Review - Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Is it soup yet?

This is but one of the clever one liners that have been sprinkled throughout Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. All in all an entertaining flick, but as almost every third in a series does, it leaves a little something to be desired.

Michelle (Kate Hodge) and Ryan (William Butler) are on a cross country road trip to deliver her father's turquoise Mercedes Benz. The fun begins when the couple stops at a hole in the wall gas station where they meet up with Tex (Viggo Mortensen) and are shot at and chased off by the station's owner Alfredo (Tom Everett). It's alright, they'll all meet up again soon. In their hurry to get away, the frantic couple takes a turn down a back road Tex pointed out to Ryan that wasn't on the map. Here's a clue folks, if the road's not on the map and you suddenly find yourself fired upon by a freaky gas station owner - stick with the main road!

After meeting up with Leatherface (R.A. Mihailoff) and his trusty chainsaw, Michelle almost drives into Benny (Ken Foree - yes Capt. Spaulding's brother from another mother) - a survivalist who happened to be out in the backwoods all prepared for this kind of situation. And of course, they don't think twice on taking pills the man just happens to have with him - even after having had a chainsaw rammed at their person by a raving lunatic. Turns out it's pain medication which might just make them a little drowsy - perfect!

With the addition of the little girl (Jennifer Banko) who is just freakish with her little bone headed doll which also doubles as a weapon, the family of cannibals in this edition of TCM seem even meaner and crazier than those in TCM I or II. Well, maybe not crazier - but at least just as crazy. They have also taken the time to booby-trap the woods surrounding their sadistically odd family compound.

Like it's predecessors the majority of TCM III deals with trying to get away from the crazy cannibals who seem to have prepared for every escape imaginable. And as the lucky survivors roll away in the end, the highly predictable prompt for yet another sequel rears its ugly head. Mercifully, there has been no IV . . . yet.

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III Movie Cast and Credits

Directed by
Jeff Burr

Writing credits
Kim Henkel (characters) and
Tobe Hooper (characters)


David J. Schow (written by) (as David Schow)


Cast (in credits order)
Jennifer Banko .... Little girl
Ron Brooks .... T.V. Newsman
William Butler .... Ryan
Miriam Byrd-Nethery .... Mama
David Cloud .... Scott
Beth DePatie .... Gina
Tom Everett .... Alfredo
Ken Foree .... Benny
Kate Hodge .... Michelle
Toni Hudson .... Sara
R.A. Mihailoff .... Leatherface
Viggo Mortensen .... Tex
Joe Unger .... Tinker
Duane Whitaker .... Kim
Michael Shamus Wiles .... Checkpoint Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Caroline Williams .... Woman in Cemetery (uncredited)

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III Reviews

Review of Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III from The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Leatherface Review from Upcoming Horror Movies