Editorials
[It Came From the ‘80s] The Gory Comedy of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’
With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
If you happened to catch the new Child’s Play, then you know that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 plays a major part in the film, both in the dark humorous tone and in Chucky’s understanding of death. Tobe Hooper’s follow up, released over a decade after his seminal The Texas Chain Saw Massacre disturbed audiences, took a drastically different approach with his cannibalistic clan. Mostly by going for broke in terms of pitch-black comedy and over the top characters. That major shift appalled critics and audiences at time of release, though reception has long since warmed to this sequel’s wackiness.
Set 13 years after the events of the first film, the Sawyer clan have retreated from their home and taken up residence in an abandoned amusement park elsewhere in Texas. The change in habitation hasn’t stopped their hunger for human flesh; it’s only shifted their method of obtaining it. When their latest hunting adventure is accidentally recorded on air of a local radio station, the Sawyer clan becomes laser focused on erasing all evidence- including the station employees. Of course, they didn’t anticipate that the uncle of their previous victims would be out for vengeance.
Armed with a much bigger budget thanks to production company and distributor Cannon, it should surprise no one that a good chunk of that went to special makeup effects. With none other than legendary special makeup effects artist Tom Savini behind them, as well as a talented crew that included Gabe Bartalos (Darkman, Brain Damage), Bart Mixon (1990’s It, 3 from Hell), Jon Vulich, Shawn McEnroe (The Blob, Night of the Creeps), Gino Crognale (The Walking Dead, Scream 2), and Mitch Devane (Men in Black, The Frighteners).
That budget shows right out of the gate, during the opening sequence that reintroduces Leatherface (now played by Bill Johnson), the preserved corpse of the Hitchhiker (referred to as the Muppet in the script), and final girl Vanita ‘Stretch’ Brock (Caroline Williams) as she overhears Leatherface slaughter his latest victims- a pair of drunk high schoolers driving on a deserted stretch of highway. The stunt work required for this scene alone is demonstrative of the higher budget, and impressive as Leatherface uses his Muppetized brother to dance on the back of the pickup truck racing down the road parallel to the victims’ car. But the complexity is compounded by the special makeup effects that overlaps the stunt work as Leatherface brings his saw down upon the teens. While a stunt driver was steering the vehicle, the special effects crew was working in tandem to make the fake head of the victim split open, with calf brains and blood spilling forth.
Of course, it’s impossible to mention this sequel without bringing up Bill Moseley’s Chop-Top, the metal-plated and deranged Vietnam vet. His character fills the void left behind by the Hitchhiker’s death, and also provides explanation to the amusement part setting of the Sawyer clan; Chop-Top bought it with the intent to turn it into “Nam-land.” It makes for a visually exciting set piece that sets the stage for the final showdown between Stretch and Lefty (Dennis Hopper) versus the Sawyer clan.
Screenwriter L.M. Kit Carson considered this sequel to be a coming of age story for Leatherface, though one steeped in insanity and humor. That comes across in the way Leatherface is interested in Stretch, and how it causes him to stand up to his family in certain ways. Because of that narrative aspect, it makes sense that it would be this wacky film that would inspire Child’s Play, as young teen Andy Barclay also has an arch based in growth. Both revel in the gore and wacky slasher madness, too, which makes it easy to see why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 would’ve been a jarring sequel to see upon initial release.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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