I really wanted to get into this. I love crazy, I love the original, I love funny horror, I love Dennis Hopper…yet, I just couldn't find my way into this. I guess it's supposed to be a comedy, but I mostly just found it obnoxious. I like some of the disgusting visuals, and there were certainly some funny lines. However, in the end, it is just too much of the bright chaos of Canon Productions, and not enough of the dark insanity of the original.

**** WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS **** I apologize in advance if I am unable to offer any details concerning the nature of the VHS tape I am about to review, since I am writing this while at work..That being said, "TCM 2" as widely seen in its truncated format is a true testament to everything which was wrong about 80s gore horror, and censorship through the MPAA (Motion Picture Aputators of America). I recall how my brother had read up on this film in horror magazines, and our subsequent disappointment when having finally rented the highly edited censored VHS release, about a year after it's theatrical run. For the longest time, I knew the film itself had been butchered into it's widespread version and that so much was left out, much to the chagrin of gore hounds and those who expected at least a semblance of a follow-up to the 70s original classic.For all most people know (based on what version they have been exposed to), this is quite simply bad movie, heavily edited by studios and distributors.Years after I had long forgotten about how horrid a censored film this was had passed, an ex-friend of mine managed to pick up for me at a yard sale a widescreen version of the film on VHS tape. This was not the same widely seen version of the VHS tape we had seen collecting dust in good old video rental stores (anyone remember those?) and so at first I thought it was a well executed bootleg of sorts. After a long pause I decided to watch it since, at the very least, I had never seen it in widescreen format.To my surprise (especially since this was in no way advertised in any form) it turns out that the version of "TCM 2" on this tape was what most people would have referred to as the "workprint" version. Running at just about 2 hours, it featured most of the usuable uncensored footage never seen before, finally making the film "make sense" (if that is at all possible with such a film!). Add to this, again un-advertised, that after the feature, a series of additional deleted footage is present, included that of the infamous Leatherface goes after an entire team of college football players. However, as opposed to the included re-inserted footage in the film, these bonus scenes are of an atrocious quality, looking as though they were filmed on portable video Equipment of the era.In conclusion, my opinion of the film itself was changed after that viewing, and finally I was able to appreciate the deviant, unhealthy, and downright visually and intellectually/morally disturbing vision of Tobe Hooper, since this version is probably closer to what he had originally intended rather than the butchered beyond comprehension version most of us have been exposed to.Afterthoughts: The early Y2K DVD re-release of the film is the edited version (as the widespread commercial VHS release), and apparently this "workprint" or "uncut" version on VHS remains unreleased. It's a shame because it elevates the film from a badly executed parody of the original to an actually semi-disturbing film with more gore to please that target audience.

This movie's main flaw is that it spends a lot of its time just setting stuff up and not having any action. Yes, I know the original did it but here, it's a lot of stuff that doesn't seem relevant to the story. That being said, there are some good things here. In the end, we get to see a sword fight with chainsaws! Oh, and somehow Leatherface gets impaled. I had no idea he could come back from the dead. I thought this was just a normal series. Anyway, this had its good points and bad points. It does improve on the original on one aspect.The sets actually look nicer. I guess that's probably because this movie is twelve years later and they had time to improve on special effects. A lot of it is still a retread from the original film. I'm especially annoyed by them doing that same sledge hammer and head over the bucket routine. I didn't realize how prolific Dennis Hopper was. Of course he'd be in a movie like this! I guess if you're a fan of the series, you should enjoy this. **

OK, let me start out with saying the theatrical poster was a PARODY of the theatrical poster of "The Breakfast Club". That right there should've been a heads-up that this film didn't take itself very seriously. That being said this is one of the single funniest/creepiest films I've ever seen. No other film that I've seen balances that line so well. The scene in the radio station has a jump-scare that still gets me after seeing this film countless times. Chop-Top (Bill Moseley) has some of the funniest lines I've ever seen in a horror movie during this scene. Jim Siedow is great as the Cook. Dennis Hopper's performance is so over-the-top you have to realize this was done on purpose. Caroline Williams is GREAT as Stretch, the radio DJ that is being stalked by the Sawyer family after some bad timing. The climax is so intense, yet so ridiculous, it has to be seen to be believed. Seriously, if you're into campy horror films you can't just watch this film once. Tobe Hooper hit a home run with this one.