basically said it depends on his mood and what he wants. If he wants gore,he'll watch the remake. If he wants sheer madness and a disturbing experiance...he'll watch the original. And he picked up the original on dvd and has yet to pick up the remake.

Also I hope the original shows up on a midnight movie showing sometime. Since I can just imagine how much more powerful and terrifying it will be in theaters

You had me at Anamorphic. Definate re-buy.

That's how I saw it the first time. The local mall cineplex did a short Midnight series. Saw that one night, "Dawn of the Dead" another night, "Last House on the Left" another and I'm blanking if I saw any others.

http://www.aimfortheheadproductions.com/events.htm

That help anyone?

I for one think this release has been WAY overdo. Darksky Films is a great new company that has had some mighty fine releases thus far!