THE BUZZ IS BACK.....I can't with this movie but I love it with all my heart

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986)

No secret, it's the meat. Don't skimp on the meat. I've got a real good eye for prime meat. Runs in the family.

Good lord. I have never seen this one before and what a hot mess it is. In a good way. But damn it's all over the place haha.

First of all - the secondary title to this film is Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: The Buzz is Back which....wow...I mean...can I get that inscribed on my gravestone? Released in 1986, it's obviously the sequel to the successful 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It stars Dennis Hopper (who considers this the worst film he's ever been in) as Lefty the cop investigating the sudden surge in chainsaw murders and my new favorite girl Stretch, the radio DJ, played by Caroline Williams. Bill Johnson plays Leatherface in this one and Jim Siedow who reprises his role as The Cook.

 This sequel is like the exact opposite of the first film - it's super gory, bigger budget, and less subtle. From the get go there's chainsaws flying everywhere and blood spurting. Which, don't get me wrong, I loved. This film also has a tone of dark humor and cheesy moments which were a lot of fun. When it was released originally it bombed, grossing only $8 million in the US but over the years it's become a cult fan favorite.

The premise of this film is that it's set 13 years after the original events and two bro douchebags are calling into a radio station run by Stretch. They're driving down the highway and being assholes which is being sent out live over the radio. During the phone call the two bros are attacked by a pickup truck with Leatherface in the back wielding his trusty chainsaw.

Lefty aka Lieutenant Boude Enright is the uncle of Sally and Franklin from the original film and  has spent the past 13 years investigating their disappearances. He's also keeping an eye on the mysterious chainsaw killings that keep cropping up over Texas. Stretch brings her phone call evidence to Lefty to provide him with some proof because all the other cops are convinced he's nuts. Lefty asks Stretch to replay the violent phone call every hour on the radio, which she does. But unfortunately that attracts Leatherface and Chop Top who show up to the radio station to try and shutdown the evidence of their killings.

This movie is NUTS.

Let me just explain some of the scenes to you:

• Lefty showing up to the Sawyer home wielding three chainsaws.
• Leatherface has a crush on Stretch and so goes easy on her.
• A chainsaw duel between Leatherface and Lefty.....A CHAINSAW DUEL.
• A grenade blowing up for seemingly no reason.
• A shrine to the grandmother where her dead body holds a chainsaw. (ideas for my funeral though)
• "Listen. It's not going to work out. I'm trying to be open with you." Stretch says that to Leatherface at one point as if they were seated in a therapy session and not in an underground carnival graveyard?!

Although I do love the final shot of the film which is of course an homage to the original, only this time it's Stretch who has lost her mind and is swinging the chainsaw around.

"Hi, I love you, here's your friends face as a token of my love..."

Regardless of its flaws I loved this movie a lot. Leatherface is such a hot mess and he has a special place in my heart. Honestly, when I saw Texas Chainsaw (too cool for massacre) I thought it was just a piece of fan fiction I wrote about me and Leatherface being bros.

Watch it, love it for its flaws, and look at that goddamn poster!!!!!!!!! It's a play on the Breakfast Club and why don't I have this hanging on my wall yet?!

Stay Spooky!

something old, something new

I have felt like a giant bag of garbage all week so far and it's only Wednesday. But you know what cures that? Wrapping yourself up in a blanket burrito and watching horror movies. Cause yeah, you may feel like shit, maybe you're hella tired from feeling so sick, but at least you're not being chased by a chainsaw or developed some psycho STD that tracks you down to kill you.

Life's rough. But it could always be worse. So first up on my night of horror to make myself feel better is:

It Follows

Welp. Did not live up to the hype. Sorry guys. I did enjoy it and I will watch it again in time but I just found it more "indie" than "horror". I loved the concept but it felt a little silly in some of the confrontation scenes when only Jay can see "it" and the others are just watching things fly around wildly. And the ending felt a little too open ended and not in the good way. I liked the different forms that "it" took and found it quite creepy in some scenes. But I didn't love this movie. Like fall in love and aggressively recommend. It just felt like, oh okay, I see what you're doing and I get it but you haven't sold me. I did enjoy the dream like quality of the whole thing though.

What I did really enjoy was all the little Halloween references. The opening shot alone I had a moment where I was like did I put on Halloween instead? And the scene when Jay is in class and looks out the window to see "it" walking towards her. Loved that. I love when horror movies give little nods to the classics.

I would say the first half hour was right up my alley and then I lost heart. I do love when horror movies have rules like this one - sleep with someone else to pass it on, don't die or it comes after me, always find somewhere that has two exits etc but it just wasn't enough for me.

Watch the trailer here

Overall I'm going with 6/10 but am willing to do another rewatch in awhile with an open mind. If anything, all this movie made me wanna do was watch Halloween. So just go watch Halloween, you'll be better off.

gif credit

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

A classic. Show me one person who hasn't at least heard of this movie? This movie is such a stepping stone in our horror legacy and I could honestly talk about it for hours. And attempt to quite often. Such a rich piece of history with a back story of how it was made just as interesting as the movie itself. And since we now for sure have our prequel happening which I am holding no judgment until I start to find out more, it's only fitting to revisit where it all began - in 1973, in backwoods Texas, with one hell of a fucked up family, and a dinner scene that traumatized a generation.

While re-watching I completely forgot how annoying Franklin gets. Like, bud, you're a fifth wheel in a wheel chair, what did you think was going to happen? And I love how leatherface never skips a beat. Two random people show up in your house? On it. Where's my chainsaw?
I was also reminded why you should never pick up hitchhikers because they may just pull a knife out of their boot and cut you for no goddamn reason. And lastly I noticed - if I was single and left to my own devices I think my house would end up like the house in this movie - wind chimes made out of bones, chicken feathers, chainsaws etc and like, I'm not positive, but probably without the redneck crazy family.

If you haven't seen this film, you're in for a treat, and I beg you to drop everything and go watch it right now. Check out the original trailer here and get ready to spend the rest of your life panicking whenever you hear that sharp whine.

Always a solid 10/10

Also happy tenth anniversary The Devil's Rejects!!

(also I posted this on Thursday but wrote it on Wednesday so deal with it)
(AHAHAH totally forgot to post this. I'm the worst. Posting it on a Sunday cause that's how this is happening apparently)