It took a long time for me to realize the similarities between the movie posters for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 and The Breakfast Club, which was strange as I tend to be fairly observant about things like that and I was a fan of both films at the time. When I finally did realize this, it took me a bit longer to see these films were different takes on the same subject. A good way to describe it is that one is about the pressures one faces trying to live up to the person your family expects you to be, and the other one has Molly Ringwald in it.

   I'm not going to spend this article comparing these two films, it really wouldn't be that interesting. Instead I'm going to talk about how this film that is so heavily flawed, is the best sequel this franchise has ever produced. I thoroughly enjoyed some of the later sequels. Some were even arguably better films than Part 2, but as a sequel, this was the only one that got the characters right — specifically the family, who are given the name of Sawyer in this film. I believe this can largely be attributed to Tobe Hooper being in charge of this movie and not any of the others. He and co-creator of the first film, Kim Henkel, actually get the characters, though Kim would not revisit the franchise until two sequels later, and really, that was a different family. That film will be discussed in due time.

   This is a very different film than the first one, making it difficult to compare the two. The original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was a horror film with some subtle dark comedy, while Part 2 is a dark comedy wrapped in horror and gore. The constant between the two films is the family. We catch up with these familiar characters over a decade later, so naturally their situation will be a bit different and some of the dynamics will have changed. It's the same family though, even if only one is played by the same actor, so let's dig into some good barbecue with the Sawyer family...

   The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as a franchise, has perhaps the most complicated and downright nonsensical continuity of just about any horror franchise. Five (technically six) sequels/prequels so far (Update: add one more in 2022), not counting the remake and its prequel, and none of them got it 100% right. I wont be talking about any of those other films today. I want to focus on the original 1974 film as a stand-alone classic.

   The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as a film, is something I hold quite dear to me. It features characters to whom I can relate, and of whom I am rather protective, as far as their portrayals go. It touches on issues that are important to me. Its aesthetics connect with me in ways few other horror films have done. It is an amazing film that transcends simple horror.

   Good horror should make you uncomfortable. Good cinema should make you think, and thinking about certain things should also make you uncomfortable. For these reasons, this film can be difficult to watch. This is a rather visceral film even though it contains relatively little viscera, though to some viewers it may not be clear as to exactly why this is. The reason why this film works as well as it does, is that it takes these uncomfortable thoughts and wraps them in uncomfortable visuals that are also representative of those thoughts. Our sensibilities are being attacked on two different levels. One might even say massacred... Sorry, I won't do any more lame puns like that.

   I can tell it's going to be difficult to write about Friday The 13th Part 3: 3D. It's a terrible film. The continuity, the acting, the gratuitous 3D effects... all huge impediments to being able to really get into this movie. However, it's an important entry in the franchise; this is where the Jason character we all know and love really started to come together. It could have been a much better film, though.

   I did not see this movie in 3D until the Blu-Ray release several years ago. My first exposure to this film was on VHS video around 1986 or so, in its two dimensional format. Anyone who has watched a 3D film in 2D, knows the shots intended for the 3D effect are distracting and make you see just how gratuitous and gimmicky these scenes are. This film is no exception. For the most part, the shots that exploit the 3D gimmick are either pointless, poorly executed, or both. For every good 3D shot like one with a spear gun, there are at least three unnecessary shots of a stick pointed at the camera. Don't even talk to me about that ridiculous snake prop.

   As bad as this movie is, it's necessary. This film turned Jason from a crazy hillbilly to a maniacal killer. This film gave Jason his trademark hockey mask. This film sort of set the standard for what Jason's face looked like. At the same time, however, this film also said to us that maybe continuity isn't something we're going to worry about too much in this franchise. So yeah, maybe this will be an easier article to write than I thought.