Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Director - Jeff Burr (Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Eddie Presley)
Starring - Kate Hodge (Xena: Warrior Princess, She-Wolf of London), Ken Foree (From Beyond, Dawn of the Dead), and William Butler (Night of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)
Release Date - 1990
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "He puts the teeth in terror"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love horror and no one can argue that.  However, people can say my picks in horror is skewed and I wouldn't argue with them.  I do tend to like films that a bad in nature just because they are fun to watch but that doesn't mean that every movie I like is bad.  I just have different tastes for horror than other genre fans.  When it comes to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series I often catch heat from hardcore fans.  The original film bores the piss out of me.  I can see why so many fans love it but it is just a boring film.  I cannot say the same for the sequel.  This follow up is easily the best in the series.  The third film in the series is often overlooked by fans but I love it.  I watched these three films for the first time together one night in a little marathon and Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III was the one that stuck out to me the most.  Recently the film was released on blu for the first time and I was able to secure a review copy.
     The film follows a young couple, Michelle (Hodge) and Ryan (Butler), who are traveling across country on their spring break to drop off an antique car.  When they reach Texas they stop by Last Chance Gas to fuel up when they meet the hitchhiker Tex (Mortensen) who tries to bum a ride.  They turn him down but soon find themselves in peril when Tex finds the gas station owner peeping on Michelle in the bathroom.  He retaliates by pulling a gun on Tex and the young couple forcing them to flee in their car while he shoots Tex.  The rush off and run down a back road that was suggested earlier by Tex and soon find themselves terrorized by a mysterious truck.  Before long they cross paths with a weekend survivalist and wreck their car.  A tow truck arrives at the scene but he is not there to help.  He is the patriarch of the Sawyer family and the young couple was caught up in a trap from the beginning with Tex and the gas station in on it.  They have to fight for their lives or become the next notch on Leatherface's chainsaw.
     What makes the TCM series so much fun is the characters.  The Sawyer family has so many colorful characters that stand out from other horror films.  The original film tries to establish that but the film is rather bland when compared to later installments.  For the time it was edgy but for someone that grew up in the late 80s and early 90s the film isn't that violent.  The second film really dives into the characters with personalities and fun one liners.  The third film improves upon that with some improvements.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  The cast is amazing and everyone works very well together.  Kate Hodge and William Butler work well together on screen but their relationship isn't that convincing.  They show no emotional attachment to each other until they are in danger.  I really liked Vigo Mortensen's performance as Tex.  He's one of my favorite Sawyers and his performance his is unforgettable.  In fact, it's hard for me to pick a favorite Sawyer in this film.  The entire cast did an amazing job.  Last but not least, Ken Foree is fantastic.  EVERY horror fan knows Foree from Romero's Dawn of the Dead and his performance in that film is easily my favorite of his but his performance here is almost on that level.  The story for this one takes the viewer deeper into the Sawyer family.  Most people get hung up on the fact that there is so many Sawyers but Some families are just big.  If you grew up in West Virginia like I did you will find some families are just massive.  I really liked how they worked in more characters and gave them fantastic personalities and backstories.  The film has a solid story that fits the time frame very well with very little room for slow scenes.  Finally, the film is bloody which is to be expected from a TCM flick.  The effects we get are great and the kills stand out when compared to other films of the time.  Overall, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a very underrated sequel that deserves to be in any horror fans collection.  If you are fans of the original film I suggest you check this one out.