DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE is a Touching Tribute

DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE (Blu-ray)

2024 / 106 min

From Anchor Bay

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

The late Gunnar Hansen was famous for only one role. But man, what a role. A single film cemented the man as a beloved horror icon for the rest of his life, even though you never saw his face or heard him speak. That film is, of course, the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

It’s been a decade since Hansen passed away at the age of 68, and now his legacy is celebrated in Dinner with Leatherface, a very enjoyable documentary that details Hansen’s life and career as remembered by friends, peers, admirers and filmmakers who worked with him. 

Taking the role of Leatherface as sort of a summer job is essentially the starting point for the story, which reveals a few surprises, such as his love of writing, poetry in particular. In archival footage, he comes across as an congenial, intelligent teddy-bear of a man who takes his single claim to fame in stride. As an actor, Gunnar appeared in a handful of other films after TCM over the years, mostly obscure, B-movies. We also see clips from a few of them, including some that were never completed. 

Gunnar Hansen in Massacre on 34th Street.

Dinner with Leatherface features dozens of interviews from people who appear to have known him well, including Bruce Campbell, Barbara Crampton, Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris, Edwin Neal, director Fred Olen Ray, director Jeff Burr and TCM writer Kim Henkel. If most of those names don’t ring a bell, not only are you reading the wrong review, you need to see more horror movies.

Needless to say, everyone has gushing praise and admiration for him, but it comes across as more than mere lip service. There’s obviously a lot of genuine love in their words, especially as the film nears its end and some interviewees are reduced to tears over the loss of their friend…years after his passing. Dinner with Leatherface is a touching, bittersweet tribute to a cultural icon, even if most of us wouldn’t have recognized him if he were walking down the street.

EXTRA KIBBLES

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS - With historian Michael Felsher and filmmaker Jeff Burr.

CONVENTION CHAT - Featuring scream queen Danielle Harris and Hansen.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY TRAILER - Remastered trailer from an unfinished film.

TALES OF GUNNAR HANSEN - More interview footage.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer/director Michael Kallio and editor Josh Wagner.