Texas Chainsaw Masscre
Ultimate Edition Steelbook

For the German Version of this Review click here.

Editiontitel: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Ultimate Edition Steelbook

Original-Movietitel: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface or only TCM

Genre: Horror

Rating: Rated R (Uncut), Bonus: Unrated

Releasedate: 26. September 2006

Productionland- and Year: USA, 1974

Label: Dark Sky Films

Regionalcode: 1

Actors: Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen, John Dugan, Robert Courtin, William Creamer, John Henry Faulk, Jerry Green, Ed Guinn and Joe Bill Hogan

Music Producer: Tobe Hooper and Wayne Bell

Director: Tobe Hooper

Summary: It begins like an idyllic summer vacation. A group of five, young people, which are in a happy mood, in their car, are not aware yet, that this wonderful day is going to be the worst, most horrific and last day of their life. When the petrol is finished, nearby an old slaughterhouse- their tragic destiny begins…

It has been called grisly, sick, perverse, unshakeable and the movie that redefined horror. It was attacked by churches, banned by governments, and acclaimed by only the bravest of critics. It stunned audiences worldwide and set a new standard in movie terror forever. In 1974, Writer-Producer and Director Tobe Hooper unleashed this dark, visionary tale about a group of five young friends who face a nightmare of torment at the hands of a depraved Texas clan. Today it remains unequalled as a landmark of outlaw filmmaking and unparalleled in its impact as perhaps the most frightening motion picture ever made.

Picture: NTSC, Colour, 1,78: 1 (anamorphic Widescreen), Extras partly as well in 4:3 fullscreen

Audio:
English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound)
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound)
English (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Sound)
2 audiocommentarys (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound)

Runtime: Movie ca. 84 minutes, Extras ca. 180 minutes

Subtitles: English and Spanish

Extras:
Disc 1:
Movie (Uncut), HD-Transfer from the 16 mm Original-Camera-Negatives
Extras:
Animated menues (on both Discs)
2 audiocommentarys about the full length of the movie, with …
… Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danziger and Robert A. Burns
… Tobe Hooper, Daniel Pearl and Gunnar Hansen
A couple of Movie Trailers
TV-advertisements
Radio-advertisements
Disc 2:
Extras:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre – The Shocking Truth (Documentation), ca. 73 minutes
Flesh Wounds (Documentation), ca. 74 minutes
House-Tour (Befor- and After) with Gunnar Hansen, ca. 8 minutes
Outtakes (From the Movie and the Documentary The Shocking Truth)
and Deleted Scenes, ca. 25 minutes
Bloopers
Picturegallery (ca. 150 Pictures)

Available at: Amazon.uk

Package: Beautiful steelbook, which not only looks nice on the inside, but the outside as well. Because its an original steelbook, the quality is obviously alright. When you flip it open, it is immediately recognizable, that both discs on the right hand side are very stable and secure placed. Unfortunately, there is only a brochure from the label-program enclosed. There would have been a small booklet rather nice, where the Internetsite is so informative. After you take the brochure and the discs out, you will see a fierce scene of the movie in the background.

Limitation and Availability: Most probably not limited, but Dark Sky Films will probably not offer the movie as a steelbook for ever. It is to assume that the steelbook will be replaced by an Amaray. The steelbook you can get without any problems in the internet. In german speaking Countries, you will not find this RC1-DVD.

Picture- and Audioquality: The advertisement slogan: „Like you never seen before!” can keep up with that, because the transfer is perfectly remastered and the quality takes your breath away. You cannot believe that you are watching the same movie. The colours are so vigorous and the clarity knows how to impress at the age of this movie. The restoration put a lot of effort in.
Here is a Picture-Comparison.
The sound is also very good. Even the 5.1 Surround Sound knows how to impress. Because the original soundtracks are also there, there is not much to criticize.

Other amazing DVD of the movie: Who is unsatisfied with the cover of the steelbooks, can get the Swedish edition. With that one is a grey cover available.  The steelbook has the Dark Sky composure as well, with the same extras, and also a little booklet.

DTS- or SUPERBIT-DVD of the movie: No Release.

HD-Disc of the movie: On Blu-Ray available.

Best available Laserdisc: There you can only advise the Ultimate Edition from Japan. The whole box is the absolute dream for every Laserdisc collector. The box includes: 3 discs, firstly the movie with extras and last but not least, one hologramm-disc, which looks quite amazing. Also available with the box are: Movie posters, pictures and booklets (everything obviously in Japanese). Because those are very strictly limited, you can only find those for amazingly expensive prices in the internet. A good and cheaper alternative would be the US- Laserdisc from Elite Entertainment. This is not a Box Set and does not come anywhere near the Japan-Laserdisc version.

All Together: After that DVD, one thing is quite sure for critics, fans and the media: The US- Label Dark Sky Films is not underground anymore. It took 32 years until this bead of horror movie finally his worthy Ultimate Edition got. Because this movie is supposed to be anamorphic for a while, TCM fans and collectors should not hesitate and get it. And anyway, will this Release, in the DVD Ara be outbid. To await is only the first HD disc of the movie.

Collector-Points: 4,5 from 10

Translated on February 21, 08, by Meliii