3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUyEaYxTI2U Audiences that expected more of the same from this sequel were aghast at seeing a goofy comedy whose tone, pacing and story were all different. There was no build-up, no atmosphere, none of the originals claustrophobia and, most unforgivably, the family members all behaved like clowns. What they failed to appreciate was that director Tobe Hooper was sending up the critics whod either missed the originals black humour or read the film the wrong way. Dumbfounded by readings from Marxists (who ascribed the actions of the films antagonists to economic woes), feminists (who noted the lack of a matriarch) and Freudians (who were awed by the phallic power tools), Hooper resolved to show them the error of their ways. Some even read the first film as a grim(m) fairy tale, so Hooper has a character construct a house not out of gingerbread but take-out fries, which perfectly sums up his movie. Its junk food. Its not deep, its not clever and its certainly not good for you but boy is it tasty. As silly, throwaway filmmaking goes, its some sort of masterpiece.
Ian Watson
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
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