Alam Nyo Ba?

Production is underway on Dexter: Resurrection season 2, and executive producer Scott Reynolds has taken to social media to announce a new addition to the cast: legendary actor/stuntman Kane Hodder, who is best known for playing hockey-masked slasher Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X, and Friday the 13th: The Game! Details on the character Hodder will be playing haven’t been revealed, but Reynolds did share a picture of the actor on set, wearing gloves and looking intimidating.

13 days in. We couldn’t fight it. We cast KANE HODDER and let fate do the rest. #DexterResurrrection #kaneHodderTakesManhattan @kanehodder1 pic.twitter.com/aiJjr1eq2A

— Scott Reynolds (@jscottamy) April 29, 2026

What we know about Dexter: Resurrection Season 2:

• New cast: Dan Stevens, Brian Cox, Bokeem Woodbine, Nona Parker Johnson, Kane Hodder
• Returning: Michael C. Hall, Jack Alcott, James Remar, Uma Thurman, Desmond Harrington
• Filming: Began April 2026
• Expected release: Late 2026
• Setting: Continues post–New York storyline

What is Dexter?

For eight seasons and 96 episodes, from 2006 to 2013, the series Dexter ran on Showtime, telling the story of Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who is also a vigilante serial killer. Clyde Phillips was showrunner on Dexter for the first four seasons, and in 2021 he and Showtime brought us the revival series Dexter: New Blood… which, for a time, also seemed to be the end of it all. But that’s not the case.

Showtime has tasked Phillips with continue to build up the Dexter franchise, first with a season of the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin and then with the New Blood follow-up called Dexter: Resurrection, which premiered last July. (You can read our review HERE.) Now, Dexter: Resurrection season 2 is moving forward.

Phillips had also been expecting to put together another season of Dexter: Original Sin, but Showtime decided to reverse their decision to renew the show and cancelled it.

During an appearance on The Dark Passengers: A Dexter Podcast four months ago, Phillips said that the Dexter: Resurrection season 2 writers’ room opened on October 6th and that it would take around five months to write all of the scripts. Filming will then begin on Monday, April 13, 2026. Like the first season, the new season will be set and shot in New York City.

A Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios production, Dexter: Resurrection is being executive produced by Clyde Phillips, Michael C. Hall, Scott Reynolds, Tony Hernandez, and Lilly Burns. Marcos Siega is the producing director. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. 

Who is in the Dexter: Resurrection season 2 cast?

Michael C. Hall, who played Dexter Morgan in the original series and Dexter: New Blood, and also provided the in-character narration for Dexter: Original Sin, is back in the lead for Dexter: Resurrection. Hall is joined in the cast by fellow series regulars Jack Alcott and James Remar, with Alcott reprising his Dexter: New Blood role of Dexter’s son Harrison, and Remar returning as Dexter’s adoptive father Harry Morgan. We’ll probably be seeing the return of some of the new supporting characters that were introduced in the first season as well.

Uma Thurman’s character is Charlotte “Charley” Brown, a former Special Ops operator who worked as Head of Security for serial killer enthusiast billionaire Leon Prater. Charley left New York City with her mother at the end of the first season, going home to Amherst, Pennsylvania… but it looks like she’s still going to be part of Dexter’s life in some way.

We recently learned that Brian Cox (Manhunter) has joined the cast of Dexter: Resurrection season 2 as the New York Ripper, “a serial killer who terrorized the City years ago. Though no longer active as a killer, he’s found a new way to live into his infamy by continuing to taunt the survivors of his long-ago murder spree.“

It was also announced that Dan Stevens (The Guest) will be playing Owen Stark, “the Five Borough Killer, and the second big bad of Season 2. Owen is a serial killer who, much like Zodiac, taunts the police with phone calls threatening the murder of innocent citizens. When he follows through with the awful deeds…the City and the Police are terrorized.“

Bookem Woodbine (Fargo) and Nona Parker Johnson (Mayor of Kingstown) are also in the mix. Johnson will be playing Fiona Mixon, “a training officer in the Homicide unit, a nepo-baby in the police world, and Harrison’s (Jack Alcott) new love interest.” Woodbine takes on the role of Captain Mixon, “a bulldog of a homicide captain and Fiona’s father.” These are both series regular roles.

Desmond Harrington, who played Joey Quinn on the original series and for two episodes of Resurrection season 1, has been promoted to series regular for season 2.

Are you a Dexter fan, and are you looking forward to Dexter: Resurrection season 2? Let us know what you think of Kane Hodder joining the show by leaving a comment below.

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While Mortal Kombat is a global phenomenon in gaming, its movie presence almost died a gruesome death after just its second entry. Now, in 2026, we’ve got a new Street Fighter adaptation on the way and a long-awaited (and slightly delayed) Mortal Kombat II. But that sequel only exists because the 2021 reboot somehow survived: development hell, a global pandemic, and natural disaster-level production challenges.

So what went wrong and what went right? What character in the series might actually be cursed? Which actor did his homework by playing the games? And how did a Jackie Chan stunt team member help shape the action?

Let’s dig in and find out what happened to Mortal Kombat (2021).

The Origins: From Arcade Sensation to Cultural Controversy

Mortal Kombat was born during the arcade boom, when Street Fighter II was dominating. Midway Games tasked Ed Boon and John Tobias with creating a fighting game fast. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was speed. What they got instead was lightning in a bottle:

• Brutal combat
• Over-the-top fatalities
• Massive controversy

The game didn’t just dominate arcades, it sparked backlash from parents and even drew attention from Congress. Then came Mortal Monday, launching the game into home consoles and cementing its place in pop culture.

The First Films: A Strong Start… and a Brutal Finish

Following the trend of video game adaptations like Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat hit theaters in 1995… and actually worked. It outperformed expectations in:

• Budget efficiency
• Fan reception
• Overall entertainment value

A trilogy was planned. Then came Mortal Kombat Annihilation. And everything fell apart.

• Key cast members left
• Writers and director were replaced
• Fan-favorite Johnny Cage was killed off early

Worse? The film rfelt unfinished. The result:

• Box office failure
• Critical backlash
• Franchise shutdown

The third film: canceled.

Development Hell: Decades of False Starts

Hollywood didn’t give up, but it struggled.

Early 2000s Attempt

A reboot/sequel hybrid featuring original cast members nearly happened. Sets were even built. Then Hurricane Katrina destroyed them. Project canceled.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy

Director Kevin Tancharoen revived interest with the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. It showed promise. Fans were interested. But after 19 episodes… nothing. Back to limbo.

The Reboot Begins: Enter James Wan

In 2015, things finally started moving again when James Wan signed on as producer. A year later, director Simon McQuoid joined, making his feature debut. He almost passed on the project… until he read Greg Russo’s script. That changed everything. By 2019:

• Script finalized
• Pre-production began
• Filming set for Australia
• R-rating confirmed (finally!)

Yes, fatalities were coming back.

Casting: Big Names, Close Calls, and Perfect Fits

Early rumors included:

• Vin Diesel
• Liam Neeson
• Jason Momoa
• Megan Fox
• Ronda Rousey
• Tony Jaa

None of them stuck.

Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero

Joe Taslim was the first official casting, and a perfect one. He was:

• A lifelong fan of the games
• Initially hesitant
• Encouraged by his son

Fun fact: He moved so fast during fight scenes that the director had to ask him to slow down for the camera.

The Rest of the Cast

Key roles included:

• Mehcad Brooks as Jax
• Tadanobu Asano as Raiden
• Sisi Stringer as Mileena
• Ludi Lin as Liu Kang
• Josh Lawson as Kano
• Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion
• Jessica McNamee as Sonya
• Chin Han as Shang Tsung

The “Kano Curse”?

Two previous Kano actors passed away:

• Trevor Goddard
• Darren Shahlavi

Which… yeah, makes you a little nervous for Josh Lawson.

The Jackie Chan Connection

Max Huang, a member of Jackie Chan Stunt Team, played Kung Lao. He also helped choreograph fights across the entire film.

Actor Preparation: Who Did the Homework?

Some actors were longtime fans. Others, not so much.

Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion)

Sanada had no prior experience with the games, so he played them himself. He lost. A lot. But it helped him understand the character.

Ludi Lin (Liu Kang)

A lifelong fan, Lin even brought a Mortal Kombat game on his Nintendo Switch to set. That’s commitment.

Filming: Heat, Quarries, and an NC-17 Problem

Filming began in Adelaide, Australia, with a $55 million budget. To create Outworld, the team used Black Hill Quarry, an abandoned coal mine. Not exactly glamorous, but visually effective.

The NC-17 Cut

The first version of the film got hit with an NC-17 rating. That’s basically unreleaseable. So:

• Blood was trimmed
• Violence adjusted
• An R rating was secured

Ironically, the 1995 film had the opposite problem, being toned down to PG-13.

The Missing Johnny Cage

Johnny Cage was originally planned for the ending, but the scene was never filmed due to COVID-19. The plan became:

• Save him for the sequel
• Avoid overshadowing other characters

Smart move… depending on who you ask.

On-Set Drama: Trouble Behind the Scenes

Actor Mehcad Brooks reportedly caused tension on set. Stories include:

• Delaying shoots for multiple takes
• Causing overtime issues
• Friction with cast and crew

There were even rumors of recasting. But in the end, he stayed. And returned for the sequel.

Release: A Pandemic-Era Success

Mortal Kombat (2021) released on April 23, 2021:

• Box office: $84 million
• Budget: $55 million
• Simultaneous HBO Max release

Context matters:

• Theaters were still recovering from COVID
• Streaming numbers were massive
• It became one of the most pirated films of the year

Reception: Fans vs Critics

Fans:

• Loved the action
• Loved the fatalities
• Hated Cole Young

Critics:

• Mixed to negative

But the numbers? Good enough for a sequel.

Final Thoughts: A Comeback Worth the Wait

It took over 20 years to get a proper third Mortal Kombat movie. But against all odds, the 2021 reboot:

• Revived the franchise
• Delivered on fan expectations (mostly)
• Set up the future

Now, Mortal Kombat II aims to finish the fight.

Outro

The road to Mortal Kombat (2021) was long, messy, and nearly fatal. But in the end, it stuck the landing just enough to earn another round. And now, you know what happened.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

The post What Happened to Mortal Kombat (2021)? appeared first on JoBlo.

Mike

The nineties may have been the best time to live life on planet Earth, especially if you’re into thrillers. Erotic thrillers. Detective thrillers. And particularly serial killer thrillers that dipped their toe into the horror genre. The film we’re talking about today, Copycat, was released just one year before Scream would perfect the mix of serial killer mystery and slasher horror. In this breakdown, we’ll explore why it shares so many elements with the film that changed horror forever… and how making it was, at times, a horror movie in itself.

Test screenings went horribly wrong. Editors were fired. And the ending had to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch. This is what happened to one of the most underrated serial killer thrillers of the 1990s: Copycat.

Development: From Rejection to Reinvention

Copycat was only the second project written by Ann Biderman (later known for Ray Donovan) alongside David Madsen. The script initially went to director Jon Amiel, who rejected it immediately. He felt it was too violent and exploitative, particularly in its depiction of violence against women. When the studio offered him creative control, he reconsidered.

Working with collaborator Jay Presson Allen (uncredited), Amiel made several major changes:

• Detective Monahan was rewritten from male to female
• The relationship dynamic with Dr. Helen Hudson was removed
• The story shifted toward two strong female leads

This fundamentally changed the tone, flipping the perspective on violence. Amiel also chose to set the film in San Francisco, using locations like Pacific Heights and Twin Peaks to contrast beauty with brutality.

Sigourney Weaver and the Psychology of Fear

For the lead role of Dr. Helen Hudson, the production landed Sigourney Weaver, best known as Ellen Ripley in Alien. Hudson is a brilliant criminal psychologist suffering from severe agoraphobia after a brutal attack. She communicates with the outside world through early internet technology until a new serial killer case pulls her back in.

Weaver has said the role was emotionally exhausting. The psychological toll left her feeling deeply unsettled, and she trained nightly with a karate instructor just to break out of the victim mindset. She also conducted extensive research, including time spent with real-life criminal psychologists like Park Dietz. Despite the grim subject matter, especially following her work in Death and the Maiden, she found the experience intellectually energizing.

Director Jon Amiel specifically wanted Weaver for her credibility. He criticized films that cast superficial “sex symbol” types in serious roles and praised Weaver for embracing a vulnerable, complex character.

The Opening Scene: A Hint of Scream

The film’s opening bathroom sequence is unforgettable, and was brutal to film. Weaver had to simulate hanging from a metal cable for days during production. Amiel even stated he wanted to do for women’s restrooms what Alfred Hitchcock did for showers in Psycho.

The result: a chilling opener that feels eerily similar to Scream.

From Christopher Young’s score to the film’s dark humor, Copycat carries a proto-Scream energy, making it an ideal companion piece.

Casting a Killer: Harry Connick Jr.

One of the film’s biggest surprises was casting Harry Connick Jr. as killer Daryll Lee Cullum. At the time, Connick Jr. was struggling to land acting roles and nearly stepped away from the industry. During a dinner meeting, he experimented with darker, more unsettling versions of his New Orleans accent, assuming he had bombed the audition. A week later, he got the role.

Even he didn’t fully understand why he was chosen, but the performance works. Between the unsettling mannerisms and disturbing intensity, he delivers genuinely skin-crawling moments.

On-Set Tension and Method Distance

Connick Jr. later recalled that Sigourney Weaver kept her distance from him throughout filming, often leaving rooms when he entered. Their first real conversation didn’t happen until the premiere.

Still, Weaver appreciated his lighter moments between takes, like singing Sinatra during breaks. Though, let’s be honest, that probably got old fast for at least one crew member.

Holly Hunter and the Strength of Monahan

Holly Hunter plays Detective MJ Monahan, a role originally written for a man. Fresh off The Firm, Hunter brings depth, grit, and emotional complexity. Her performance echoes Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.

Her dynamic with partner Ruben (Dermot Mulroney) adds warmth, making his eventual fate all the more frustrating.

Supporting Cast Highlights

• Will Patton elevates a small role into something memorable, adding emotional weight as Monahan’s ex-boyfriend
• William McNamara delivers a compelling second-act killer with a chilling, almost American Psycho-like presence

However, introducing a second killer created narrative issues, something audiences picked up on during test screenings.

Test Screenings Disaster and Editorial Chaos

This is where things really started to unravel. Editor Jim Clark (who replaced Alan Heim after poor test screenings) later revealed that the film’s problems stemmed from its ending, not the editing.

Original Ending Issues:

• Monahan is shot and left hanging but survives with a bulletproof vest
• No explanation for how she escapes
• Dr. Hudson suddenly overcomes her agoraphobia with no buildup

Audience reaction: overwhelmingly negative. Another version had a SWAT team kill the villain, removing agency from both leads.

The Fix: Reshoots and a New Ending

After disastrous screenings, Warner Bros. halted post-production and invested in major reshoots. They brought in Frank Darabont to rewrite parts of the script and reconstructed sets to reshoot the ending.

According to Clark:

• 6 of the film’s 12 reels were significantly altered
• The story was heavily restructured

Production Challenges: Sound Problems

As if that wasn’t enough, the film faced serious technical issues. Much of it was shot in a converted U.S. Coast Guard hangar with terrible acoustics, described as “a toilet inside a church inside an echo chamber.” To fix it, the crew built massive sound-dampening rigs and blacked out large sections of the space.

They also lost their original sound team to Mission: Impossible, forcing them to adapt mid-production.

Release and Reception

Copycat finally hit theaters on October 27, 1995.

• Budget: $20–27 million
• Box office: ~$79 million worldwide

It was a solid success for Warner Bros. Critics and audiences praised:

• Performances
• Tension
• Atmosphere

It also performed well on home video, ranking #2 in national rentals in April 1996.

The Sequel That Never Happened

The film teases a sequel, with Cullum continuing his influence from prison. It sets up a scenario where Dr. Hudson could face endless copycat killers, a concept that feels very Scream-like. And yet… no sequel was ever made. Probably for the best.

Legacy: A Cult Favorite

Today, Copycat lives on as a cult favorite. It’s the kind of movie that sparks instant appreciation among fans who know it, an under-the-radar gem that still holds up. With:

• A brutal, unforgettable opening
• Strong performances
• A unique psychological angle

It’s absolutely worth revisiting, especially for fans of Scream.

The film’s use of agoraphobia and early internet culture gives it a distinct horror edge that still feels effective today. And that… is what happened to Copycat.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

The post Copycat (1995): What Happened to This Underrated Serial Killer Thriller? appeared first on JoBlo.

While secret screenings are nothing new, we rarely hear about one as coveted as the one on this past Thursday night, when Gremlins director Joe Dante presented a 2.5-hour assembly cut of his 1984 horror-comedy classic. One of the coolest aspects of this event is that the crowd, made up of a who’s who of horror filmmakers, had no idea what they were in for. The invite arrived by text, with the message urging them “to watch a movie no one has seen before.” Adding, “you’ll never forgive yourself” if you miss out on this unicorn opportunity.

Who got to see the assembly cut of Gremlins?

“It’s an archival screening, in a way,” Dante said about his assembly cut of Gremlins. It’s a version of the film with additional scenes and concepts rendered in greasy pencil drawings; the audience fills in the action with their imagination. The Hollywood Reporter, who exclusively wrote about the screening, provided a list of attendees, which included: Final Destination: Bloodlines filmmakers (and Gremlins 3 writers) Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky, Drew Hancock (Companion), Rob Savage (The Boogeyman), Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (Novocaine), Brian Duffield (Whalefall), Akela Cooper (M3GAN), Guy Busick (Ready or Not), Atomic Monster producer Michael Clear, Adam Robitel (Escape Room) and 20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell, among others.

What’s in the assembly cut?

According to THR, the assembly cut runs about 2 hours, 35 minutes, roughly an hour more than the original. The assembly cut includes unseen character arcs and alternate takes on the original concept. The first Gremlin doesn’t appear until an hour into the movie, and Phoebe Cates’s disturbing speech about why she hates Christmas is no longer a part of the experience.

As I said, it’s rare to see a movie presented in this manner, but Dante wanted to treat his fellow filmmakers to something special and bring a long-rumored version of his classic film to light. The screening reminds me of something you’d see at a midnight festival screening, or during a studio visit, where question marks represent the last two hours of the event. I once saw an alternate version of Ultraman: Rising at Skywalker Ranch‘s Stag Theater, hosted by Lucasfilm. The Stag is outfitted with THX-certified M&K Sound, delivering volume and clarity that would make any audiophile weep with joy. It was one of the most intense theater-going experiences I’ve ever witnessed.

Would you like to see Joe Dante’s assembly cut of Gremlins? Are there any other rumored versions of movies you’d love to see? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post A long-rumored 2.5-hour assembly cut of Gremlins recently screened for a who’s who of horror filmmakers appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is one of horror’s most enduring series, centered on a cannibalistic family and an iconic, chainsaw-wielding killer known as Leatherface. Spanning multiple timelines, reboots, and tonal shifts from gritty realism to dark comedy, it remains a defining force in slasher history – and it’s still going on, with both a TV series and a new feature film in the works. While we wait for the new entries, we’re looking back at how we get here with this list of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movies Ranked.

This ranking breaks down all Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies from worst to best, comparing each entry by story, tone, and impact on the franchise.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movies Ranked (Worst to Best):

• 9. Leatherface (2017) – A misfire origin story
• 8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) – Bizarre but watchable
• 7. Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) – Flawed but entertaining
• 6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) – Fast, brutal, fun
• 5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) – Stylish remake
• 4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) – Stronger prequel
• 3. Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) – Solid slasher entry
• 2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) – Wild, divisive classic
• 1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – Untouchable masterpiece

9. LEATHERFACE (2017)

Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury
Timeline: Prequel to the original
Verdict: Misguided origin story that fails to connect to franchise canon
Best For: Completionists curious about alternate Leatherface backstories

Why It Ranks Here: Set primarily in 1965, this prequel to the original film wants viewers to guess which of the troubled youngsters that escape from the Gorman House Youth Reformatory and embark on a “violent road trip from Hell” (while being pursued by a vengeful lawman) is going to turn out to be Leatherface, but it’s very difficult to accept what directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury and writer Seth M. Sherwood show us here as canon. Nothing feels like a proper lead-in to the Tobe Hooper classic. The characters are off, the story is questionable, and the fact that the production had Bulgaria standing in for Texas is quite apparent.

Wrong-headed from the ground up, Leatherface has hardly any merit to it at all. It’s painful and embarrassing at its worst and generic at its best, coming off like a cringe-inducing blend of Natural Born Killers and The Devil’s Rejects, with some nods to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. It’s a shame this turned out to be so bad, because a Chainsaw movie from the directing duo that brought us Inside could have been something special. This idea was just never going to work, no matter who was at the helm.

Highlights:

• Attempts a mystery structure
• Nightmarish road trip
• Moments of brutal intensity

Weaknesses:

• Poor canon alignment
• Generic tone
• Misjudged characterization

8. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION (1994)

Director: Kim Henkel
Timeline: Alternate sequel to the original
Verdict: A bizarre, messy sequel elevated by one unforgettable performance
Best For: Fans of weird, off-the-rails horror and cult oddities

Why It Ranks Here: The franchise went back to its roots for this one. An independent production shot in Texas on a budget of $600,000, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation stirred up high expectations with the fact that it was written and directed by Kim Henkel, who co-wrote the original film with Tobe Hooper. But no one could have predicted that Henkel would pack his movie with goofy characters, off-the-wall ideas, and baffling decisions… like the implication that Leatherface and his family are working for the all-powerful Illuminati organization while under 24-hour surveillance by the FBI.

The set-up is simple: a group of teens go down the wrong country road on prom night. The execution is mind-boggling. The film’s greatest asset, and the main reason to revisit it from time to time, is the performance delivered by Matthew McConaughey in the role of Vilmer, one of Leatherface’s relatives this time around. He has some funny moments, but when he turns up the intensity he becomes the one scary person in a really silly movie. I can’t tell anyone that Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a good movie, but I also can’t say that I don’t enjoy watching the movie when I put it on.

Highlights:

• Wild, unpredictable tone
• Early performance from Matthew McConaughey
• DIY indie energy

Weaknesses:

• Nonsensical plot elements
• Tonal inconsistency
• Over-the-top weirdness

7. TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D (2013)

Director: John Luessenhop
Timeline: Direct sequel to the 1974 original
Verdict: A flawed legacy sequel with entertaining ideas that never fully land
Best For: Viewers who enjoy modern slasher pacing and legacy connections

Why It Ranks Here: After temporarily drifting off into remake territory, the franchise circled back to the original timeline for this “40 years later” sequel to the first film… although it ignores the fact that 40 years have passed, pretending that only 20-something years have gone by when a young Leatherface relative discovers her twisted family history. Some of the issues are due to there being a lot of cooks in the kitchen (there are four credited writers, and one of them – Jason Goes to Hell director Adam Marcus – has said the continuity problems were written in after his time on the project), and director John Luessenhop’s style is a bit too glossy for my liking.

The film gets started moments after the ending of the ’74 film, with an impressive recreation of the original house, goes through the “dead young people” motions for a while, then gets more interesting around the point when Leatherface swings through a Halloween-themed carnival (even if the filmmakers didn’t push that idea as far as it should have). There are elements in here that, if executed a bit differently, could’ve made for a much better film. As it is, there are questionable decisions and some bad dialogue, but Texas Chainsaw 3D manages to be an entertaining slasher nonetheless.

Highlights:

• Opening continuation of the original film
• Carnival set piece concept
• Attempts to expand family mythology

Weaknesses:

• Major continuity issues
• Weak dialogue
• Underdeveloped ideas

6. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)

Director: David Blue Garcia
Timeline: Legacy sequel to the original
Verdict: A fast, brutal, no-frills slasher focused on delivering carnage
Best For: Fans of high body counts and relentless, modern horror action

Why It Ranks Here: After contributing to the Evil Dead franchise but before he went to space for Alien: Romulus, Fede Álvarez got his hands on Chainsaw, crafting the story for and producing this Netflix release, which was directed by David Blue Garcia. It’s a short movie (the end credits start rolling after just 73 minutes), and most of its running time is packed with suspenseful sequences designed to put viewers on the edge of their seats. The ranking may be low, but I actually think this movie catches a lot more grief than it deserves. It’s a fun roller coaster ride with plenty of thrills and bursts of violence.

The set-up: a bunch of hipsters descend on a Texas ghost town and disrupt Leatherface’s peace. The characters are a shrug and there are some dumb moments, but this movie isn’t trying to do anything more than give people a bloody good time. The kills start early and come frequently from then on, and this Texas Chainsaw Massacre is so eager to please that it even becomes the first entry in the franchise to give a legitimate on screen chainsaw massacre. Leatherface racks up a higher on screen body count than ever before, and it’s a delight to behold. And sure, legacy character Sally Hardesty is done dirty, but it’s not the same actress (Olwen Fouéré takes over for Marilyn Burns, who passed away in 2014), so what does it matter anyway?

Highlights:

• High body count
• Fast pacing (under 75 minutes)
• Memorable chainsaw set pieces

Weaknesses:

• Shallow characters
• Questionable legacy handling
• Minimal story depth

5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003)

Director: Marcus Nispel
Timeline: Remake
Verdict: A slick, stylized remake that improves when viewed on its own terms
Best For: Fans of early-2000s horror remakes and gritty aesthetics

Why It Ranks Here: I did not like this remake at all when it was first released, largely because I was appalled that Michael Bay, of all people, would have the audacity to produce a remake of one of the greatest horror movies of all time. I didn’t like how cliché the victim characters were, the over-stylized look of the film, or how it twisted around the story of Leatherface, turning him into a guy named Thomas Brown Hewitt who has a skin condition – which the filmmakers showed off by having him without his mask in one scene. But now that the franchise has gone back to the original film and the remake has been set aside in a pocket universe, I can accept it on its own merits as a dark, decent slasher flick.

Director Marcus Nispel brought some cool moments to the screen, Leatherface capably handles his victims, having the climactic chase go through a slaughterhouse was a genius idea, and R. Lee Ermey steals the show as Hoyt, a member of the homicidal Hewitt family who presents himself as a lawman and puts some hapless road-tripping youths through hell.

Highlights:

• Strong visual direction
• Intense chase sequences
• R. Lee Ermey’s standout performance

Weaknesses:

• Cliché characters
• Over-stylization
• Unnecessary backstory changes

4. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (2006)

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Timeline: Prequel to the remake
Verdict: A more focused and brutal companion piece that outperforms its predecessor
Best For: Viewers who want a dark, intense remake-era story

Why It Ranks Here: I may enjoy the remake more now than I did twenty years ago, but it’s still full of what I perceive to be missteps and choices I disagree with. I have less issues with its prequel, which I find to be much more interesting and entertaining than its predecessor. I like its pace, style, and characters better, and it’s more of a proper Texas Chainsaw Massacre film than the 2003 movie was. It even has cannibalism, an element the remake seemed to overlook. There’s a dinner scene where the final girl is captured and forced to sit at the table with the Hewitt, making this come off, at times, as a better remake than the remake was.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the film is set four years before the events of its predecessor, and the prequel element does drag it down a bit, as the filmmakers felt the need to explain an absurd number of things. (How did that character lose his legs? How did that one lose his teeth?) Thankfully, they didn’t reveal too much about Leatherface, and I prefer the way the character is presented in this film than in the remake. Ermey’s Hoyt still steals the show, though, as he torments another group of road-tripping youths.

Highlights:

• Stronger tone and pacing than the remake
• Memorable dinner scene
• Effective use of brutality

Weaknesses:

• Over-explains details
• Prequel limitations
• Less mystery

3. LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III (1990)

Director: Jeff Burr
Timeline: Early sequel (loose continuity)
Verdict: A straightforward but effective slasher with strong franchise identity
Best For: Fans of classic, no-nonsense slasher formulas

Why It Ranks Here: Leatherface was a messy production that struggled to get an R rating from the MPAA and had such intense creative issues behind the scenes, director Jeff Burr wanted his name taken off of the finished film. It’s a troubled film that could have been much better… but it also could have been a lot worse, and as far as slashers go, it is pretty awesome. With the Elm Street franchise dying down, this was New Line Cinema’s attempt to turn Chainsaw into their next big horror franchise – and while it didn’t work out at the box office, it was a valiant attempt. They even upgraded Leatherface’s signature weapon, giving him the “Excalibur saw,” a shiny monstrosity covered with gold and chrome, with an inscription down the bar: “The Saw Is Family.”

This one isn’t nearly on the same level as the classic original, it doesn’t have the brilliant insanity of part 2, but it is entertaining in its own right. It is very much a typical, straightforward slasher take on the concept, but that’s fine for the third entry in a franchise. It’s fun, has a great presentation of Leatherface himself, and built a great supporting cast around him, including the likes of Viggo Mortensen and Ken Foree.

Highlights:

• Classic slasher structure
• Iconic “Excalibur” chainsaw
• Strong supporting cast

Weaknesses:

• Studio interference
• MPAA cuts
• Not as distinctive as earlier entries

2. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986)

Director: Tobe Hooper
Timeline: Original timeline sequel
Verdict: A wild, divisive sequel that leans fully into chaos and dark humor
Best For: Fans of horror-comedy and over-the-top sequels

Why It Ranks Here: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 can be a divisive entry in the franchise, as some fans of the original don’t appreciate the heightened sense of humor director Tobe Hooper brought to this sequel, but I’m firmly in the camp that believes this is one of the greatest sequels ever made. Sure, it’s completely insane, but I get a lot of joy from this film’s insanity. I love everything about it – including the fact that it’s one of the only entries in the franchise that doesn’t center on a group of people who go on a road trip. A couple of road trippers are murdered at the beginning, which opens the door for a story about a radio DJ who overhears the murders and joins forces with a vengeful lawman to bring Leatherface and his family to justice.

The script for this one was full of clever ideas and endlessly quotable dialogue which is frequently hilarious. The soundtrack is awesome. The gore effects are great, which comes as no surprise since they were done by Tom Savini. There’s a fun “Leatherface falls in love” element, Jim Siedow reprises the role of the Cook from the original film, and Bill Moseley delivers an iconic performance as Chop Top.

Highlights:

• Bold tonal shift
• Memorable characters like Chop Top
• Strong practical effects by Tom Savini

Weaknesses:

• Tonally divisive
• Less grounded horror
• Not for purists

1. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)

Director: Tobe Hooper
Timeline: Original film
Verdict: A raw, groundbreaking masterpiece that still defines horror
Best For: Anyone seeking the most intense and influential slasher ever made

Why It Ranks Here: Some of the movies may have landed in surprising spots on this list, but there’s no surprise here. Nothing that has followed has been able to achieve the sweat-drenched, soul-shaking brilliance of the original. A grueling, low-budget, independent production, carried out in the intense heat of a Texas summer, resulted in one of the greatest horror films ever made. The set-up is simple: for five young people, a summer afternoon drive becomes a descent into a backwoods nightmare. Drawing inspiration from some real-life crime cases (most notably the story of Ed Gein), Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel created a family of original, off-kilter, homicidal characters for those youths to cross paths with, and those maniacs were perfectly brought to life by Gunnar Hansen, Jim Siedow, Edwin Neal, and John Dugan.

The execution of the story is equally terrifying and fascinating. This is a masterfully crafted film, beautifully shot (even when the images are hideous) and wonderfully cut together, with flawless performances and a look and tone that feels very real. And, every now and then, there’s a bit of dark humor to lighten the mood. Movies don’t get much better than The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Highlights:

• Unmatched atmosphere and realism
• Iconic characters and performances
• Masterful direction and editing

Weaknesses:

• Minimal. Its roughness is part of its power

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Timeline Breakdown

Because the franchise has multiple retcons, several timelines branch off from the 1974 original.

Original Timeline:

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
• Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) – loose continuity

Remake Timeline:

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Reboot Timeline:

• Leatherface (2017)
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

Kim Henkel Branch:

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

Netflix Legacy Sequel Branch:

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Final Verdict

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is wildly inconsistent, but at its best, it delivers some of the most intense horror ever put on screen. While many sequels experiment (and sometimes fail), the 1974 original remains the gold standard that no entry has truly surpassed.

How would you rank the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movies Ranked appeared first on JoBlo.

Deadline reports that Nicolas Winding Refn‘s first feature directorial effort in ten years, a serial killer thriller called Her Private Hell, has secured a summer release date, with NEON planning to give the film a “moderate release in 800 to 1,200 theaters” on July 24th. The film has stayed shrouded in secrecy up to this point, but we’ll be hearing a lot more about it very soon, as it’s scheduled to make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month in the out-of-competition section.

Who’s in Her Private Hell?

Last year, we heard that Sophie Thatcher (Companion), Kristine Froseth (Sierra Burgess Is a Loser), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), Charles Melton (Warfare), Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II), Diego Calva (Babylon), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car) star in the film. Details on the characters they’ll be playing have not been revealed

What is Her Private Hell about?

Deadline hears that the movie has myriad storylines, but fires up in a metropolis future where actresses are gathering at a posh hotel where they’re set to make a Barberella-like movie. A heinous killer known as Leather Man is going around the city taking the lives of women.

Refn directed from a screenplay he wrote with Esti Giordani, whose credits include the TV shows The Skinny, I Love Dick, Room 104, Vida, and Stick

Although ten years have passed since Refn’s previous movie, Neon Demon, he has been keeping busy outside of the feature world. In addition to making made two streaming noir series (Prime Video’s 2019 Too Old to Die Young and Netflix’s 2022 Copenhagen Cowboy), he has also been a brand filmmaker for Prada, making shorts like 2022’s Touch of Crude.

The director is best known for making the 2011 film Drive. His other credits include Pusher, Bleeder, Fear X, Pusher II, Pusher III, Bronson, Valhalla Rising, and Only God Forgives. He was also one of the many directors who contributed to the “surreal and psychedelic journey” known as Circus Maximus. Although none of the projects he has made since Drive have been able to match the success or popularity of that film, he has made sure to remain a director worth keeping an eye on.

Her Private Hell‘s summer release date sends it out into the world right in between the releases of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey on July 17th and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st. Are you looking forward to the movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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At one point in time, Steven Spielberg was set to direct the thriller Cape Fear, while Martin Scorsese was attached to direct the historical drama Schindler’s List. Then Scorsese decided to step away from Schindler’s List, a choice that coincided with Spielberg deciding that Cape Fear was too violent for him. So the directors traded movies – resulting in Scorsese directing Robert De Niro and Juliette Lewis to Oscar nominations for Cape Fear and Spielberg turning Schindler’s List into a Best Picture winner. Now, Spielberg and Scorsese are teaming up to executive produce a TV series adaptation of Cape Fear for Apple TV+, with Nick Antosca on board as executive producer and showrunner – and Apple TV has decided to show off the new faces of fear with a batch of posters, which can be seen at the bottom of this article.

What’s this Cape Fear about?

This version of Cape Fear stars  Amy Adams (Man of Steel), Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), and Javier Bardem (Skyfall).

Coming our way from Amblin Television and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, the series is said to be “as an unconventional take on the IP” that turns the story into a tense, contemporary thriller that examines America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. In it, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Adams’ character) and Tom Bowden (Wilson) when Max Cady (played by Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison. The story will be told over the course of ten episodes.

Adams, Wilson, and Bardem are joined in the cast by Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Margarita Levieva (Daredevil: Born Again), CCH Pounder (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight), Anna Baryshnikov (Love Lies Bleeding), Jamie Hector (Bosch), Lily Collias (Good One), Joe Anders (Bonus Track), and Malia Pyles (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin). Levieva is taking on a role that was previously assigned to Clara Wong (The Eyes of My Mother). It’s not clear why the recasting was necessary.

What’s the history of Cape Fear?

The Cape Fear story began with a novel called The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. First published in 1957, that book received a film adaptation in 1962 that was directed by J. Lee Thompson (who was working from storyboards devised by original director Alfred Hitchcock). Released in 1991, Scorsese’s Cape Fear was a second take on the material. It’s said that Antosca has been obsessed with the Cape Fear movies since he was a kid. His previous credits include Hannibal, The Forest, Channel Zero, Brand New Cherry Flavor, Antlers, The Act, Candy, and A Friend of the Family.

In addition to Spielberg, Scorsese, Antosca, Adams, and Bardem, the Cape Fear TV series is executive produced by Alex Hedlund of Eat the Cat and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey of Amblin Television, plus Morten Tyldum, the director of the first episode.

When does Cape Fear premiere?

The Cape Fear TV series is scheduled to begin streaming on Apple TV+ on June 5th. Will you be watching? Take a look at the posters, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

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