Movie Review #42: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)

 

I think that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is probably one of the weaker horror franchises. I know what you are thinking but let me explain first. There are 8 movies in the franchise and I like....3 of them. That's not a good score. The four movies that I did not enjoy are incredibly bad, especially Texas Chainsaw 3D. the other remake was shitty too except for R. Lee Emery, and well I've never actually seen the Beginning. I'll get to it. I doubt I'll like it. The Leatherface prequel existed? I think it existed. That's not a very good sign. However the movies in the franchise that I like are pretty fucking fantastic. The original film just may be the best horror film of all time. The second movie is one of the best horror comedies ever made. The third one is a movie I've only seen once and I wasn't in love with it. I will probably revisit that one for the blog. This movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation which somehow is still the most reviled of the films in the series is fucking great.

I do not give one slimy silly fuck what you think about this movie because it's great. It starts out with Renee Zellweger at the prom when one of her friends has a freak out after seeing her boyfriend makin it with another chick and just goes to his car and freaks out. He gets in and she drives off. After a minute of him trying to get her to think that he has to make out with women other than her or he'd get prostate cancer. Yes this guy is a complete asshole but he's played by a guy who clearly is having fun being the biggest schmuck in this franchise's history. Zellweger and her boyfriend pop up to call the asshole out on his shit. They end up crashing into some guy coming from the other way because they were all arguing. They decide to go to look for help and well they get help from the crazy fucking Leatherface family. Which is not really help but still.

So I love the Family that they have in this movie. Leatherface is gender confused and it honestly works for me at least. Especially when you remember he's kinda based on Ed Gein who enjoyed dressing up in the flesh of dead women. He was a bit of a nut bar. W.E. is just kinda there. He likes to quote old dead guys and pretend he's very intelligent. I think there could have been something more done with this character. The guy who plays him does a good job but he just feels very there. The Darla lady that dates Vilmer is actually a lot of fun. I enjoy this lady. However the guy who makes this movie an amazing time is Vilmer. Played by Matthew McConaughey. He is playing this over the top. Like over over the top. I don't know how to explain this but it's his greatest performance ever. I don't give a shit about the artsy fartsy oscar horse shit he's done because he will never top this performance.  He is giving it his all and more. Like he believed that this just might be his only chance to be in a big role in a movie. It's amazing and I love it.

I honestly believe this movie has some really great tense scene. Like one scene with Renee Zellweger and Vilmer in the truck. That's some great shit there. The acting is honestly really pretty good. Everyone seems to act like they should. I was so with this entire movie for about the entire run time. Having a fantastic time. Then they decide to bring in the illuminati or some fucking horse shit like that. Seriously some fancy European illuminati guy comes in at the last 10 minutes and just shits all over the ending. It's just really fucking stupid. It was better when it was just a really big extended family that just happened to enjoy murder and chainsaws. I know they try to set it up earlier in the movie but it just doesn't work. I do enjoy the end scene with all the cameos of cast members from the original film but man the movie just shits the bed at the end.

FINAL VERDICT: This was some great entertaining stuff. I do not get how people don't enjoy this movie.