Overview: After 2003’s successful remake of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes would take another trip to the Lone Star State for the terrifying prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

In the summer of 1969, brothers Eric and Dean and their girlfriends Chrissie and Bailey are having one last road trip before the boys set off to Vietnam. An altercation with a shotgun-wielding biker leads them to crash their car, only for them to be rescued by Sheriff Hoyt. But their savior isn’t as benevolent as he seems, and the gang are taken hostage and dragged to the residence of the murderous Hewitt family, among them Hoyt’s brother Thomas, a hulking brute who conceals his face behind a leather mask.

Feast your eyes on this twisted and horrifying vision of the Hewitts’ origins, presented here in its original Theatrical Version and the extended Uncut Version for the first time on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray!

4K Blu-ray Verdict: In truth, after watching 2003’s version of the original, very quickly afterwards I realized that the remake of the horror classic is quite tame compared to this! It’s incredible how visceral horror/slasher movies have become for this generation.

The film starts off in a slaughterhouse and a monster is born. The quick run up of how Leatherface became a man during the credits was impressive. The slaughterhouse in which he works gets shut down. He’s got to find some new meat to chop. He sure as hell does.

On a road trip across Texas, four friends run into trouble with a biker gang and as a result have an accident and run into the vicious Sheriff Hoyt. As the female lead, Chrissie, tries to track down her friends that the sheriff has taken to that iconic house of the Hewitt residence, she’s faced with many obstacles on the way, trying not to get caught. She fails, of course, and the unbelievable begins.

The movie takes the audience on an explicitly VIOLENT journey and never ceases to grab you by the jugular. The visuals are almost too tense to bear and the acting is fantastic by the lead characters and R. Lee Ermey makes you cringe at the sight of him and at the sound of his viciously demanding tone.

Definitely a step up from the PG-13 fare that director Jonathan Liebsman of Darkness Falls is more associated with. The story of how Leatherface became such a monster is well examined. Also some interesting bits in the film to help one understand some of the circumstances in the 2003 remake are brought to surface which I appreciated.

In conclusion, if you’re a horror buff and like your slasher/horror flicks to have no holds barred terror throughout, this is the HALLOWEEN ticket for you. Be warned however, if you were disturbed by the 1973 original, this film gives the term a whole new meaning!

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of both the Theatrical Version and the Uncut Version
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio on the Theatrical Version and DTS-HD MA 7.1, 5.1 and 2.0 audio on the Uncut Version
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
Brand new audio commentary on the Uncut Version with Dread Central co-founder Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton and co-host of The Spooky Picture Show podcast Chris MacGibbon
Archival audio commentary on the Uncut Version with director Jonathan Liebesman and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller
Hoyt, Actually, a brand new interview with actor Lew Temple
Original Skins: KNB FX, a brand new interview with special effects makeup artist Jake Garber and special effects makeup technician Kevin Wasner Light and Sawdust, a brand new interview with director of photography Lukas Ettlin
Down to the Bone: Anatomy of a Prequel, an archival making-of documentary featuring many interviews with cast and crew members
Deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary from director Jonathan Liebesman and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller
Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Aaron Lea
Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Aaron Lea
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Gingold

Official Purchase Link

www.arrowvideo.com