Arrow Video: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 Special Edition Blu-ray

TCM 2 starts with two hooligan preppies going on a crazy joyride ending in the chainsaw decapitation(partial, it's only half his head) of one of them. Soon after that, Dennis Hopper does a little chainsaw shopping and goes nuts on a log that the store has out front. This sets things up nicely for the crazy sequel that's to follow.

When 'Stretch', a late night heavy metal radio DJ in Texas, makes the mistake of playing a recording of the Leatherface gang killing the preppies on her show, she inspires them to pay her a visit at the radio station.

TCM 2 is one of those sequels that is somewhat refreshing in that it goes into unexpected territory with its story. I remember first watching it and having no idea where it was going within the 1st 1/2 hour. Once Dennis Hopper enters the Leatherface family's labyrinthine underground tunnels, my mouth was agape with the wonder of what would happen next. And talk about an unbridled performance - it doesn't get much crazier than Dennis Hopper screaming and waving a chainsaw. He screams and waves a chainsaw as good or better than any actor out there. The other thing TCM 2 does is exponentially step up the gore.whrn you've got a wizard like Tom Savini on your fx, it makes perfect sense. This sequel is as "meaty" as they come. There are literally piles of meat and guts. It's a 180 degree shift from the original film whose currency was mostly terror and the impression of violence(the first film isn't very bloody at all). TCM 2 truly personifies the phrase 'descent into hell'. It really feels like that. Dennis Hopper 'a character describes it as 'The Devil's Playground' and he couldn't be more correct.

This Arrow Video Special edition really piles on the extras. Some were available on the US edition, but there's a whole lot more here that's newly included:

3-DISC LIMITED EDITION SET FEATURES:
-High Definition digital transfers of three Tobe Hooper films
-Original uncompressed audio tracks for all films
DISC 1:
-High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation from a digital transfer supervised by Director of Photography Richard Kooris.
-Audio commentary with director and co-writer Tobe Hooper, moderated by David Gregory.
-Audio commentary with stars Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special-effects legend Tom Savini, moderated by Michael Felsher.
-“It Runs in the Family” – A documentary looking at the genesis, making-of and enduring appeal of Hooper’s film. With interviews including star Bill Johnson, co-writer L. M. Kit Carson, Richard Kooris, Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams, Tom Savini, Production Designer Cary White and more!
-Alternate Opening sequence with different musical score.
-Deleted scenes.
-“Still Feelin' the Buzz” - Interview with horror expert Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA.
-Original Trailer.
DISC 2 [BLU-RAY] & DISC 3 [DVD]: TOBE HOOPER’S EARLY WORKS – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE
-High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition (DVD) presentation of two of Tobe Hooper’s early works, available on home video for the first time in the world:
-The Heisters (1964) Tobe Hooper’s early short film restored in HD from original elements [10 mins]
-Eggshells (1969) Tobe Hooper’s debut feature restored in HD from original elements [90 mins]
-Audio Commentary on Eggshells by Tobe Hooper.
-In Conversation with Tobe Hooper - The legendary horror director speaks about his career from Eggshells to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
-Trailer Reel of all the major works by Tobe Hooper.
100-PAGE BOOK – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE
-Exclusive bound book featuring new writing on the film by John Kenneth Muir, an overview of the Chainsaw franchise by Joel Harley and an investigation of Tobe Hooper’s three-picture Cannon deal by Calum Waddell, illustrated with archive stills and posters.


The Arrow Video Special Edition of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 is a Region B disc, you can purchase it direct from Arrow here:
http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/index.php?tle_id=810&art_id=44