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The Saw is family.
Review: When Leatherface came out in 1990, I was enthralled by the
trailer/TV commercial. The Arthurian take on the history of the chainsaw was awe inspiring.
And the final zoom in on Leatherface's face was creepy as hell.
In this third installment, Leatherface is surrounded by a new
family that continues the bloodthirsty, cannibalistic traditions of
his old clan. The scenes of the family in their decrepit dwelling
are by far the most interesting. Seeing the family members interact
with each other and learning how they go about preparing
"meals" is fascinating. If only the rest of the movie had
the same lethal, serious tone.
One of the worst things any horror film can do is to not build
likeability and sympathy for the protagonists. If the audience
doesn't like the main characters, they will root for their early and
gruesome demise. Michelle (Kate Hodge) and Ryan (William
Butler) make a sad pair. I hated Michelle at first, but she
eventually grew on me. Ryan was a gutless crybaby from the outset
and completely deserved his fate. Coincidentally, Butler stars in
one of my favorite films, the remake of Night of the Living Dead,
and he did not deserve his fate in that fine zombie movie. Benny,
played by Ken Foree of Dawn of the Dead fame, turns out to be
the one truly likeable character.
I watched the Unrated version, but there were at least two
instances where the camera cut away too quickly that made me think I
had erroneously selected the R-rated version. If the quick cuts away
from the gore made its way into the Unrated version, how bad of a
mess was the R-rated version? That question was answered in the very
good making of documentary. The participants are frank and give
their honest opinions on the good and bad things about the movie and
the work that went into it.
Overall, it is worth watching for the simple fact that it
continues the story of Leatherface and sheds more light on his life.
Learn more: IMDb
DVD version viewed: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (R-Rated & Unrated Versions) (New Line Home Video,
UPC 794043637728)
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