Comparison between the Unrated Version (Disc 2) and the Extended Easter Egg Version (on Disc 1 with the theatrical version), both included on the German Blu-ray Mediabook by Plaion

• 6 Differences
• Additional material per version: 231 sec (= 3:51 min)

Censorship History of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III

With Leatherface, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series entered its third round in 1990. There is certainly much to criticize about the film, but in terms of censorship, it has always been an interesting case.

The R-Rated version was heavily censored, cutting around 4 minutes. While in European countries like Spain, a significantly longer version was released on VHS, US rights holder New Line at the time engaged in a real battle with the MPAA. The MPAA initially gave Part 3 the infamous X-Rating, which was replaced by an NC-17 rating later the same year. With many more alterations against the wishes of director Jeff Burr, they ultimately achieved the R-Rating.

The US Laserdisc was Unrated and considerably longer than the theatrical version but still censored during the hammer scene. Finally, in the US, the uncensored Unrated version became common on DVD. The UK and other countries followed suit. In 2018, the uncensored Unrated version was also released on Blu-ray in the US.

What was fascinating for fans was the existence of a rough cut (report) that was almost 10 minutes longer. This included many trivial details, but also a few more violent bits and an alternative ending, which was notably darker. Fortunately, some of this additional material was discovered on the DVD/Blu-ray as part of the "We Knows What to Do with Them Parts" featurette, and the alternative ending was also preserved in better quality compared to the rough cut.

German Unrated HD Premiere with a curious Easter Egg

In October 2023, Plaion Pictures finally satisfied German enthusiasts by making the uncensored Unrated version available legally in Germany for the first time ever on Blu-ray in a mediabook format. A few exclusive dialogues in the Unrated material were dubbed into German, and the R-Rated theatrical version was also included in the release. Of course both versions contain English original audio as well. Additionally, the aforementioned bonus material (Deleted Scenes + alternative ending) is, of course, part of the package...

...but with this starting point, they went one step further and, on Disc 2 with the theatrical version, as an Easter Egg hidden in the bonus menu under "Alternative Ending," they included an extended version of the film based on the Unrated version. Only the alternative ending preferred by the director, as stated in the audio commentary, was incorporated. This ending was upscaled to HD quite nicely as well. It originally had no sound and was now "completed" using pieces from the original soundtrack to make it seamless. It's not a true Director's Cut, of course, but it likely comes much closer to it.

One might wonder why this effort was not undertaken for the other "Deleted Scenes" from the rough cut, which are also part of the bonus material. However, these scenes are of considerably lower quality and, frankly, some of the effects here are not particularly done well. It's therefore possible that some of this material was intentionally disregarded even in the previous Unrated releases. A few screenshots of these scenes are also included for your reference. Ultimately, the Plaion release is highly recommended for any fan. It's available in the Plaion online shop.

Runtime information is organized as follows:
Unrated Plaion Blu-ray / Easter Egg Plaion Blu-ray

Runtimes:

Unrated: 85:24 min (80:49 min)
Extended Easter Egg Version: 86:32 min (80:49 min)