Today, August 18th, marks the 48th anniversary of the events portrayed in the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (watch it HERE) – so it’s a good day to look back fondly on one of the least popular entries in the Chainsaw franchise, 1994’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (watch that one HERE). The film’s star Matthew McConaughey recently started his own YouTube channel, and in the latest video uploaded to the channel McConaughey tells the story of how he won the role of psycho killer Vilmer in The Next Generation. You can see McConaughey recall the audition process in the video embedded below.
Renee Zellweger co-stars with McConaughey in the film, which was written and directed by Kim Henkel, co-writer of the original Chainsaw. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation has the following synopsis:
After leaving their prom early, innocent Jenny (Zellweger) and three other teenagers crash their car in the backwoods of Texas. In their search for help, they run into Vilmer (McConaughey), a vicious psychopath with a mechanical leg, and his twisted family, including the serial killer Leatherface. As the group of friends struggle to survive the maniacal methods of torture, Jenny discovers the secret origins behind the family’s lust for blood.
McConaughey and Zellweger were joined in the cast by Robert Jacks, Tonie Perensky, Joe Stevens, Lisa Newmyer, John Harrison, Tyler Cone, and James Gale.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is not a very good movie, but I have a soft spot for it and feel the need to rewatch it from time to time. The main thing that makes it entertaining to go back to is the incredible, completely bonkers performance McConaughey delivers as Vilmer. It’s cool to see him look back on it with a smile on his face, and even promote the movie by putting this interview clip on his YouTube channel.