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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning - Unrated (New Line Platinum Series) (2006)



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Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The

Comparison:

  • R-Rated
  • Unrated
Release: Apr 26, 2008 - Author: Doc Idaho - Translator: AndreasFrank - external link: IMDB

Comparison between the international Theatrical Cut (R-Rated) and the Unrated Edition which were both released on DVD in the USA.

Finding out which version was shown in US-cinemas, how strongly it was cut and what you could see in Great Britain proved to be impossible in the last few months. Partly it was the fault of the publisher itself, on the other hand there were a lot of gossip on the Internet again.

With this censorship-report all questions concerning the international Theatrical release are answered.

Up to this point it was certain that in Great Britain a version running 90:43 minutes was shown, rated 18 without any cuts made. By a comment of producer Brad Fuller you got to know that the original version got a NC-17 rating in the USA and that for the R-Rating 17 scenes had to be trimmed. How you count the 17 scenes is not that important – there are more cuts, but when you take several scenes that lay close together as one scene, 17 is a possible number, as the censorship-report shows.

The American Theatrical Cut caused much confusion however. For a long time 84 minutes for the Theatrical Edition was listed on the IMDb therefore approximately 7 minutes shorter than the British Theatrical Version. Rumor had it on several sites of the Internet that the 17 cuts match the 7 minutes difference and that the Uncut Version is shown in Great Britain. But this conclusion was wrong as the announced 84 minutes of the US Version were never correct. In the USA, the movie ran 91 minutes just as in Great Britain.
Quite annoying: On the US DVD of the Theatrical Cut, the incorrect 84 minutes is still listed as the running time. And also the 89 minutes listed on the cover of the DVD containing the Unrated Edition are still 7 too few.

The Unrated Edition

Like many Unrated Editions in the past, this version was not only extended by restoring previously cut scenes (which is from case to case not even self-evident) but there were also some new dialogue scenes added. Only 30 seconds of 5 minutes are real censorship. Whether the scene in the wrecked car and the push-ups-scene with Dean for example had to be cut for a lower rating is not known, but seems very improbable.

Even if the many violent scenes in the second half of the censorship-report evoke the impression that the Unrated Edition is a lot gorier than the R-rated Version – thatīs not the case. With the exception of two scenes, everything is an extension or a repetition of scenes already shown. Often the cuts are not even a handful of frames long. The new dialogue scenes make the movie a little bit better more understandable, among other things the blond motorbike-driver now gets a real introduction.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" is a very violent movie, in the Unrated Edition as well as in the Theatrical Version – at least for an audience that doesn't watch horror-movies from the low- and lower budget-sector regularly. Apart from the graphic violence, thanks to the excellent direction that follows the style of the first remake and the haunting performance of actors like R. Lee Ermey, the movie manages to create some moments of real terror. Compared to the TCM remake where producer Michael Bay had an eye on the violent scenes not shown explicitly, the filmmakers of TCM: The Beginning once again push the limits of graphic violence in mainstream cinema a bit further.


US Unrated DVD: 96:09 minutes
US R-Rated DVD: 90:42 minutes

The birth of Leatherface

More amniotic fluid drips on the floor .
1 sec.



The girl cries longer, blood flows out of her vagina
1,5 sec.



More blood flowing.
3 sec.



On tour in Texas

As the four are on tour with their jeep, some bikers suddenly appear behind them – who later are seen at the gas station too - drive by closely, threaten them and fondle on them. This causes the girls to panic while the boys defend themselves with their fists.
60 sec.



As Hoyt and the Sheriff drive to the slaughterhouse to arrest Leatherface, some recuts and extensions have been made. They talk longer about Leatherface.
18 Sec.



Dinner

During the first dinner Hoyt justifies that he murdered the Sheriff.
14 sec.



More talking of Hoyt while Leatherface stands ashamed in the background .
7,5 sec.



Hoyt prays before dinner. Luda Mae and Uncle Monty are obviously shocked. Leatherface still stands in the background.
22 sec.



Gas station

The scene with the bikers that will still play a role later in the movie is different and much shorter in the Theatrical Version .
Unrated is13,5 sec. longer
to the left: Unrated, to the right: R-Rated



After the accident

While Bailey and Dean kneel in front of the wrecked jeep, Hoyt takes the documents in the Theatrical Cut. This scene is not in the Unrated Edition as it has a much longer scene in which Hoyt takes the documents, too.
- 3 sec.



Hoyt first touches Baileys breast and then removes a piece of glass from her chest before he notices the documents on the ground.
31 sec.



The drive to the Hewitt house was recut and extended too. There is more talking about the conscientious objection.
21 Sec. on the whole



Bailey, tied to the table, discovers the key for the tow-car on it and tries to free herself. Then she notices Leatherface who is observing her.
33 sec.



The torture of Dean

Hoyt grips Deanīs hair and screams at him longer.
11,5 sec.



Hoyt mocks Dean longer and demands more push-ups.
33 sec.



Dean makes one more push-up before Hoyt hits him on his arm.
1 sec.



The two ladies talk longer at the kitchen-table that Bailey is tied to.
24 sec.



The death of the bikers

Blood is splattered on the mosquito-net above Bailey's bed while the biker is getting sawed in two. Also the beginning of the next shot where the saw is pulled out of the back is a little bit longer at the beginning.
0,5 sec.



The Unrated Edition shows a little bit more at the end of the same shot like above.
2 frames



In return the next shot is a little bit longer at the beginning in the Theatrical Cut.
- 3 frames



Shortly after that, there is one more shot of the bikerīs sawed upper torso.
1,5 sec.



The death of Eric

When the chainsaw enters the stomach for the first time, you see different shots.
Theatrical Cut is 2 frames longer
to the left: Unrated, to the right: R-Rated




Leatherface goes on sawing into the stomach.
1 sec.



More sawing while some bits of flesh fly through the air.
1,5 sec.



In the Theatrical Cut: A short shot of Ericīs shaking hand.
- 0,5 sec.



Leatherface longer cuts Ericīs facial skin of.
3 sec.



When he cuts along the side, the beginning of a shot were you see blood flowing out of the wound is longer.
0,5 sec.



In the next shot Leatherface can be seen a little bit longer.
8 frames



The next shot too is a little bit longer at the beginning.
3 frames



As you see from the side how the face is pulled off, there is some new material at the end of the shot. The next shot from behind is completely new.
1,5 sec.



Therefore a similar shot from the side a little bit later is longer at the beginning in the Theatrical Cut.
- 0,5 sec.



The same shot in the Unrated, but in the end.
0,5 sec.



Shortly after that, Leatherface again can be seen a moment longer.
6 frames



The leg-amputation of Uncle Monty

As the first leg is sawed through, you can see that a little bit longer at the end of the shot in the Unrated Edition.
10 frames



The end of a shot later in which you see the blood flowing out of the stump is also a little bit longer.
0,5 sec.



Shortly before Sheriff Hoyt points at the other leg, he can be seen some frames longer in the Theatrical cut.
- 5 Frames



In exchange, the next shot where he points at the leg is longer in the Unrated Edition.
0,5 sec.



As Leatherface saws into the second leg, the beginning of the shot is a little bit longer.
2 fames



Sheriff Hoyt drops the second leg.
2,5 sec.



The stumps can be seen longer at the end of a shot. Then there is another new shot from the side where you see the blood flowing out of the stumps more explicitly. 2 sec.



Short time after that the stumps can be seen again.
2 sec.



The death of Bailey

Cut-throat: the end of the shot and the beginning of the next are longer.
1 sec.



As you again see blood flowing out of the gorge-wound, the Unrated Edition is again a little bit longer at the beginning.
0,5 sec.



As Chrissie stabs Leatherface into the back, you see that in one shot. In the Unrated Edition the shot changes after the penetration by the knife and you can see blood gushing out of the wound.
7 frames



In exchange, the next shot where Leatherface throws Chrissie away is longer at the beginning in the Theatrical cut.
- 7 frames



The death of Dean

Longer shot of Leatherface ramming the chainsaw into the Dean's back.
11 frames



The saw in the stomach of the up-lifted Dean can be seen longer (and more explicitly) in the Theatrical Cut.
- 3 Frames



In exchange, the Unrated Edition has a completely new shot from above directly after that. A lot of blood is splattering while the saw keeps rotating in Deanīs stomach.
1 sec.



The death of Chrissie

After Leatherface hast driven the chainsaw through the seat, the Theatrical Cut first shows the torn stomach and then the shocked face of Chrissie. In the Unrated Edition you first see the face and then the stomach.
no time difference

Just after that the shaky shot of Leatherface and Chrissie is different in two shots in the Unrated Edition.
Theatrical Cut is 7 frames longer

You can see the saw in the seat a bit longer.
6 frames



A completely new shot of the saw in Chrissie's stomach.
1,5 sec.



Shortly before the car rushes into the police, the dead Chrissie can be seen longer.
1 sec.



Leatherface pulls the saw out of the seat.
1 sec.