PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Anyone who had the distinct opportunity to meet Gunnar Hansen at one of his many convention appearances can attest to the fact that he truly was a “gentle giant.” With his passing, the horror community not only lost an icon of the slasher genre, but also a great ambassador for horror in general. Writer/director Michael Kallio’s (Rednecks Vs. Aliens) new documentary, Dinner With Leatherface, from Anchor Bay Entertainment, gives us a personal glimpse into the man behind the mask.
Synopsis
“Documentary about Gunnar Hansen, the actor who portrayed Leatherface in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974). Friends, colleagues, filmmakers, and fellow actors share personal stories and discuss the dichotomy between the maniacal chainsaw-wielding character he played on-screen and the very intelligent, creative, soft-spoken man he actually was in real life.”
Have a look at the trailer!
A considerate, artistic, and articulate guy from Reykjavic, Iceland, who suddenly, through a chance audition, after finishing grad school in Austin, would go on to become one of the most beloved, and feared, characters in horror history is the stuff of legend. Fortunately, through the many genre personalities, who’s lives he touched, the legend is transformed into a sweet, emotional journey of a thoughtful actor, who was a poet at heart, and was the polar opposite of the characters he portrayed on screen.
Told by a veritable “who’s who” of genre luminaries, who have all had dinner (and other meals) with Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, for the uninitiated) Dinner With Leatherface covers his start in the Tobe Hooper classic. Clips from his TCM cohorts, including: Kim Henkel, Daniel Pearl, Edwin Neal, William Vail, Allen Danzinger and John Dugan show us the personal relationships that developed between the cast and crew during the harrowing shoot, and works much better than a tired re-hash of the “behind the scenes” stories we’ve all seen umpteen times. Largely leaving acting behind to focus on his writing aspirations, we have Fren Olen Ray and his Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers to thank for Hansen’s triumphant return to the horror fold.
Interviews and clips from: Debbie Rochon, Kane Hodder, Jim O’ Rear, Tiffany Shepis, Bruce Campbell, Barbara Crampton, Dave Sheridan, JimmyO and April Burril, Felissa Rose, Tony Timpone and Linnea Quigley, in addition to plethora of indie directors and producers that Hansen worked with, paint a portrait of a man that was generous beyond belief with his friendship and mentorship. Plenty of fun stories from conventions, sets, and appearances show that Leatherface was a fun loving guy who always had a smile on his face and always approached his life and work with a sense of adventure and enthusiasm.
Quite surprisingly, you learn that, yes, Hansen did harbor some hard feelings about not being cast in the many sequels (although he was tickled to do a cameo in 2013’s Texas Chainsaw 3-D) and most of the actors who portrayed Leatherface after his defining turn, treat his contributions to the character with the respect and reverence he was due. Chronicling his long, and varied career, the documentary leaves the best for last as we see the assembled casts’ heartfelt words regarding his passing in 2015—if John Dugan’s testimonial leaves you with dry eyes, you probably aren’t human…
The Blu-ray itself looks fantastic, the clips and interviews are edited together very well, and the film flows seamlessly in this standard documentary format. Solid packaging, with some really nice cover art, compliment the extras, that include: commentary tracks, extended interviews, a chat with actress Danielle Harris (who also narrates a portion), a Tales of Gunnar Hansen clip, and a trailer.
A moving, fun, and thoughtful tribute to a larger than life man, who wasn’t just a colleague or co-star of so many icons of fright, he was, above all, a friend. I’m sure that the big, scary Leatherface guy is up there somewhere, smiling down at this cinematic “wish you were here” card.
Thanks for the memories Mr. Hansen, you were one-in-a-million!
Anchor Bay Entertainment’s Blu-ray release of Dinner With Leatherface is available now from fine retailers.
