Leatherface : The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3

Alternate titles : Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3

Tagline : "He puts the teeth in terror."

Well, despite being chainsawed through the stomach, then apparently blown up by a grenade, along with the rest of the Sawyer family at the end of Part 2. Leatherface appears to have survived and has moved in with new kinfolk.

Young couple, Ryan (Bill Butler) and Michelle (Kate Hodge), are travelling along the desert highway, when they have a run in with the retarded owner of a gas station. Taking off down a lonely road, which they believe to be a shortcut, they then find themselves being pursued by a lunatic driving a giant 4x4 pickup truck.

They manage to get away from him, but then inadvertently get into an accident with another traveller named Benny (Ken Foree), a survivalist on his way back from a meeting at his training camp. At first he doesn't believe their story about gun toting gas station clerks and chainsaw wielding maniacs driving pick-up trucks, but a sudden appearance by Leatherface (played this time by R A Milhailoff) and his razzing chainsaw makes him change his mind.

With Ryan and Michelle captured and taken back to the family's home, where they are subjected to numerous unpleasantries at the hands of Leatherface's family, which includes a then unknown Viggo Mortensen in an early role. It's down to Benny, armed with his assault rifle, to set out after them and attempt a rescue. But will he reach them in time?

I'm going on the assumption that the folk in this were some sort of relatives of Leatherface, who are now looking after him, but this is never explained, though it doesn't really affect the movie. Directed by Jeff Burr and written by David Schow (didn't he used to have a column in Fangoria mag?) this is by far a much better sequel than Part 2 and is quite enjoyable.

The film was notable for being rejected outright by the UK film censors, when originally submitted for classification back in 1990, but I'm pleased to say in now available here uncut. These days it's notable for being one of Viggo Mortensen's first roles. Good gory fun!

Overall Marks : 7/10.

Terrifying Trivia

• Alternate tag lines "The Saw is Family"
• Viggo Mortessen, who plays Tex in the film, also played Sam Loomis in the 1998 remake of "Psycho". In 2001 he went onto star in his best known role as Aragon in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
• Tom Savini was offered the Director's job, but declined.
• The original script was much more brutal and gory. However, the distributors insisted on making changes to tone down the violence. The US censors board, the MPAA, then insisted in making cuts to avoid an NC17 rating. Current DVD and Blu-Ray relases contain both the cut R-rated and uncut Unrated versions of the film.
• Caroline Williams, who played Radio DJ Stretch in Part 2, has a brief role as a TV news reporter.
• Director Jeff Burr got fired shortly after filming had begun as he said he would not be able to complete the film within the deadline the studio had set him. However, when no one else wanted to take on the job, the studio rehired him.
• The young girl at the farmhouse was played by Jennifer Banko, who also played the young Tina in "Friday the 13th Part 7 : The New Blood".
• The person playing Leatherface in the trailer was stuntman Kane Hodder, who played Jason in "Friday the 13th Parts 7-10". He was also the film's stunt co-ordinator, and doubled as Leatherface for for actor R A Milhailoff in several action scenes.
• Ken Foree also starred in the original 1978 "Dawn of the Dead" as well as Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses".
• Special Edition disc releases contain an alternate ending as an extra, in which Benny is actually killed during the end fight and not just wounded. Michelle hits Leatherface with a rock repeatedly, rather than just twice, and she encounters a badly burned Tex, who then accidentally steps into a spike trap. Lastly, after making it up to the main road, a police car comes along, only for Michelle to find the young girl from the farmhouse sat in the back seat.
• The "Excalibur" chainsaw Leatherface uses in the film weighed over 80lbs.
• The house used in the film was the same one used in Alice Cooper's "House of Fire" music video.
• Bill Butler, who played Ryan, also starred in "Friday the 13th Part 7", "Ghoulies 2" and the 1993 remake of "Night of the Living Dead".
• The film was submitted to the BBFC for classification in 1990, but was rejected outright (presumably as chief censor James Ferman disliked the original). Strangely, the (now defunct) Bravo TV channel on Sky showed the full uncut Director's version in December 2000, despite the fact it was effectively still banned on video at the time. The film was finally resubmitted and passed fully uncut for a UK release in 2004.

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