Evil Dead II is one of the most beloved horror movies of all time, with it improving on its predecessor in some major ways despite being very different. 1981’s The Evil Dead was a genuine attempt at horror from Sam Raimi and his friends and fellow creatives, and while the campy and comedic hallmarks of Raimi’s later works were present, it was a horror film. 1987’s Evil Dead II, however, is a slapstick comedy with horror elements, with the movie more focused on making audiences laugh than feel scared.
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However, Evil Dead II wasn’t the first sequel to attempt this. In fact, another major horror franchise tried this trick a year earlier, even if it wasn’t quite as successful as Raimi’s magnum opus.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 Switched From Horror To Comedy Before Evil Dead II
1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was a breakthrough for the slasher genre, and to this day the film is still considered to be one of the most terrifying movies of all time. Despite showing virtually no on-screen gore or violence, many viewers remember vivid images of Leatherface ripping the main characters to shreds. This is because the original film has an unrelentingly tense atmosphere, and this, combined with the gritty cinematography, realistic performances, and opening text, creates a shockingly impactful impression of violence. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was a massive success, making $30.9 million against a budget of under $150,000, and this, combined with its cultural impact, meant that a sequel was inevitable.
So, in 1986, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 hit theaters, hoping to recapture the original film’s success. Unfortunately, it didn’t. The film made only $8 million against a much larger budget of $4.6 million, and it received mixed to negative reviews. Most of these reviews targeted the film’s tone and pacing, which is undoubtedly far different from the original’s. Part 2 is much faster and much more comedic, with the villains being more over-the-top, the characters being sillier, and the cinematography and lighting being far less grounded. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 is a far cry from its predecessor, which is most likely why it didn’t have the same lasting impact as the 1974 classic.
So, a year later when Evil Dead II came out, the team behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 must’ve been pretty confused when Raimi’s sequel was getting praised for the exact same reasons that their film was getting criticized. After all, Evil Dead II also features a faster pace, goofier villains and violence, and more stylized cinematography. Some gags in Evil Dead II wouldn’t feel out of place in The Three Stooges, yet many Evil Dead fans praise the comedic sequel as the franchise’s best movie.
Evil Dead II‘s heightened comedic tone was definitely more in line with its predecessor than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2‘s was with its. However, both Sam Raimi and Tobe Hooper wanted their sequels to play up the dark comedy that was present in the originals. In both instances, it was the original director’s idea, yet the reception was wholly different between the two. It is fine to praise Evil Dead II over Part 2 when comparing the content and effectiveness of their comedy, but knocking Part 2 just for the fact that it was a comedy at all seems a bit unfair.
Texas Chainsaw 2’s Tone Switch Was A Better Choice Than What Later Sequels Became
In the decades that have passed, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 has received a bit of a reappraisal, with it gaining a cult following. It now seems like the comedy path was the best way for the franchise to go, as later sequels that attempted to recapture the tone of the original failed miserably. Even if it doesn’t feel like the first film, Part 2 at least offers a new and unique experience that builds on the franchise in an exciting way. Other sequels are just retreads of what the first film perfected, but executed much more poorly.
It is fun to imagine what the franchise would have become if the sequel was a hit. While there are still serious Evil Dead movies, each subsequent entry has had an element of dark comedy, with some like Army of Darkness and Ash vs. Evil Dead wholly leaning into it. It is possible that the same could have occurred with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with each entry after Part 2 attempting to be funny as well as scary.
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Image via New Line Cinema
