Job Bob Briggs, The Movie Channel

Speaking of great American institutions, it took more than twenty years, but we finally have a decent sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is, of course, the greatest drive-in movie ever made. All along we thought Tobe Hooper, the director of Saw, was a genius. And he is. He really is. But we completely overlooked the writer of Saw, Kim Henkel, who wrote the second greatest movie to come out of Texas in the last twenty years, Last Night at the Alamo.
And now Kim has finally done what he probably should have done years ago, and he's become a director himself, and his first effort is The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a flick so terrifying and brilliant that it makes the other two Chainsaw sequels seem like After-School Specials.
Kim basically kept three things from the original. He kept the house in the woods. He kept the idea of a mutant cannibal family that lies in wait for anybody lost on the highway. And he kept, of course, Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding transvestite human-skin masked legend who inspired every great horror villian of the last/*/ three decades, from Jason to Michael Myers to Freddy Krueger to Jame Crumb.
Oh yeah. One other thing. He uses that giant meat hook again. Yuk.
This time two prom-night couples get lost out on the highway where a creepy redneck named W.E. roams around in a satanic wrecker, collecting bodies and quoting literature and trapping teenage girls in gunny sacks. When you first meet W.E. you think there probably couldn't be a scarier situation than finding this guy staring down over your hood with a flashlight in the middle of the night.
Wait till you meet the rest of his family.
This one has so many completely unpredictable twists that I don't wanna give it away, but it definitly satisfies the first first rule of great drive-in filmmaking: Anyone can die at any moment.
There are a couple of scenes in this baby that were almost too intense for me to watch, and I've seen 47,000 of these things.
This is the best horror film of the nineties. Eight dead bodies. Two breasts. Neck-breaking. Sledgehammer to the head. Bimbo on a meat hook. Stufffed state trooper. Woman on fire. Face-licking. Head stomping. Four motor vehicle chases with four crashes. Evil stepfather Fu. Meat Locker Fu.
Four stars. Joe Bob says check it out twice.

Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

Once upon a time [ back in 1995 ] , this movie was titled The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and it starred a couple of "unknown" actors named Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey. The Austin-lensed film played a few festival dates [ SXSW among them ] and it was eventually picked up for distribution but then... well, it's a blurry story of delays and complications, which over the years have become so tangled that chainsaws themselves could not cut a clear swath through the overgrowth. Yet, somehow, after all this time, the film is finally playing in limited release [ about 20 cities ] , albeit with a new title, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and some retooling that has trimmed some 15 minutes off the original running time. As it stands now, the film is a knowing horror picture that builds on our knowledge of the three Chainsaw predecessors but also keeps its tongue firmly planted in its cheek at all times. Writer-director Kim Henkel penned the original Chainsaw and this effort shows that he still has a felicitous grasp of the things that cause us to shudder in dread. There are also most of the familiar conventions of the horror film: prom night, meat hooks, and of course, chainsaws. But this time out we also discover that Leatherface [ Jacks ] is a sensitive cross-dresser, that his tightly wound brother Vilmer [ McConaughey ] is the real threat in the family, and that the backwoods clan is in some kind of dastardly cahoots with respectable-seeming businessmen. The performances here are uniformly fun, from the over-the-top Vilmer and his mechanical leg contraption that jerks his unwilling limb in uncontrollable Dr. Strangelove-like motions, to Vilmer's exhibitionist girlfriend Darla [ Perenski ] who lends a comedic air to all she does, to the determined pluck of prom-night heroine Jenny [ Zellweger ] , to the plaintive demeanor of the beskirted Leatherface. Events are a bit choppy throughout the picture and it's hard to imagine that such continuity lapses are the sole fault of the low budget and pre-release trim. [ One of the things excised was an entire sequence that depicted Jenny's home life and demonstrated that family dysfunction crosses many thresholds. ] Bits and pieces of the story will, on occasion, leave you scratching your head but it, nevertheless, moves rapidly enough to keep you scurrying to keep pace with the new business at hand. The film is also fueled by an all-Austin music soundtrack. Even though The Next Generation moniker makes the film sound like it ought to be a Star Trek sequel, there's no mistaking this film's lineage. 2.5 stars

Sean Wallace, email me

After getting into the TCM series, the next one I bought was this one. It was $18.99 and it was worth every penny. I loved the acting, and the cast were some of the best since the original. When I found out Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger [ Two big names in Hollywood ] were in this film, I had to see it. It was cool to see McConaughey [ Vilmer ] as a bad guy, murderous, insane lunatic like he was in this film. Robert Jakcks was a little weird, but the transvestism [ I wonder why everyone hated it ] , it was 100% pure Ed Gein. Kim Henkel himself did a good job on his own, like Tobe Hooper did with the first sequel. I'm aware that not much people seem to like this film accept for Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger's acting, Darla's breasts [ which do look very fake, faker then Pamela Anderson's, and I don't mean implants, but some sort of rubber ] , and the fact Lisa Newmeyer [ Heather ] was hot. My favorite scene in this whole film was the ending when Marilyn Burns, Paul Partain, and John Dugan had cameos in the film, and where Marilyn [ Sally Hardesty ] rolled by in the hospital. I heard Marilyn Burns never thought anyone would remember her with the name she used, but even I knew who it was when I first saw it, and I never even saw the first one when I saw this. Who else could the woman have been?

Espectra, email me

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a work of art. The unnecessary characters [ Rothman ] and plot twists... Definitely worth a big rental fee. I've seen this movie dozens of times now and I'm still watching it. It's wierd because it is indeed a horror film, there is no doubt. But it's also funny, and not funny in a bad way. It's like dark humor [ "humour" for all you European fans ]. Like when W.E. is talking to the Grandpa about how family values have gone to sh-t, while Vilmer is across the table tourchering Jenny, hitting her and spitting on her...hah. That's the kind of stuff that makes me want to see a horror movie. This movie rocks. Long live the massacre movies.

Scott Phillips, Alibi

I think it's safe to say I wasn't expecting too much from this one, but boy, was I pleasantly surprised. Shot several years ago and starring then-unknowns Renee [ Jerry Maguire ] Zellweger and Matthew [ Amistad ] McConaughey, this fourth entry in the TCM series found itself balled up [ as rumor would have it, anyway ] in all sorts of legal trouble when the two headliners went ballistic career-wise, and their respective agents tried to keep the movie from being released. While I'm not sure I completely buy that story, I'm glad the flick is finally rearing its blood-spattered head, 'cause it's damnably entertaining! Written and directed by Kim Henkel [ who wrote the original 'Saw ] , the flick follows the misadventures of a bunch of prom-going teens who find themselves lost in the woods after a backroads car-wreck. Renee is the gawky, unattractive one [ yeah, right ] , therefore she's the only one with the sense to realize something bad is happening as the 'Saw Family begins to close in. I don't wanna give much away, because while the whole flick is basically a rehash of the first movie, Henkel puts enough of a spin on things to keep it interesting, and it's certainly one twisted piece of drive-in cheese. Renee and Matthew [ who plays the alpha male of the 'Saw Family this time around ] are good in their roles, but my heart belongs to Lisa Newmyer [ Heather, the ditsy, self-proclaimed "bitch" prom queen ] , whose acting is so endearingly goofy I could hardly control myself. Tyler Cone as her lust-crazed asswipe prom date is great as well. In fact, the only character who doesn't deliver like I'd hoped is Leatherface himself, although when he dons his Liz Taylor outfit for the final dinner scene, he starts to shine. While not as cool as TCM Part 2, this one definitely tops Leatherface: TCM Part 3 [ which had its moments ] but still doesn't approach the original. Definitely worth renting.

JDM

This film was originally released in '94, and rereleased last year with a new title due to the rising stardom of Renee Zellweger and Matthew MacConaughey. This is more a remake than a sequel, though there are a few references to the original and the mostly forgettable Part 2 [ Part 3 slipped by me so I won't comment ] . The original cast is gone for this go-round, including Gunnar "Leatherface" Hansen. The box for the video proclaims this to be a comedy [ I've heard the original described as a comedy/satire before too ] , but it's definitely not a gentle comedy. Indeed, if anything this film is more sadistic than the original--quite a feat--and all the more misogynistic. Director Kim Henkel, who scripted the original, remounts "King Saw" with influences from most of the major slashers that have appeared in the intervening years. Indeed, one would think it was influenced by Scream, if it hadn't originally been released two years prior to that film (of course there may have been production overlap ] . A dose of David Lynch has been thrown, and perhaps Chris Carter too; impressions of paranoia that were subliminal in the original are overt here. Unfortunately, all nearly sinks due to the imitative nature of the plotting and the slickness of the production. The fact that the house from the original is accurately recreated makes you all the more aware that this is a studio creation [ the original always looked like it was shot on location even when it wasn't, lending reality to the goings on ] . The photography and lighting are wonderful--too wonderful; the rougher cinematography, in the original gave it an edgier feel. Finally, the villains are just too damn pretty, too elegant. If this is really the "next family", how did they spawn such good looking kids? I found myself impressed by many particulars but ultimately disappointed. Zellweger is great as the heroine, but the script gives her no satisfying resolution [ simple escape here isn't enough--her character needs retribution against her tormentors ] . Critical reaction has been mixed but passionate--some Saw fans hate it, Joe Bob Briggs sings it's praises. I'm sitting the fence on this one

Gary Susman , Rough Cut

This fourth sequel to the 1974 B-movie classic was shot in 1993 [ under the title Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre ] and is only seeing the light of day because the cast includes then-unknown Texan actors Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, though it's doubtful that Jerry Maguire and Contact devotees will really want to see these performers in this context. Zellweger screams convincingly as a teen who is lured with her pals to the Leatherface family abattoir by goggle-eyed, one-legged, tow-truck driver McConaughey [ gearing up for his similarly batty trucker in Larger Than Life ] . Writer/director Kim Henkel, who scripted the original film, knows the territory well enough to deliver the story tongue-in-cheek without stinting on the requisite gotchas. If cannibal movies aren't your cup of blood, his craftsmanship won't change your mind, but it should please camp-loving genre scholars and shameless scare junkies alike.

Greg Melone, email me

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is one of my favorite sequels [ besides Scream 2 and Nightmare on Elm Street 3 ] ... It's cool because it brings back a load of good scenes from part one. Like the meathook! And from what I see this movie has gotten a lot of good reviews, and unluckily, a ton of bad reviews along with it. TCM4 has really big celebrities in it like Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey. I give it two thumbs up.

Pat Taggart, Austin Chronicle

[ XSW ] festival's most aptly titled. Unlike the two previous sequels to the groundbreaking 1974 horror film, writer-director Kim Henkel really does return to the original movie, not just one of the characters.
Consider the familiar elements: a group of unsuspecting, middle-class young people driving out in the country; a ghostly house that becomes a prison of horror and which is populated by an exceeding [ and sometimes comically ] eccentric array of characters; and of course, the guy in the leather mask. I guess I don't have to mention the chainsaw.
To say that Henkel's film is infinitely superior to the other remakes is to damn with faint praise to be sure. Henkel, who wrote the original Chainsaw as well as the brilliant and bittersweet Last night at the Alamo, certainly knows the territory. He is especially adept in the film's earlier scenes, where the characters are established and his wry humor flows freely. Once into horror territory, though, the energy dissipates, and I'm not so sure it's Henkel's fault as much as the legacy of the earlier Chainsaw. The first movie so raised the stakes for horror gore and suspense that a movie like this, less violent and terrifying than the first, hardly hold us in the way we expect. You can admire Henkel's restraint, but this noble thinking has kind of handicapped the movie.
You'll like the performers, especially Renee Zellweger, in what is essentially the Marilyn Burns part. You wouldn't know Henkel is a first-time director here, and there are times when the dialogue reminds his fans that he is one of the best untapped screenwriting resources in the state.

Stahu

I think Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation was the second best of its series. Originally titled Return Of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it was then changed through distribution. I like this film a lot. I have seen it in theaters on August 29,1997 [ It's release date ] .
The plot is, two teenage couples on prom night encountering a murderous backwoods clan, lead by Leatherface [ The Chainsaw Weilding Monster ] and his deranged little brother played by Matthew McConaughey of Contact and A Time To Kill. His brave but nerdy prey is played by Jerry Maguire's Renee Zellweger. Both Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger are now on Hollywood's "A" list.
What I really liked about this film is how it was put together. Teenagers on prom night make a head on crash with another car leaving them for dead in a deep, dark, Texas woods. I won't say much of the plot because you should see the movie for yourself. I recommend this to anyone. What my dislike of this movie is, is that of the very short amount of blood they used in this film.
Well, there you have my review, check out Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation in theaters, or wait till it comes on video cassette on February 24, 1998. Note [ The same writer and creator of the first chainsaw film made this one! ] .

Karen Achenbach, Box Office Magazine

It's prom night in a small Texas town. Clever circumstances find four teens cruising in a car, bickering with a "next generation" modernity; it's a wonderful sequence. Only later, as they blithely walk into horror after horror, do audiences realize these "modern" teens have never been to the movies. Although sometimes funny at the film's expense, much of this 1994 production contains clever humor built through snappy dialogue and the creation of incongruent characters. Even so, its current main attraction will be its stars--native Texans Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, in their second film and in their second film together [ both debuted in Dazed and Confused ] . McConaughey [ who's since appeared in the likes of Contact and A Time to Kill ] plays the killer, Vilmer, with a psycho's gusto. Zellweger, of Jerry Maguire and The Whole Wide World, plays capable teen Jenny, who endures unending assaults with great physical stamina; a fabulous nighttime jump from roof to clothesline is a highlight. Zellweger commands the screen, her Jenny becoming more and more beautiful the longer she survives. Arrogant teen Barry [ Tyler Cone ] and imperturbable real estate agent Darla [ Tonie Perenski ] are excellent counterpoints to terror. Also welcome is a touching loyalty between the resilient teenage girls Jenny and Heather [ Lisa Newmyer, playing a seemingly stupid beauty ] . Although rendered meaningless by unexplained story elements, this Ultra Muchos/River City Films production does have good original music from local Texas bands, well used both for terror and for relief. "Chainsaw" fans who mourn the degrading of the Leatherface character take note: This fourth Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie was written and directed by Kim Henkel, who scripted Tobe Hopper's original 1974 "Chainsaw," and who therefore has a right to toy with his creation. Recommended for viewers who haven't enough fear, stress, violence or ugliness in their lives.

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