Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Series Episode 3

While Jason and Freddy dominated the late-’80s horror scene, Leatherface waited in the shadows. Then New Line Cinema, the studio nicknamed “The House That Freddy Built,” picked up the franchise and aimed to turn him into their next marquee slasher with Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. This third installment trades regional grit for a more polished studio approach, adding a Hollywood-leaning cast that includes a then-unknown Viggo Mortensen and genre favorite Ken Foree. Even the chainsaw gets a cosmetic upgrade. But does that slicker presentation help Leatherface carve out a place among the era’s horror heavyweights, or does it sand down what made the original so disturbing? Arnie, Brock, and Stuart rev the engine to decide whether this sequel lets Leatherface shine or just sputter.