2022 was a great year for horror physical media. So many classic genre films came to 4K this year and 2023 looks to be no different. One of the first exciting releases next year is Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The horrifying classic has set February 28, 2023 for its physical release.

This release, which both comes in 4K Ultra HD and a 4K UHD steelbook, features a director-approved 4K restoration. The 4K UHD version comes in this beautiful slipcover featuring “final girl” Sally’s bloodshot Leatherface-filled eye with the original poster art underneath while the steelbook has the same classic poster image. The two-disc set also comes with hours of bonus features including a never-before-seen feature-length documentary The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Disc One has four commentary tracks featuring the film’s original cast and crew including Hooper and cinematographer Daniel Pearl; while Disc Two also has several featurettes including “The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER” which is a conversation between Hooper and The Exorcist director William Friedkin. Other featurettes in Disc Two include “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”; “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw”, “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn”; and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman.” Finally, there are deleted scenes, outtakes, a blooper reel, trailers, and vintage radio and TV spots to make any long time Texas Chain Saw fan happy.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which was released in 1974, was considered far ahead of its time. While it is now perceived as tame for today’s horror standards in terms of blood and gore, there’s still something uniquely horrific about Hooper’s atmosphere. What Hooper and Pearl’s bone-chilling cinematography brought to this nightmare was a griminess and distorted realism that’s emotionally disturbing to this day. The brutal material in this film also got The Texas Chain Saw Massacre banned in several countries and many theaters in the United States stopped showing it due to violence complaints.

A girl sitting in the back of a truck while bloodied

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has one of the greatest legacies in horror. Leatherface and his cannibal-loving family paved the way for franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. This chain saw expert and his subsequent sequels may have not ever reached the same morbid heights as the original film, but Leatherface has become a horror icon appearing in countless sequels/reboots, video games, and comics since 1974. That’s why it's so important to preserve the original film and physical media as a whole. Leatherface has remained relevant in our pop culture zeitgeist receiving a Netflix legacy sequel earlier this year, with another video game on the way; however, the success of the franchise will always be rooted in that original film. As such, it’s great seeing a company like Dark Sky Films give this genre gem the respect it deserves.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is coming to 4K on February 28, 2023. The 4K UHD version will be $44.98 while the 4K steelbook will be $54.98. You can check out both versions down below.