So, I probably shouldn't follow up my first movie in the October Horror Movie Challenge with it's sequel, right? I mean, they'd be too similar, wouldn't they? That's what I thought, but I soon realized that this sequel, which as you may have noticed came 12 years later, was NOTHING like it's predecessor, so it worked well as a follow-up. Kind of like the original, I didn't know much about it, but the one thing I did know about it was that it was directed by the same person, Tobe Hooper, so it had that going for it. Oh, and it had Dennis Hopper too.
The tone of this one is pretty much a one-eighty from the original. It's almost like the goal was to parody the first film, and mimic the style of the horror films at the time, while at the same time somehow advancing the story of the Sawyer family maniacs. And if so, they nailed it. One thing is clear within the first five minutes or so, this movie is gory and is more of a dark comedy than just a straight slasher film. Also, the top billing of Dennis Hopper is a bit misleading, because his on screen time is pretty minimal, but he does have some awesome scenes including a chainsaw duel with Leatherface. However, in my opinion, the "star" is actor Bill Moseley who plays the deranged hippie Sawyer brother named "Chop Top". He delivers great character acting and ridiculous and memorable lines like "Dog will hunt!" (which is sampled in the Primus song "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver").
I can see how this could be classified as a cult classic, and I did like it, but in a very different way from the original, quite the contrast. Some words that came to mind while watching: demented, bizarre, quirky, and uncomfortable, yet all the while enjoyable and likeable.
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