The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 US horror film by Tobe Hooper. With Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal and Allen Danziger.
In the US the film was initially rated X, but attained an R rating after cuts. This was the last X certificate granted by the MPAA prior to the introduction of NC-17. The R rated version has been used for all releases worldwide. In the
UK, the 1975 cinema release was famously pre-cut but banned by the BBFC. Some local councils overrode the BBFC ban and passed it X with a local certificate. The ban continued well into the home video era, until unbanned (and released uncut) in 1999.
Tobe
Hooper deliberately limited the on-screen gore in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to the extent that he expected a PG certificate. Partly, that was due to an artistic choice, but there was also financial pressure limiting the amount of effects work the
production could carry out.
Summary Review: Classic of its generation
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is undoubtedly one of the scariest films ever made and its raw power remains
undiminished to this very day. Tobe Hooper somehow created a genuine fright machine which changed the face of the horror genre completely.
The story revolves around a group of teenagers being chased, terrified and murdered
when they stumble upon a canabilistic family in the countryside. The main character, Leatherface, who's remorseless killings were loosely based on real life 1950's Texan murderer Ed Gein.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
is a classic of its generation and deserves to be part of any respectable film collection. Just don't watch it alone.
UK: The R rated version was passed 18 without cuts by Camden Council in London for:
Camden 1998 cinema release.
It was given a late night screening at the 1998 London Film Festival and then ran successfully in Camden at the beginning of 1999.
At around this time, the BBFC was once again asked to
consider cuts for a legitimate video release but failed to see how an acceptable version could be produced. The film therefore fell into limbo and was removed from the shelves following the introduction of the Video Recordings Act.
UK: The R rated version was released on pre-cert video without cuts for
1983 Iver VHS identified by 'uncensored' on the case
1981 Wizard VHS
US: Cut for an MPAA R Rating for:
2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition (RA) Blu-ray/R1 DVD Combo at US Amazon
2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Edition (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
2014 Dark Sky Films 40th Anniversary Edition R1 DVD
at US Amazon
Hooper reportedly hoped that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) would give the complete, uncut release print a PG rating due to its minimal amount of visible gore. Instead, it was originally rated X . After
several minutes were cut, it was resubmitted to the MPAA and received an R rating.
This was the last X certificate granted by the MPAA prior to the introduction of NC-17.
The notoriety of the film may owe a lot to its original rejection by the BBFC in 1975. It was passed for viewing in Europe, the USA, Australia and other countries. It received a GLC licence in the 1970s and was
most recently shown in central London in 1998 under a licence from Camden Council. There is, so far as the Board is aware, no evidence that harm has ever arisen as a consequence of viewing the film. For modern young adults, accustomed to the macabre
shocks of horror films through the 1980s and 1990s, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is unlikely to be particularly challenging. Unlike more recent examples of the genre, violence in THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is throughout implied rather than explicit.
By today's standards, its visual effects may seem relatively unconvincing.
Possibly the most notorious feature is the relentless pursuit of the 'Final Girl' throughout the last half hour or so of the film. The heroine in
peril is a staple of the cinema since the earliest days. It is nonetheless legitimate to question the unusual emphasis THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE places on the pursuit of a defenceless and screaming female over such an extended period. The Board's
conclusion, after careful consideration, was that any possible harm that might arise in terms of the effect upon a modern audience would be more than sufficiently countered by the unrealistic, even absurd, nature of the action itself. It is worth
emphasising that there is no explicit sexual element in the film, and relatively little visible violence.
pre-cut
X
UK: The pre-cut version was released
for the first VHS release
1979 Iver VHS identified by being packaged in an adapted Super 8mm case
UK: The pre-cut version banned by the BBFC was passed X by the GLC for:
London 1975 cinema release
Also passed X for showing in Birmingham, Bath, Leeds and Cardiff (after 1 cut). The BBFC ban was enforced in others. In fact it was passed for showing by 9 councils and banned by 19 others.
See
video from YouTube (with thanks to Ben & clown). The pre-cuts were:
A scene with a wheelchair hitting a guy's leg is marginally curtailed for no apparent reason.
The scene where Leatherface is preparing to use a chainsaw on a body on a table in front of girl suspended by a meat hook is terminated as soon as
the chainsaw is fired up,
banned
pre-cut
UK: A pre-cut version was famously banned by the BBFC for:
Tobe
Hooper's seminal horror film was first seen informally by the BBFC's Secretary, Stephen Murphy, on 27 February 1975. Murphy regarded it as a good, well-made film but felt strongly that the level of terrorisation, particularly towards the end of the film,
and the film's focus on abnormal psychology was unsuitable for a BBFC X certificate to be issued. The distributor reacted to this advice by making some minor reductions in the final scenes of terrorisation, formally submitting a slightly
truncated version on 12 March 1975.
The ban persisted until 1999. An official BBFC comment from their website just before the granting of the cinema certificate in 1999 read:
Most questions about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW
MASSACRE (and sequels) assume that the problem is one of violence or horror. In fact the reason that the film was refused certification was the result of the perceived degree of terrorisation of women and threat to defenceless women. The Board has for
many years operated a very strict policy with regard to sexual violence, based on the incidence of this sort of behaviour in real life and the fact that a great deal of research does indicate that this is the one area where media representations do seem
to have quite direct effects on attitudes and behaviour. The film was rejected by the Board on film and is most unlikely to be classified on video, where the law demands a stricter test, under amendments to the Video Recording Act 1984 contained in the
Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a 1986 US horror by Tobe Hooper. With Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams and Jim Siedow.
Unofficially banned by the BBFC from 1986 to 2001. Then released 18 uncut.
Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US. The film was also banned for a time in Canada, Australia and Sweden.
Summary Review: Dennis Hopper, a joy to watch
Dennis Hopper plays a Texas Ranger, Lefty, who's
bent on revenge and wants compensation in blood for the murder of his brother's children (from the original movie). The results all lead up to a terribly disturbing and disgusting slasher flick that you won't forget (even if you want to).
What really makes the movie work is Dennis Hopper. He is usually a joy to watch in any movie, and this one is no exception.
The sequel is much more disgusting and violent than the original, but isn't
really as shocking. Still, it is a pretty enjoyable flick if you're in the right mood and take it for what it is.
Versions
uncut
run:
100:14s
pal:
96:13s
UK: The Theatrical Version was passed 18
uncut for:
The film was submitted to the MPAA in 1986 who suggested that it would be X rated. The distributors didn't accept an X rating and didn't want to cut it for an R, so opted for an MPAA Unrated release. They made a play on this for the promotional
material. with repeated warnings that under 17s would be banned.
From IMDb. A US special edition includes some footage originally shot for the movie but not included in the theatrical version. This rough footage has dialogue but no music or sound
effects and the video quality is atrocious. The scenes include:
Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper) strapping two chainsaws to himself with leather belts just outside the Sawyer family's hideout. He then sees the family's truck arriving and entering the underground cave.
A group of rioting football fans smash
some cars in an underground parking lot. The chainsaw family arrives and proceeds to make mincemeat of all of them. Highlights include Leatherface slicing a guy's head in half and cutting off the hand of another (the severed hand then falls to the
ground and gives Leatherface the finger!)
A guy (Joe Bob Briggs) descending a staircase to the garage together with two women and talking about splatter movie special effects. After he opens a door, Leatherface barges in and slaughters him
(off-screen).
An alternate take of the scene where Stretch is hiding in the meat room and Leatherface comes in to butcher L.G. and remove his face.
banned
unofficially banned
UK: The film was unavailable in the UK for 15 years from 1986 - 2001, due to BBFC censorship.
The film was submitted to the BBFC by Cannon and the result was 22 minutes of required cuts. The cuts were
to the opening sequence with Leatherface and the woman with the chainsaw between her legs. Other cuts to gore were also required. The distributors weren't interested and the submission was dropped without formal publication. The unviable amount of cuts
offered has generally been considered as an unofficial BBFC ban.
Thanks to Scott who explained further:
I've been researching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II's history with the BBFC. I've found in a book called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Companion , by Stefan Jaworzyn. Here's what I've learnt from the book:
The film was
submitted to the BBFC by Columbia-Cannon-Warner (CCW) in 1986. The Board viewed the uncut film three times. Even after the third viewing, on October 23rd 1986, they still couldn't decide whether to cut heavily or outright Reject.
The distributors then submitted a pre-cut version, known as the
"Northern European Cannon Cut" . The technical manager of CCW, Steve Southgate, wrote to the BBFC on October 29th to detail some of the cuts to this version:
"The opening scene with the boys in a car, when they are attacked, now only consists of one shot of an open head wound."
"Scene in radio station where L.G. is being hit on his head with a
hammer now has been reduced to only three blows. (The scene with the girl sitting with her legs astride with Leather Face in front of her with chainsaw remains the same.)"
"The scene with Dennis Hopper going into the
underground cabin for the first time, where he discovers blood and entrails coming out of a wall has been shortened."
"The complete scene where Leather Face uses an electric knife on L.G. removing flesh from legs,
chest and face has been removed, and also Leather Face placing skin mask on girl's face has been removed."
The scene where Leather Face has chainsaw put through his chest has been shortened to establishing shot only. The
scene with Chop-Top cutting his throat has been shortened. The scene with Chop-Top slashing girls back with cutthroat razor has been reduced.
Despite the heavy pre-cuts, this still failed to get through.
By May 21st 1987, numerous cut versions had been attempted, and all had failed, yet the BBFC felt it was worth cutting further. At this point, the
distributors gave up.
banned
Australia
Sweden
Australia: The film was banned by the film censor for 20 years.
Canada: The film was originally banned in
Ontario but was unbanned after the distributors cut 10 minutes of gore.
Sweden: The film was banned for its first release,
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a 1989 US horror film by Jeff Burr. With Kate Hodge, Ken Foree and R.A. Mihailoff.
Banned by the BBFC for cinema release in 1990. Uncut and BBFC 18 rated by
2004. In the US cut for an R Rating but the Unrated version is uncut.
Summary Review : Unique and interesting
The film itself is extremely well-acted, especially by the lead,
Kate Hodge. It is however, not the most pleasant film you will ever see and if the filmmakers intended it to be a gruelling and punishing experience, they definitely succeeded.
Despite these strong performances and
excellent (and very gruesome) special make-up effects, the completed film is left damaged and confused in several key places. But, it is still one of the better entries in this particular series and is well-worth a look as a unique and interesting horror
film.
New Lines Unrated Version
New Lines Unrated Version
run:
85:17s
pal:
81:52s
UK: The New Lines Unrated Version was
passed 18 uncut for:
Spain: See
article from movie-censorship.com . A VHS was released in Spain which was a bit
longer than the first Unrated Version and apparently cut differently.
First Unrated Version
First Unrated Version
US: The first unrated version, which was at least considerably longer than the R-rated, came out on VHS and LD soon afterwards in the USA. But it quickly came to light that this unrated version didn't contain all scenes
See
pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com . The Unrated Version is
1:36s shorter then the New Lines Unrated Version. It is missing some banter about hammer design being heard by a couple who are trussed up and waiting to be dispatched
Rough Cut
Rough Cut
run:
94:51s
pal:
91:03s
The rough cut contains the most scenes, however it has never made an official release and the quality is poor
the real trouble began when the film was submitted
to the MPAA for a rating. Its biggest obstacle to overcome (besides its bloody content) was the fact that it mixed dark humor with violence, which was not unlike its predecessors, but was something that the MPAA had a big problem with. Receiving an X
with little to no chance of achieving anything else, the film went through many drastic re-edits, eventually receiving an R-rating. Judging from the deleted scenes that didn't make the final cut, it's fairly tame by comparison and could have potentially
been a much gorier film.
Alfredo using scissors to deface pictures of girls in a porn magazine
Various blood spattered shots are missing from a chainsaw attack on Gina by a tree
The scene or Ryan stuck in a mantrap is missing a shot of his blooded foot and
a subsequent scream
A shot of a pen stabbed into Michelle's leg and its removal by a little girl is missing along with the subsequent maniacal laughing about the incident
A shot of Michelle's bloodied hand nailed to a chair is gone as
is a shot of a hook in Ryan's leg as he is suspended upside down. Further scenes of these victim's predicaments are also cut. As have the lines with Tex teasing Ryan: Hey, if you need anything... just twitch!; and Tex teasing Michelle: Don't
ever think of leaving! Not before diner!
Missing shots of Alfredo with a cut off leg and kissing a severed head before spitting on it and chucking it away
The little girl's big chance for a kill has been deleted. She gets to pull
the chord that releases a large hammer that swings down to hit Ryan on the head. Subsequent drinking of a cup of Ryan's blood is also trimmed
Leatherface marking a line across Michelle's face to aim his chainsaw is missing
Missing shots
of Tinker's finger stumps and his ear on a grill and blood spattering onto Michelle
Missing shots of gandpa being shot
Missing shots of Michelle ripping her hand to free it from the nail in the chair.
Missing shots of mom dying
and uttering son of a bitch with her last breath
Michelle gets less hits on Leatherface's head with her rock
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a 1994 USA comedy horror thriller by Kim Henkel. Starring Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey and Robert Jacks.
Not cut by film censors but exists in 2 versions. A Theatrical Version and an Extended Version/Director's Cut
Summary Notes
This is the twisted tale of Vilmer and his crazy family
which includes the lovely Leatherface. They have pastime of killing and stuffing people. Unfortunately, Jenny and her friends run into Vilmer and his clan in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods.
Extended Version/Director's Cut
Extended Version
run:
93m
pal:
89m
US: The Extended Version/Director's Cut is uncut and MPAA Unrated for:
2018 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition [Standard + Extended Versions] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
Canada: The Extended Version/Director's Cut is MPAA Unrated for:
UK: The Theatrical Version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for:
2001 Columbia/TriStar R2 DVD
1999 Columbia/TriStar VHS
US: The Theatrical Version is uncut and MPAA R rated for:
2018 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition [Standard + Extended Versions] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
Although it has not been cut by the BBFC, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4 is the short standard version which removed the pointless alien subplot and the subplot of Jenny's abusive mother; all these cuts apply to dialogue scenes, there were no cuts to the
violence. This version is about 5:31s shorted than the Extended Version. See pictorial version details from
movie-censorship.com
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 USA horror by Marcus Nispel. Starring Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker and Andrew Bryniarski.
Cut for an MPAA R rating. The resulting version is now the international standard version.
Summary Notes
Driving through the backwoods of Texas, five youths pick up a traumatized
hitchhiker, who shoots herself in their van. Shaken by the suicide, the group seeks help from the locals, but their situation becomes even more surreal when they knock on the door of a remote homestead. It's quickly apparent the residents are a family of
inbred psychopaths, and the unlucky youths suddenly find themselves running for their lives. In hot pursuit is a disfigured, chainsaw-wielding cannibal known as Leatherface.
The UK Blu-ray was described as the Director's Cut in marketing material but there seems nothing to back up the claim, and it looks likely to be the standard version.
The hitchhiker death scene was also cut severely. The original scene has her ear flying off of her head and blood and brain matter being more dark in color and more in amount flying out of her head.
the more graphic shots of Morgan's death
were cut. The original version of the scene featured the shot of the chainsaw slicing into his crotch and then having intestines and blood falling out of him. The cut version cuts away when the chainsaw is about to cut him and totally cuts out the
intestines falling from his body.
This cut R Rated Version has been used for all known releases and is the best available. The cut scenes have been released as disk extras.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a 2006 US horror by Jonathan Liebesman. With Jordana Brewster, Matt Bomer and Diora Baird.
Cut in the US for an R rated theatrical release. There is an uncut Unrated version and both versions are found on home video. No BBFC cuts.
Summary Review: Highly Worthy
On one last
road trip before they're sent to serve in Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends get into an accident that calls their local sheriff to the scene. Thus begins a terrifying experience where the teens are taken to a secluded house of horrors, where a
young, would-be killer is being nurtured.
Appropriately gory and no-holds barred, Jonathan Liebesman creates a tight, slick and sadistic thriller in the eyes of Chrissie as she endlessly attempts to rescue her friends from a
demented madman's clutches. This is a highly worthy and satisfying entry in the horror series that will make an indelible mark on your imagination.
Versions
Unrated Version
Unrated
92:08s
UK: The Unrated Version was passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence for:
A bit more blood when Sloane (Leatherface's mom) is in labor with Leatherface.
Two more violent shots of Leatherface smashing his boss's legs with the hammer.
A whole new scene where nine bikers, including Holden and Alex smash up
the car of the teens, also causing Eric's mirror to break which explains his line ''God Damn it, broke my mirror!''
Some extra dialog when Sheriff Winston and Hoyt (not the sheriff yet.) Where Sheriff Winston tells Hoyt how one of his friend
told him how to finger a horse.
At the first dinner table scene, Hoyt talks more about the people in the town leaving and we see Leatherface starting to eat.
There's a very short conversation with Holden and Alex into Luda Mea's store
after Bailey asks where the bathroom is.
Hoyt pulls the piece of glass out of Bailey's stomach after the car crash and he licks the blood off of the glass and Bailey swears at him
There is some more dialog in Sheriff Hoyt's car with
Eric, Bailey and Dean in it.
When Bailey is tied under the table, Leatherface walks into the room and she starts screaming as he stares at her.
Before letting Dean do the push ups, Hoyt yells some more at Dean and now, Dean has to do
twenty push ups instead of ten.
There is more dialog chat between Luda Mea and the Tea Lady
Eric's torture scene is a bit longer, it includes some more shots of him getting tortured and an shot from his arm skin getting peeled off.
The scene where Chrissie first enters the house is extended a bit, when Luda Mea drops the jar, she cleans up the mess and she throws it into the trash can.
Holden's death is more graphic, it includes an extra shot of him getting cut in
half.
Eric's death has more graphic shots including a piece of flesh flying out of his body and the chainsaw coming REALLY close to Chrissie under the table.
The scene where Monty's legs are cut off is extended, there is an extra shot
of his legs falling to the ground.
During Bailey's death scene, there's an extra shot of Hoyt smiling at Leatherface, before he slits her throat. And there's and extra graphic shot of Bailey's slit throat.
In the slaughterhouse, When
Leatherface looks for Chrissie in the blood pools, we see an extra POV shot of Leatherface looking into a blood pool, without Chrissie in it, and lots of rotten flesh floating around.
During Dean's death scene, there's an extra graphic shot
above Dean when Leatherface is still running the chainsaw for five more seconds.
Chrissie's death scene includes two extra shots, one is the chainsaw cutting up her belly button, and the second shot is him pulling the chainsaw out of her.
cut
MPAA
87:01s
UK: The cut theatrical version was passed
18 without BBFC cuts for strong bloody violence for:
2007 EIV video
2006 cinema release
US: The cut theatrical version is MPAA R rated fro:
Texas Chainsaw is a 2013 USA horror thriller by John
Luessenhop. With Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonde, Scott Eastwood.
Cut in the US for an MPAA R rating. Cuts restored for an Unrated version but so far this only available on digital download and in France.
Summary Notes
After picking
up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of equally psychopathic killers.
Versions
uncut
run:
92m
pal:
88m
France
France: The Unrated Version/Version Integrale is uncut for:
2013 Metropolitan [3D + 2D] Blu-ray/R2 DVD Combo at France Amazon released on 4th December
2013 Metropolitan R2 DVD Combo
at France Amazon released on 4th December
The disks include the original English soundtrack.
Thanks to Andrew. The Unrated Version was premiered as an exclusive release on digital download from 30th April 2013.
It initially had an NC-17 rating so we recut the movie and it got an R rating. There are certainly some gory elements but I also think there is quite some
suspense in the movie. I think in America it's very easy to get an R rating for violence and blood scenes. There are plenty of those but there are also moments where it is just scary with a suspense build up so I hope some of those scenes are going to
stand out, not just the gory scenes.
Having seen the unrated version, which clocks in at 92 minutes (incidentally, the same runtime as the theatrical cut), I
can tell you that the differences are minimal. We're talking a few frames cut from a couple of the movie's kill scenes, especially the final meat grinder kill. Yep. No biggie here.
cut
cut:
run:
91:47s
pal:
88:07s
UK: The cut Theatrical Version was
passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence and gory images for:
See pictorial cuts details from movie-censorship.com . The cuts are
typically MPAA with very short edits to slightly tone down the violence whilst leaving the essence of the scenes more or less intact. There were cuts to tone down the gore in the following scenes:
Kenny suffering from cuts from Leather Face's chainsaw
Leather faces attack and skinning of the policeman Marvin
Hartman having hands cut off before being dragged in grinder
v Leatherface
- 2017 USA horror thriller by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury.
Leatherface is a 2017 USA horror thriller by Alexandre
Bustillo and Julien Maury. Starring Lili Taylor, Stephen Dorff and Nicole Andrews.
Uncut and 18 rated in the UK. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Promotional Material
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.
Versions
uncut
~88:00s
UK: Passed 18 uncut for strong bloody violence, gore, strong sex
for:
2018 Lionsgate Home Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2021 Bulgaria / USA horror by David Blue Garcia Starring Alice Krige, Nell Hudson and Elsie Fisher
There are no censorship issues with this release
Summary Notes
The spiritual sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise takes place 47 years later. Melody is a
25-year old San Francisco moneymaker who drags her younger teenage sister with her to Texas on a business trip, out of fear of leaving her alone in the city. The younger sister Dreama is an amateur photographer who is wheelchair-bound and it's not long
until they're fighting for their lives against a 60 year old Leatherface.
Versions
uncut
run:
82m
pal:
79m
UK: Uncut and BBFC 18 rated for injury detail, violence:
