The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTobe Hooper
Written byL. M. Kit Carson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRichard Kooris
Edited byAlain Jakubowicz
Music by
  • Tobe Hooper
  • Jerry Lambert
Production
company
Distributed byCannon Releasing[1]
Release date
  • August 22, 1986 (1986-08-22)
Running time
101 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.5–4.6 million[3][1][4]
Box office$8 million[5]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (also known as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2) is a 1986 American black comedy[6] slasher film co-composed and directed by Tobe Hooper, and written by L. M. Kit Carson. It is the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and the second installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson, Bill Moseley, and Jim Siedow. The plot follows Vanita "Stretch" Brock, a radio host who is victimized and abducted by Leatherface and his cannibalistic family; meanwhile, Lt. Boude "Lefty" Enright, the uncle of Sally and Franklin Hardesty—both prior victims of the family—hunts them down.

Development of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 began following the 1981 theatrical re-release of the original film, which proved to be a financial success. After several delays, Hooper hired collaborator Carson to write the screenplay for the film in early 1986, with an emphasis on dark comedy, an element Hooper felt was present in the first film but went unacknowledged by audiences and critics. The Cannon Group served as the production company and distributor as part of a three-film deal the studio had struck with Hooper, having produced his previous two films, Lifeforce (1985) and Invaders from Mars (1986). Principal photography occurred in Austin, Texas in the spring of 1986.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was released in the United States on August 22, 1986, and earned over half of its $4.5–4.6 million budget during its opening weekend[7] before going on to gross $8 million domestically. It received mixed reception from film critics and audiences,[8] largely due to its emphasis on black comedy and gore, which departed from the first film's approach that featured minimal violence, low-budget vérité style, and atmosphere to build tension and fear. The film's promotional materials featured a satirical bent, with its theatrical one-sheet parodying the poster art for John Hughes's popular teen comedy film The Breakfast Club (1985).[9]

Despite its mixed reception, the film eventually gained a cult following. It was followed by Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III in 1990.

  1. ^ a b c The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2". Belcourt Theatre. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Broeske, Pat H. (June 8, 1986). "And Here Comes Leatherface!". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "CNN TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986)". June 14, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (July 21, 2008). "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023.
  7. ^ Macor 2010, p. 46.
  8. ^ Macor 2010, pp. 46–47.
  9. ^ Woofter & Dodson 2021, p. 162.