Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Jeff Burr

(1990)

Two college students driving coast to coast are lured off the main highway and onto a deserted Texas road were they are stalked by the menacing Leatherface and his family.

Cast

Kate Hodge
Michelle: Kate Hodge
Ken Foree
Benny: Ken Foree
R.A. Mihailoff
Leatherface: R.A. Mihailoff
William Butler
Ryan: William Butler
Kate Hodge
Michelle: Kate Hodge
Ken Foree
Benny: Ken Foree
R.A. Mihailoff
Leatherface: R.A. Mihailoff
William Butler
Ryan: William Butler
Viggo Mortensen
Tex: Viggo Mortensen

Crew

Art DirectionElla St. John Blakey
EditorBrent A. Schoenfeld
StuntsPaul E. Short
StuntsJennifer Watson-Johnston
StuntsMerritt Yohnka

Overview and Horror Legacy

The film's reputation has not improved significantly over subsequent decades, and it is generally regarded as a minor entry in the franchise, of interest primarily to dedicated completists and to those curious about the early career appearances of Mortensen and Foree within a single genre production. The film was submitted to the MPAA ratings board multiple times in various cuts, with New Line Cinema ultimately releasing a significantly trimmed version to avoid an NC-17 rating, removing or shortening several of the more graphic violence sequences that Burr had originally shot.

Collector Market and Memorabilia

The third entry brought new creative voices and a harder edge, with Ken Foree adding genre credibility. Its MPAA censorship history gives uncut versions particular collector value — a film whose release history is part of its identity.

Cult Status

Directed by Jeff Burr, Leatherface: the Texas Chainsaw Massacre IIi was produced on a budget of approximately $2.5 million, with the production offsetting its lean resources through craft and camera technique. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III received largely negative reviews upon its January 1990 release, with critics finding it a generic and uninspired entry in the franchise that failed to recapture either the raw terror of the original or the outrageous energy of the second film. The film's reputation has not improved significantly over subsequent decades, and it is generally regarded as a minor entry in the franchise, of interest primarily to dedicated completists and to those curious about the early career appearances of Mortensen and Foree within a single genre production.

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