The movies of Tobe Hooper that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Directed by Tobe Hooper / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In June 1975, a 2286.00-meter (83:20) print of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was Refused Registration.
The Films Review Board upheld the decision in August 1975.
It was banned again in December 1975, this time in a 2112.00-meter (76:59) reconstructed version. The reason given was ‘excessive violence’.
This decision was appealed, but in April 1976 the Films Board of Review once more upheld the refusal.
In 1976, a censored version of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, missing 06:21, could even secure an Australian R-rating.
In all cases, Seven Keys was the applicant.
In October 1979, newly appointed Chief Censor Janet Strickland ranked THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE as one of the five worst banned films she had seen. She served as Deputy Chief Censor during the original submissions.
Into the 1980s
In July 1981, a 2283.4-meter (83:14) print was refused due to violence, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The same month saw the Films Board of Review upheld the decision.
In both cases, Greater Union Organisation Film Distributors was the applicant.
Prohibited videos
There are two reports from 1982 of the Australian Customs Service seizing PAL tapes of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
These had been imported from America, so presumably, were Wizard Video releases. At the time, they advertised the film in FANGORIA magazine with the promise that both PAL and NTSC versions were available.
Special Condition
In June 1983, Howard Smith Industries had an 80-minute tape passed with the Special Condition ‘that this film/tape will not be exhibited in any State in contravention of State’s law relating to the exhibition of films’.
It was registered the same way in December 1983, this time the applicant was Mr and Mrs Caggiano.
Presumably, these were import videotapes, possibly of the UK pre-cert from Iver Film Services.
R-rated after 7-years
In January 1984, a 2276.69 (82:59) print of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE finally received an Australian R-rating. It was awarded for:
Violence
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Other: Horror
Filmways Australia, the applicant, opened it theatrically in February.
They promoted it as ‘Banned for over 7 years. Now finally released. Intact uncut!’.
Due to concerns about potentially receiving a prohibition order from Queensland’s Films Board of Review, distributors chose not to release many R-rated films in the state. It remains unclear if THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was among those titles. Please email us if you have any information about screenings in Queensland.
Video releases
In May 1984, an 83-minute print was confirmed with an R-rating for video. It was awarded for the same reasons as in January 1984.
Once more, Filmways was the applicant.
The tape was released by Filmways / VTC / K-Tel Video in September.
September 1984
– Australian video trailer
Absolutely brutal beyond description.
Grisly beyond comprehension.
Banned for over seven years.
NOT Banned in Queensland
It still needs confirmation whether it was intentionally withheld from a theatrical run, but it was never ‘Prohibited’ by the Queensland Film Board of Review.
At the time of its September 1984 video release, the definition of ‘film’ did not include videotapes. The ‘Films (Censorship and Review) Acts Amendment Bill’ corrected this, and the first ‘Prohibited’ videos were added in May 1985. Fortunately, it only targeted new releases.
During the ‘Films (Censorship and Review) Acts Amendment Bill’ debate, Rob Borbidge (National) highlighted the Filmways / VTC / K-Tel videotape.
22 November 1984
Mr BORBIDGE: I wish to make a few comments about the attitude of some film distributors in Queensland, A great many have certainly tried to do the right thing. Some have not, I wish to talk about one company that certainly has not, A few weeks ago K-Tel International was quite blatant and open in announcing that it was releasing a film to beat this legislation. The film that I am referring to is THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, which has generally been recognised as one of the sickest films ever made. It is an absolutely appalling film. An article in the GOLD COAST BULLETIN of 28 September 1984 reads—“The video distributor marketing the underground splatter movie THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is almost certain the film will be banned in Queensland. Queensland manager for K-Tel International, Mike Redmond, said yesterday he hoped to squeeze two or three months of video shop rentals out of the film before it was banned.”
That is a totally irresponsible attitude from such a company.
The article continues—
” ‘We have taken a soft-sell approach with this one because of the possibility that it could cause a lot of bad publicity, but really it’s not as bad as some already on the market,’ said Mr Redmond.
‘The film should be available in about 90 per cent of Queensland outlets today including some on the Gold Coast, and if we can get two or three months of shelf life out of it we will be quite happy and so will the retailers.'”
What an appalling indictment of that company and that man, who is its manager in Queensland.
I want to speak a little about the film and about other comments attributed to it in this article, which also states—
“This blood and guts story based on one of America’s most bizarre mass murders, has only recently been given a Federal Government R rating for release in cinemas.”
In fact, it was so bad that the Commonwealth censors banned it.
– Rob Borbidge (National)
– Queensland Legislative Assembly
27 November 1984
Mr Borbidge: When this Bill was before the Parliament prior to its adjournment last Thursday I was making the point that many distributors in the video industry have been far from responsible and, in fact, have been trying to turn the present situation under the law in this State to their advantage. I made particular mention of K-Tel International and its Queensland manager, Mr Mike Redmond, who went on record in the media as saying that the company was releasing the film THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE in the knowledge that it would have a short shelf life in Queensland because of the legislation that is before the Parliament this afternoon. It is worth making the point that such activities, actions and lack of principle by certain people within the industry demonstrate clearly the very important need for this legislation.The film THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE has been banned nationally for the past seven years and, up to the time of the press report in the GOLD COAST BULLETIN of 28 September 1984, it had not been passed by the Queensland Films Board of Review. As I indicated last week, this film must rank as one of the most repulsive and sick productions of all time. I made those comments to the Gold Coast media. However, the Queensland manager of K-Tel, Mr Mike Redmond, leapt to the defence of this particular film, saying that it was not as gruesome as others in the K-Tel package of R-rated films. In the article, he was reported as saying—
” ‘Sure, it is a scary film but it doesn’t feature gory close-ups or shots of blood spurting out in slow motion,’ said Mr Redmond.
‘In my opinion a film called NINJA MISSION is worse. It includes a slow-motion scene of a man having his head chopped off.’
Mr Redmond said other features in the terror package included a violent rape in a film called CAGED FURY, blood and guts in ALIEN TERROR and some foul language in DEATH COLLECTOR.
Mr Redmond said the MASSACRE film carried a warning against showing the film to children and his company would continue to distribute such R-rated films as long as it was within the law.
THE CHAINSAW MASSACRE is the true story of a mass murder involving five young people that took place during the summer of 1973 in Texas.
The film features scenes of physical dismembering and is considered in some circles—”
I do not quite know which circles—
“to be a horror classic.”
Mr Davis: Have you seen it?
Mr Borbidge: I have not seen the film. I know people who have seen it. They were quite repulsed by the film’s contents. As the honourable member is a fair-minded man, I am sure he would agree that such comments and actions by film distribution companies are justification for this very important legislation and certainly confirm the need for the Bill.
– Rob Borbidge (National), Brian Davis (Labor)
– Queensland Legislative Assembly
Now with a consumer warning
In January 1991, an 84-minute videotape was awarded an R (Frequent graphic violence) rating by the OFLC.
The applicant, Hoyts Distribution, does not appear to have followed through with a release.
VHS re-releases
In the late 1990s, Force Video issued THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE several times on video. None were submitted for classification, so the consumer advice was fake.
R (Frequent coarse language, Extreme graphic violence).
R (Graphic violence).
They also issued a double-bill VHS that included the documentary, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: A FAMILY PORTRAIT (1988).
DVD debut
In 2000, Force Video released a 25th Anniversary Edition on DVD.
They followed this with a ‘Special Edition’ in 2001.
Resubmitted after 16-years
In July 2007, Umbrella Entertainment was awarded an R18+ (High level horror violence) rating for a DVD. They released it in October 2007.
This classification was very harsh when you consider that the 2003 remake was passed with an MA (High level violence). In addition, in 2005, the ultra-violent and sadistic THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005) escaped with an MA15+ (Strong violence, Strong coarse language, Sex scene) rating.
It was also made available in a limited edition SteelBook slipcase.
Blu-ray debut
In October 2010, Umbrella Entertainment released THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE on Blu-ray. The cover was the same as the October 2007 DVD.
They followed this in September 2014 with a ’40th Anniversary Special’ version.
TV debut
On 15 October 2014, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was shown for the first time on Australian terrestrial television.
SBS 2 screened it uncut and awarded it an MA15+ (Strong horror and violence) rating. It was also made available on their SBS On Demand streaming service.
The print was sourced from Umbrella Entertainment.
Death Trap
aka Eaten Alive
Directed by Tobe Hooper / 1976 / USA / IMDb
In January 1981, an 82-minute tape of DEATH TRAP was banned because of violence, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
It was submitted by a company called Videolink. The tape may have been an import of the British pre-cert released on the VCL label.
13-year wait
DEATH TRAP was eventually passed with an R (Occasional graphic violence) rating in July 1989.
The uncut 86:55 tape was released on Roadshow’s Applause Home Video label.
New title for DVD
In April 2004, it was passed with an R (Medium level violence) rating, under its alternative title of EATEN ALIVE.
Umbrella Entertainment released the DVD in October of that year and promoted it as being ‘Previously Banned Now Released Uncut’.
They issued it again in October 2007 as part of THE TOBE HOOPER COLLECTION box set that included SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (1990), and THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE (2000).
Blu-ray release
Glass Doll Films issued a Blu-ray in December 2015.
The cover displayed the same R (Medium level violence) rating that was awarded in 2004.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Directed by Tobe Hooper / 1986 / USA / IMDb
In September 1986, a 2750.00 meter (100:14) print of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 was banned due to violence, which was described as being:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Hoyts Distributors was the applicant.
Prohibited VHS
There is a report from 1988 of an imported tape resulting in a Police visit.
February 20, 2019
In the cool, calm light of 2019 it seems ludicrous that a film like this, a gory but broad black comedy starring Dennis Hopper, a sequel to Hooper’s 1974 film of the same name, could be deemed unfit for the delicate sensibilities of Australian audiences. But then and now, both the Board and the Australian Federal Police took the importing of contraband media very seriously.An acquaintance of mine discovered just that when he tried to mail order a bootleg copy of the film on video back in 1988. The tape never arrived, but two AFP officers did, and proceeded to grill him in front of his horrified mother as to what other disgusting media he might own. When he surrendered his single, much-loved issue of PLAYBOY, the cops realised that he was perhaps not the monstrous purveyor of horror and pornography they had expected to find.
– From Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 to Ken Park: films that failed the censorship test
– article @ theguardian.com/au
A second report from 1992 saw the Australian Customs Service forward an uncut VHS to the OFLC, who then released it to the owner. As with most decisions of this type, there is no record in the National Classification Database.
Pay-TV screenings
In February 2000, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 premiered on Foxtel’s Arena channel as part of their Graveyard Shift show. This censored version ran 95:36. In comparison, the uncut New Zealand tape ran 96:09 (PAL).
The only footage missing was from the scene in the radio station where Chop-Top (Bill Moseley) attacks LG (Lou Perryman) with a hammer. One hit was shown before it cut to his legs shaking.
In November 2004, it played on Foxtel’s Showtime Greats channel. Once again, the murder of LG had been toned down, though in a slightly different way. This screening had Paramount opening and closing distributor cards, as opposed to Viacom when it was shown in 2000. The running time, including the distributor cards, was 95:27.
Bootleg VHS
In 2000, there was an unofficial video release on a ‘no-name’ label. The R (High level violence, Adult themes, Frequent coarse language) on the cover was fake.
The uncut letterboxed print ran 98:15. This indicates it had been dubbed from an NTSC source, as the runtime was longer than the New Zealand PAL tape.
A second ‘no-name’ label release from the early 2000s had a fake R-rating with no consumer advice.
MUFF massacre
In July 2001, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 was one of eight ‘banned’ movies dropped from the second Melbourne Underground Film Festival.
See database entry for SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975) for more information about this case.
R-rated 20th Anniversary
In November 2006, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 was finally classified with an R18+ (High level horror violence) rating. The DVD ‘Special Edition’ was submitted by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
It was released on DVD by MGM/20th Century Fox in January 2007. This uncut print ran 96:10 (PAL), minus the MGM intro.
Censored on SBS Viceland
On 18 October 2023, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 screened on the SBS Viceland channel.
A repeat screening on 30 October 2024 saw SBS award it an MA15+ (Strong violence, Strong horror). For this, the following trims were noted.
Aidan D. reports
Blood spurting from Buzz’s (Barry Kinyon) head after being cut with a chainsaw.
Leatherface (Bill Johnson) touching Stretch’s (Caroline Williams) crotch with his chainsaw.
Leatherface tearing off a dead woman’s skin and holding up her face.
L.G’s (Lou Perryman) skinned face.
L.G. falling down after saving Stretch.
Shot of a chainsaw in Leatherface’s stomach.
A cropped shot of Leatherface impaled with a chainsaw.