Texas Chainsaw Mascara – Grimoire of Exalted Deeds (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2022
Director: Bill Zebub
Writer: Bill Zebub
Cast: Heather Beck, Dani Bliss, Colvin Burnett, Aaron Marquez, Cheyenne Mobbs, Marc Pearce, Andrew L. Thomas, Maya Waters, Rusty Wikked, Bill Zebub

Release Date: March 14th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 72 Minutes 34 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $17.95

"A group of New Yorkers take a road trip to Texas, intent on seeing the locations of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They never make it. Their car breaks down and they trust a local woman to lead them toward help. Their northern attitudes anger the wrong people, and a series of gruesome events follow." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Texas Chainsaw Mascara comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 9.7 GB (Texas Chainsaw Mascara), 9.7 GB (Dirtbags)

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are very good, and any compression-related issues are minor.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. The audio sounds clear and balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include the Painful Meow music video (5 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a bonus film titled Dirtbags, also directed by Bill Zebub (119 minutes 22 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an extra titled Gaylord that appears to be related to the film Dirtbags (25 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Going into Texas Chainsaw Mascara I had never seen a film directed by Bill Zebub. So after a brief internet search about Bill Zebub and the films he directed, I had a good idea of what to expect from Texas Chainsaw Mascara.

Bill Zebub is a do-it-yourself filmmaker who not only directs but also writes, photographs, edits, and composes the score for most of his films. Content-wise, his films are known for their politically incorrect humor and social commentary via the lens of satire. And with a film like Texas Chainsaw Mascara, it has all of these elements in spades.

The narrative revolves around a group of friends who are fans of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They go on a road trip to Texas to visit locations from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Along the way, their car breaks down, so they enlist the help of the locals, who show them the meaning of Texas hospitality.

Texas Chainsaw Mascara is a textbook example of microbudget filmmaking. The result is a film that often exceeds its limited resources. And at just over seventy-two minutes, Texas Chainsaw Mascara is a film that does not overstay its welcome.

Anyone going into Texas Chainsaw Mascara expecting a horror film will be disappointed. Onscreen carnage is minimal, with the goriest moment being saved for the finale. That said, Texas Chainsaw Mascara is a dialogue-heavy film; fortunately, humor plays a significant role in the story at hand. Ultimately, if you're a fan of politically incorrect humor, then Texas Chainsaw Mascara is a film you should thoroughly enjoy. Those who are easily offended by this film are not for you.

Texas Chainsaw Mascara gets a good release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation.

 Written by Michael Den Boer