[A BREW TO A KILL] ‘TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2’ + Sawtooth Ale

[Editor’s Note: Welcome to the inaugural column A Brew to a Kill by Jeremy Jones. Read this man’s experience as he guzzles booze themed to a particular horror film!]

I feel there a lot of horror movies that could benefit from a revaluation. Yes, Halloween III does not have Michael Meyers in it. But the score is one of John Carpenter’s best and the cinematography, by frequent Carpenter collaborator, Dean Cundey, is top notch. And it’s true that Jason Voorhees isn’t the killer in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning. Yet it features some of my favorite kills in the series and is just as cookie cutter as the previous four installments. And then we have Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, which seems like the favorite whipping boy of all franchises for having the gall to be funny. But is it as bad as people claim?

Thirteen years after the first film, The Sawyer clan has taken their act on the road. Starting a food truck as a cover, and winning awards for his chili, Drayton Sawyer (Jim Sideow) is still leaving the dirty work of collecting fresh meat to Leatherface (Bill Johnson) and Chop-Top (Bill Moseley). When rock DJ, Stretch (Caroline Williams) overhears their latest murder and replays it on the air, Drayton unleashes Leatherface and Chop-Top to silence her. But on their trail is former FBI Agent Lefty Enright (Dennis Hopper), who is blinded by his lust for revenge.

There’s a lot to love about this movie. Particularly, the performances from the cast. It’d be easy, and lazy, to accuse Dennis Hopper of slumming in this movie. But beyond the wide eyed bloodlust, there is real pathos in his performance. He provides plenty of laughs too while shopping for chainsaws. Caroline Williams give Jame Lee Curtis a run for her money with that scream. Jim Sideow is the only actor to reprise his role from the original and is a hoot. And of course, Bill freakin’ Moseley as Chop-Top. In my mind he is the heart and soul of the movie. His introduction is so skin crawlingly creepy yet hilarious. Maybe it evokes more of a nervous laughter. And don’t forget the killer soundtrack with the likes of The Cramps, Concrete Blonde, Roky Erickson, Lords of the New Church and who could forget, Oingo Boingo.

Upon this viewing two lines in the opening narration stuck with me, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has not stopped. It haunts Texas.” Am I the only person who thinks of these movies anytime I hear the word Texas? Or chainsaw? It casts a long shadow and if you were hopping for anything resembling the first film, you will be disappointed. I don’t know if the sequel could have capture the same insanity in the first film. Anyone decrying the humor in part 2 must be woefully ignorant of the gallows humor in the first film. Most sequels that are content with retreading the first film are creatively bankrupt. The horror landscape had changed so much that something different was needed. And in comparison to the Texas Chainsaw movies that came after, this is a masterpiece.

Sawtooth Ale is an ESB from Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, Colorado. This fella is far too drinkable. It starts out with a grassy malt. But as it warms the hops come out. It had been a few years since I’ve had this beer and will be having more soon. Sawtooth is what Left Hand built their reputation on and they’ve been going strong since 1994.