The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (40th Anniversary Limited Edition) (Blu-ray), Dark Sky Films, Horror

The review you are about to read is about "a film which is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." When Tobe Hooper's second film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released in 1974 it set a new standard for horror films to come. This groundbreaking and influential classic has been often imitated but rarely surpassed. Hollywood take note, so many big budget and over-hyped horror films have failed, commercially, critically and/or artistically, where this low budget independent film has succeeded. I am reviewing the 40th Anniversary Black Maria edition of TTCSM. This set features limited edition cardboard packaging built as a replica of the famous Black Maria cattle truck from the end of the film. Exclusive to this set is a blood-spattered apron, an official theatrical mini poster, and a bonus 5th dvd. The 2 blu-rays and 2 dvds in this set are the same as the ones in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo but in a case exclusive to this set. VIDEO: TTCSM is presented 1:78 widescreen. And the new 4K master looks great. Keep in mind the film was shot on a low budget with cheap 16mm stock so this is never going to look like Avatar. The transfer, however, is the best this film has looked to date. It easily surpasses Dark Sky's 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD and Bluray. AUDIO: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0, and English LPCM Mono. SUBTITLES: English SDH and Spanish EXTRAS: There is a generous heaping of extras in this set but unfortunately not much new stuff. * There are four feature commentaries. Two are new to this set the other two ported over from the previous edition. I found the commentaries to be interesting and informative. -Commentary One: writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen, and cinematographer Daniel Pearl -Commentary Two: actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain, and production designer Robert Burns -Commentary Three (new): writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper -Commentary Four (new): cinematographer Daniel Pearl, editor J Larry Carroll, and sound man Ted Nicolaou. * The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth featurette * Flesh Wounds Seven Stories of the Saw * A Tour of the TCSM House with Gunnar Hansen * Off the Hook with Teri McMinn * Deleted Scenes and Outtakes (there are 15 minutes of new deleted scenes) * A Still Gallery * Trailers, TV and Radio Spots Production Manager Roz Bozman interview (480p) As far as new extras go... * An interview with actor John Dugan * An interview with editor J Larry Carroll * A 20 minute segment of Horror's Hallowed Grounds hosted by Sean Clark. It offers a whirlwind tour of some of the film's most memorable landmarks. So... What is on the 5th disc exclusive to the Black Maria set? It is a hour long dvd depicting an interesting conversation between Exorcist director William Friedkin and director Tobe Hooper before a Los Angeles screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. If you do not own a copy of TTCSM, I highly recommend The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition blu-ray/dvd combo over this set. It is ESSENTIAL and can be picked up for $20. The packaging on the Black Maria set is cool and the bonus dvd is interesting but overall I don't think it is worth the list price of $100. This is worth picking up though once the price starts to drop.

Did not come with the apron, has a spot for it inside the box was empty don't waste your money