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Tobe Hooper’s ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Slices into 4K Ultra HD in February 2023!

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Originally teased on Halloween, Dark Sky Films is bringing Tobe Hooper‘s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to 4K Ultra HD on February 28, 2023, BD has learned this morning!

The film will arrive in the 4K restored version, complemented by a frightening array of bonus materials. Read on for everything you need to know about the horror classic’s 4K debut.

“Violent, confrontational, and shockingly realistic, director Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre terrified audiences in a way never thought possible when it was unleashed on a politically and socially tumultuous America in 1974. Facing a storm of controversy, censorship and outcry throughout its troubled release, this masterpiece of horror has stood the test of time to become a landmark motion picture and cultural milestone.

“Now, for the first time, Dark Sky Films proudly presents its director-approved 4K restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on UHD, bringing all the scares and the screams into terrifying focus and clarity, making for an immersive viewing experience audiences won’t forget. For both new viewers and long-term devotees, this is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as it has never been seen or heard before.

“The film follows a group of young friends (played by Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail and Teri McMinn) road-tripping by van through Texas who fall victim to a bizarre family of cannibals – including a huge masked madman known as Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) who always has a gas-powered chain saw at the ready. The shocker originated many elements of the slasher genre that would soon explode: the use of power tools as murder weapons, a hulking faceless killer, a desolate rural setting, and the sadistic slaughter of innocent young victims.

“Upon its initial release in 1974, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was banned in several countries, and many theaters in the U.S. stopped showing it due to complaints about its violence. But the low-budget film was hugely successful, grossing more than $30 million domestically, and is now regarded as one of the best and most influential horror movies. It led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books and video games.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arrives in deluxe 4K UHD and 4K UHD Steelbook editions, each containing a bonus disc containing a wealth of supplemental materials. Disc 1 holds the 4K UHD feature film and four commentary tracks: writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl; actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A. Partain with production designer Robert Burns; Tobe Hooper solo; and Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou. 

Disc 2, a Blu-ray, contains the new, never-before-seen feature-length documentary The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and several featurettes. These include “The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER,” a conversation about the film between Tobe Hooper and The Exorcist director William Friedkin; “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”; “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw”; a tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen; “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn”; and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman.

“Filling out the generous package are deleted scenes and outtakes, a blooper reel, trailers, vintage TV and radio spots, and much more to thrill fans old and new.”

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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Gateway Horror Classic ‘The Gate’ Returns to Life With Blu-ray SteelBook in May

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One of my personal favorite horror movies of all time, 1987’s gateway horror classic The Gate is opening back up on May 14 with a brand new Blu-ray SteelBook release from Lionsgate!

The new release will feature fresh SteelBook artwork from Vance Kelly, seen below.

Special Features, all of which were previously released, include…

  • Audio Commentaries
    • Director Tibor Takacs, Writer Michael Nankin, and Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook
    • Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Craig Reardon, Special Effects Artist Frank Carere, and Matte Photographer Bill Taylor
  • Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview
  • Featurettes:
    • The Gate: Unlocked
    • Minion Maker
    • From Hell It Came
    • The Workman Speaks!
    • Made in Canada
    • From Hell: The Creatures & Demons of The Gate
    • The Gatekeepers
    • Vintage Featurette: Making of The Gate
  • Teaser Trailer
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spot
  • Storyboard Gallery
  • Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery

When best friends Glen (Stephen Dorff) and Terry (Louis Tripp) stumble across a mysterious crystalline rock in Glen’s backyard, they quickly dig up the newly sodden lawn searching for more precious stones. Instead, they unearth The Gate — an underground chamber of terrifying demonic evil. The teenagers soon understand what evil they’ve released as they are overcome with an assortment of horrific experiences. With fiendish followers invading suburbia, it’s now up to the kids to discover the secret that can lock The Gate forever . . . if it’s not too late.

If you’ve never seen The Gate, it’s now streaming on Prime Video and Tubi.

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